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1996 Buick Riviera

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1996 Riviera.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

Equipped with a 4.5‑quart oil capacity and 10W‑30 API lubricant, the 1996 Buick Riviera paired that engine with an automatic 4‑speed transmission delivering EPA‑rated 17 city, 27 highway, and 21 combined miles per gallon. The 1996 model contributed to a total of 55 owner complaints logged between 1990 and 1999, with the fuel system, gasoline category being the most frequent issue and a single recall documented. Its complaint count falls below the 148 complaints recorded in the 1995 peak but remains above the 6 complaints recorded in 1999, indicating a mid‑range reliability position for that year.

Model year1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1993 1992 1991 1989

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type10W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy17/27/21 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 76 · 970 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory fuel filter, front wiper blades and serpentine belt are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 76 · 970 CCAOEM · verified

Tail / brake / turnLAMPOEM · verified

Tire sizeP225-60R16OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6.5-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731175
Engine air filter	19259030
Fuel filter	25121293 discontinued
Spark plug	12681664
Front wiper blades	25689175 discontinued
Serpentine belt	19172682 discontinued · alt 19244953
Thermostat	24505924 alt 24502433

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	207.1 in
Overall width	75.2 in
Overall height	55.1 in
Wheelbase	113.4 in
Curb weight	3721 lb
Track (front / rear)	62.2 / 62.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	62/38

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	17 / 27 / 21 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

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

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

7.1 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.10 sec — 1996 Supercharged Coupe

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1996	Supercharged Coupe 3.8L Supercharger V6	7.10 sec	15.40 sec	225 hp	FWD
1995	Supercharged Coupe 3.8L Supercharger V6	7.20 sec	15.60 sec	225 hp	FWD
1989	Coupe 3.8L V6	9.90 sec	17.40 sec	165 hp	FWD
1986	T-Type Coupe 3.8L V8	11.30 sec	18.23 sec	165 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 10W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-6-5-4-3-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Oil	10W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)	4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)	6.2 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)	15 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)	31 ft-lbs
Knock Sense (KS) Bolt(s)	13 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	Lower: 11 ft-lbs; Upper: 7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	22 ft-lbs
Oil Pan to Block Bolts	10 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	107 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-6-5-4-3-2
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	5,000-8,000 ohms
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Type	AC 41-921
Spark Plug Gap	0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	2.00 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Capacity	8.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	76
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	970 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	15; Do not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
Injector Primary Resistance	11.4-12.6 @ 70 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression	100

Brakes

Torque to Knuckle	38 ft-lbs / 100 ft-lbs
Torque Caliper to Bracket	38 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.26 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.26 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	1.25 in / 0.423 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s) — tightening sequence 1 stages

74 ft. lbs., Step 2: 105

74 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

111 ft. lbs., step 2: 76

111 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	37 ft. lbs.	37 ft. lbs
2	120 degrees	120 degrees
3	turn 30

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	37 ft. lbs.	37 ft. lbs
2	120 degrees	120 degrees
3	turn 30

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 100,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 100,000 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 mi	Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 mi	Brake System (inspect) · Door Hinge (lubricate) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Hood Hinge (lubricate) · Hood Latch (lubricate)
Every 15,000 mi	Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect) · Supercharger Assembly (inspect fluid condition)
Every 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (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.

The 1996 model year represents a significant improvement from the preceding 1995 spike of 148 complaints, dropping to 55 complaints while maintaining the same single recall, 29 technical service bulletins, and two investigations as the previous year. Compared to the relatively quiet early generation years of 1990 through 1993—which averaged fewer than 15 complaints annually—1996 remains elevated, though it initiates a downward trend that continues through 1997 (45 complaints), 1998 (36 complaints), and 1999 (6 complaints). The federal data identifies Fuel System, Gasoline, Seat Belts, and Engine & Engine Cooling as tied for the highest complaint volume at seven reports each, though the data does not specify root causes for these issues. With one fire-related complaint but zero crash complaints, 1996 sits in a transitional position between the problematic 1995 peak and the cleaner later years. For buyers, 1996 offers a moderate risk profile—better than 1995 but not as favorable as 1997-1999—with documented issues requiring attention to the fuel system, restraint systems, and cooling components.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

0 involved a crash · 1 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’95’96’97 ’98 ’99

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 55 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Fuel System, Gasoline7

Seat Belts7

Engine & Engine Cooling7

Electrical System6

Power Train5

Service Brakes, Hydraulic5

Steering4

Air Bags2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

96V116000Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection SystemReported 01/07/1996

A BACKFIRE DURING ENGINE STARTING CAN CAUSE BREAKAGE OF THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD. Remedy: DEALERS WILL UPDATE THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING. UNTIL THE CAMPAIGN REPAIR IS MADE, THE VEHICLE HOOD SHOULD BE SHUT WHENEVER STARTING THE VEHICLE TO REDUCE THE…

95V204000Electrical System:Ignition:Anti-Theft:Control ModuleReported 23/10/1995

THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH A MALFUNCTION ALARM, LIGHTING AND LOCKING (MALL) MODULE THAT CAN CONTAIN A DAMAGED CAPACITOR. IF THE CAPACITOR IS DAMAGED, THE "KEY IN THE IGNITION" WARNING CHIME AND THE DRIVER SEAT… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF REQUIRED, REPLACE THE MALL MODULE.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 29 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP4723D	2020-01-31	Electrical System	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
19NA273	2019-12-02	Electrical System	This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to…
PIC4696E	2019-11-22	Equipment	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
17NA073	2019-09-18	Equipment	This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action…
PIC4696D	2019-09-05	Equipment	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…

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 Riviera. 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.

Group 76 battery Vehicles taking 4.5 qt Engine oil filter 12731175 Engine air filter 19259030 Fuel filter 25121293 Spark plug 12681664

Reference guides

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

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1996 Riviera take?

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

Does the 1996 Riviera have open recalls?

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

What gas mileage does the Riviera get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 27 highway / 21 combined mpg.