BuickElectra Estate Wagon1986Overview/buick/electra-estate-wagon/1986/base/

1986 Buick Electra Estate Wagon

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1986 Electra Estate Wagon.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1986 Buick Electra Estate Wagon paired its estate body style with a four-speed automatic transmission and an engine requiring four quarts of oil—specified across 20W-20, 10W-30, or 10W-40 viscosities—to deliver an EPA-rated 15 city and 22 highway miles per gallon. In the model's reliability history, this year occupies a problematic position, underscored by 16 total owner complaints and three separate recalls. With the hydraulic service brake system identified as the top complaint area, researchers should anticipate notable vulnerabilities in braking integrity when evaluating this specific vintage.

Model year1989198819871986198519841983

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity4 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type20W-20 / 10W-30 / 10W-40OEM · verified
EPA fuel economy15/22/17 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731175 alt 12731179
Engine air filter24577608 alt 06484235
Fuel filter5651803 discontinued · alt 25171792
Spark plug19300749 alt 19366108
Front wiper blades22155381
Serpentine belt25512309 alt 09433764
Thermostat03059081 alt 24506986

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length221.3 in
Overall width79.1 in
Overall height59.4 in
Wheelbase116.1 in
Curb weight4239 lb

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined15 / 22 / 17 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume110 cu ft
Cargo volume50 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine OilABOVE 40 degrees F
Engine Oil Capacity4 qt
Engine OilABOVE 40 degrees F
Engine Oil Capacity4 qt
Power Steering FluidUSE GM PART NO. 1050017 OR EQUIVALENT

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 miCarburetor Mounting Fasteners (inspect) · Choke System (inspect) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Throttle Body (torque) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill)
Every 15,000 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 miChoke System (inspect) · Distributor Cap (inspect) · Distributor Vacuum Advance (inspect) · EGR System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
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 1986 Buick Electra Estate Wagon dominate in one area — the service brakes, hydraulic, 9 of 16 reports (56%), well ahead of the next concern. That matters, because the service brakes, hydraulic are also the target of recall 87V-093 on this vehicle — so the single most useful check before buying or servicing one is confirming it was actually performed. 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.

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
6
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
16
Owner complaints
1 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 16 complaints on record, top 7 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic9
Engine & Engine Cooling2
Power Train1
Structure1
Electrical System1
Vehicle Speed Control1
Wheels1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

87V093000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited SlipReported 23/06/1987

THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) PRESSURE/WARNING SWITCH MAY EXHIBIT BRAKE FLUID SEEPAGE WHICH EVENTUALLY CAN LEAD TO LOSS OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM HYDRAULIC PUMP MOTOR. ADDITIONALLY, THE HYDRAULIC PUMP MOTOR AND ABS… Remedy: THE ABS AND HYDRAULIC PUMP MOTOR ELECTRICAL RELAYS AND 30 AMP FUSES WILL BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE HYDRAULIC PUMP MOTOR ASSEMBLY AND PRESSURE/WARNING SWITCH WILL BE INSPECTED…

86V145000Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist:Hose, Piping, And ConnectionsReported 03/11/1986

THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP RETURN HOSE AND THE ENGINE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: HOSE COULD OVERHEAT, RESULTING IN A HOLE AND FLUID LEAK, AND A POSSIBLE ENGINE… Remedy: REPLACE AND CORRECTLY ROUTE HOSE, AS NECESSARY.

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 Estate Wagon. 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 1986 Electra Estate Wagon take?

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.

Does the 1986 Electra Estate Wagon have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Electra Estate Wagon get?

EPA figures are 15 city / 22 highway / 17 combined mpg.