Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1983 Electra Estate Wagon.
The 1983 Buick Electra Estate Wagon, built on Buick’s full‑size platform, is powered by an engine that requires a modest 4 qt oil capacity and accepts the common viscosities of 20W‑20, 10W‑30 or 10W‑40, reflecting the era’s flexible service specifications. Across the model year only five owner complaints were recorded, with exterior lighting identified as the most frequent issue, and the vehicle saw no factory recalls. This combination of a straightforward maintenance regimen and an exceptionally low complaint rate places the 1983 Electra Estate Wagon near the top of the model’s reliability spectrum, indicating a generally robust year for researchers examining long‑term durability.
Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 220.5 in |
| Overall width | 79.1 in |
| Overall height | 59.4 in |
| Wheelbase | 116.1 in |
| Curb weight | 4308 lb |
Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.
This engine holds 4 qt of 20W-20 / 10W-30 / 10W-40 engine oil, 80W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid.
| Brake Fluid | DOT 3 |
| Differential Gear Oil | 80W-90 · GL-5 |
| Differential Gear Oil Capacity | 3.5 qt |
| Differential Gear Oil | 80W-90 · GL-5 |
| Differential Gear Oil Capacity | 4.3 qt |
| Engine Coolant | ETHYLENE GLYCOL |
| Engine Oil | ABOVE 40 degrees F |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 4 qt |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Owner complaints about the 1983 Buick Electra Estate Wagon dominate in one area — the exterior lighting, 3 of 5 reports (60%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the exterior lighting pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.
All 5 complaints on record, top 2 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
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Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
4 qt of ABOVE 40 degrees F: 30, ABOVE 20 degrees F: 20W-20, 10W-30, 10W-40, 20W-40 OR 20W-50, ABOVE 10 degrees F 15W-40, BELOW 20 degrees F: 5W-20 OR 5W-30, per the factory manual.
NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.