BuickRiviera1997Overview/buick/riviera/1997/base/

1997 Buick Riviera

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1997 Riviera.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1997 Buick Riviera is a front-wheel-drive luxury coupe built on GM's W-body platform and powered by a V6 engine paired with a four-speed automatic transmission, with EPA fuel economy ratings of 17 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined; it holds 4.5 quarts of 10W-30 API-rated oil. That model year recorded 45 owner complaints with no recalls, placing it in the middle of a notable downward trend in grievance filings across the Riviera's 1990–1999 model run—well below the peak of 148 complaints in 1995 but above the historic low of just 6 complaints recorded in 1999. The steering system emerged as the most frequent complaint area for the 1997, yet the complete absence of recalls and the fact that complaints had already fallen dramatically from earlier years suggests that reliability had substantially improved by this point in the model's lifecycle.

Model year199919981997199619951993199219911989

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 economy17/26/20 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 Note the factory fuel filter, front wiper blades and serpentine belt are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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 filter12731175
Engine air filter19259030
Fuel filter25121293 discontinued
Spark plug12681664
Front wiper blades25689175 discontinued
Serpentine belt19172682 discontinued · alt 19244953
Thermostat24506986 alt 24506985

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length207.1 in
Overall width75.2 in
Overall height55.1 in
Wheelbase113.4 in
Curb weight3721 lb
Track (front / rear)62.2 / 62.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)62/38

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined17 / 26 / 20 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
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 Riviera of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

7.1–9.9 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.10 sec — 1996 Supercharged Coupe
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1996Supercharged Coupe 3.8L Supercharger V67.10 sec15.40 sec225 hpFWD
1995Supercharged Coupe 3.8L Supercharger V67.20 sec15.60 sec225 hpFWD
1989Coupe 3.8L V69.90 sec17.40 sec165 hpFWD

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 Oil10W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4.5 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 BoltsLower: 11 ft-lbs; Upper: 7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts22 ft-lbs
Oil Pan to Block Bolts10 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub107 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-6-5-4-3-2
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance5,000-8,000 ohms
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug TypeAC 41-921
Spark Plug Gap0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity2.00 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity9.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number76
Standard BCI Cranking Performance970 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test15; Do not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Injector Primary Resistance11.4-12.6 @ 70 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression100

Brakes

Torque to Knuckle38 ft-lbs / 100 ft-lbs
Torque Caliper to Bracket38 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.26 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.26 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Minimum Machining1.25 in / 0.423 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s) — tightening sequence 1 stages
174 ft. lbs., Step 2: 10574 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
1111 ft. lbs., step 2: 76111 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages
137 ft. lbs.37 ft. lbs
2120 degrees120 degrees
3turn 30
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages
137 ft. lbs.37 ft. lbs
2120 degrees120 degrees
3turn 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 at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 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.

Every 7,500 miBrake System (inspect) · Door Hinge (lubricate) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Hood Hinge (lubricate) · Hood Latch (lubricate)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect) · Supercharger Assembly (inspect fluid condition)
Every 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

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 federal record shows this generation was relatively quiet through 1993, then spiked sharply in 1995 with 148 complaints before entering a steady downward trend. The 1997 model sits in that post-spike decline: its 45 complaints are lower than 1995's 148 and 1996's 55, but still above 1998's 36 and 1999's 6, while recalls dropped to zero for 1997 and stayed there through 1999. TSB activity, however, remained elevated at 36 for 1997 and continued rising to 40 in 1998, indicating dealers were still addressing recurring service items. The top complaint areas in 1997 were steering (10), engine and engine cooling (6), electrical system (5), and service brakes, hydraulic (5), with 3 crash-related and 5 fire-related complaints; the data does not specify root causes. Given the improving complaint trajectory and absence of recalls, 1997 is a more favorable year than 1995-1996, though buyers should budget for age-related steering, cooling, electrical, and brake inspections.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
36
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
45
Owner complaints
3 involved a crash · 5 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 45 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Steering10
Engine & Engine Cooling6
Electrical System5
Service Brakes, Hydraulic5
Structure3
Power Train3
Fuel System, Other2
Seat Belts2

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 5 of 36 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIP4723D2020-01-31Electrical SystemThis Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
19NA2732019-12-02Electrical SystemThis informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to…
PIC4696E2019-11-22EquipmentThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
17NA0732019-09-18EquipmentThis warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action…
PIC4696D2019-09-05EquipmentThis 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.

Reference guides

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

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1997 Riviera take?

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

Does the 1997 Riviera have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 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 / 26 highway / 20 combined mpg.