BuickElectra1990Overview/buick/electra/1990/base/

1990 Buick Electra

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1990 Electra.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1990 Buick Electra is a passenger car equipped with a 4‑speed automatic transmission and an engine that requires 5.0 qt of 10W‑30 API oil, delivering EPA‑rated fuel economy of 16 mpg city, 25 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined. Its reliability record for the model year shows 23 total owner complaints, with the service brakes hydraulic system identified as the top problem area, and it was subject to one recall. Situating the 1990 Electra within the broader reliability history of the nameplate, these figures reflect a modest complaint load and a single recall, positioning the year as an average‑performing example among its peers.

Model year199019821981198019791978197719761975

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type10W-30 APIOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy16/25/19 mpgEPA · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length196.9 in
Overall width72.4 in
Overall height54.3 in
Wheelbase111 in
Curb weight3296 lb
Track (front / rear)60.6 / 59.8 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)64/36

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined16 / 25 / 19 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume111 cu ft
Cargo volume16 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Electra of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

9.7 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 9.70 sec — 1989 Park Avenue Ultra Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1989Park Avenue Ultra Sedan 3.8L V69.70 sec17.20 sec165 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5.0 qt of 10W-30 API engine oil.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil10W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity5.0 qt

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 7,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Throttle Body (torque) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 miAxle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
Every 15,000 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect) · PCV System (inspect)
Every 100,000 miTransmission Fluid & Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 1990 Buick Electra top in one area — the service brakes, hydraulic, 4 of 23 reports (17%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 1 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the service brakes, hydraulic 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.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
4
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
23
Owner complaints
1 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 23 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic4
Seat Belts3
Engine & Engine Cooling3
Unknown Or Other3
Vehicle Speed Control2
Tires2
Steering2
Electrical System,Vehicle Speed Control,Unknown Or Other1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 4 of 4 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
9909410042000-01-01Air BagsINFORMATION REGARDING SWITCHES TO TURN OFF AND ON FRONTAL AIR BAGS FOR PASSENGER CARS AND…
9909400042000-01-01SeatsGENERAL MOTORS BEGAN PROVIDING CHILD RESTRAIN SEAT TOP TETHER HARDWARE PACKAGES TO…
990866002A2000-01-01Latches/Locks/LinkagesTHIS BULLETIN INFORMS DEALERSHIPS ABOUT THE TRAP RESISTANT REAR COMPARTMENT (TRUNK) KIT…
4350091994-12-01Service Brakes, HydraulicNEW DIAGNOSIS AND CORRECTION PROCEDURES FOR FRONT BRAKE PULSATION. *TW

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Electra. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1990 Electra take?

5.0 qt of 10W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1990 Electra have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Electra get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 25 highway / 19 combined mpg.