1988 REATTA

[Guest]

Hello,<BR>I really enjoy your website. I am considering purchasing a 1988 Buick Reatta with leather and suede seating from a dealership. The car has 81,000 miles and looks pretty good except for center alloy wheel caps that have weathered poorly, a rear upper tail lamp lens that has done the same, and the passenger side "A" pillar trim molding which has come loose. The dealership has offered a 3 year bumper-to-bumper warranty with the car that supposably covers all of the electronics...Should I purchase the car as a daily driver, how reliable will it be, and what mechanical difficulties should I expect, if any? Please advise as I plan to purchase within one week.<BR>Thanks for your time!<BR>John B.

[Guest]

I have two one is a dialy drive. It averages 18 mpg ,handles great,seats very comfortable.<BR>Definately get the warranty it can be worth it. The engine is the bullet proof 3800, parts are availalbe thru parts stores.<BR>

[Guest]

Overall, I'm sure you'll have goo dluck with the car. As for the warranty, read the fine print VERY CAREFULLY. Find out what's included/excluded (there's always something). In other words - make sure the entire brake system is covered. When I bought my current Reatta, it came with a pretty comprehensive warranty, but it didn't cover anything related to ABS or other hydraulic parts of the braking system - and those can be some pricey repairs as well (not to mention tough for most dealerships to troubleshoot).<P>As for the 3800 engine being 'bullet-proof' ... all I can say is that I've snapped 2 cam-shafts in these in 3.5 years ... go figure.<P>~Brenda<P>------------------<BR> <A HREF="http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html" TARGET=_blank>http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html</A> <p>[This message has been edited by Reatta2go (edited 11-27-2000).]

[Guest]

John I have had my reatta (89) since Feb 1990. Ibought it new off the dealer lot. It currently has @ 140K miles on it and the following is what has failed, it's cost to fix and when iot failed:<BR>Touch Screen $100.00 (found one in a local salvage yard) 90K Miles<BR>Accumulator for Teves ABS @50.00 from dealer @ 110K<BR>AC Complressor ($189 plus 125. labor (currently about to replace it a third time. Rill get new GM Delco instead of rebuilt this time) 130K<BR>Engine (Screwed up by going to the lowest bidde to replace a Cam Sensor) 650.00 plus 500 Labor 120K.<BR>Except for engine all the rest were to be expected. All in all a great car and still a head turner. btw you shouldn't have to pay more than 3-4K from a dealer, for an 88. If he wants more, keep looking. Lots of 90's around for 6-8K, even rag tops for under 12K.<P>Ken in Virginia<P>