BuickRiviera1984Overview/buick/riviera/1984/base/

1984 Buick Riviera

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1984 Riviera.

The 1984 Buick Riviera is a personal luxury coupe whose 4-quart engine oil capacity—specified across 20W-20, 10W-30, or 10W-40 viscosity grades—reflects the era's straightforward lubrication requirements for a car of this class. The available complaint history for the Riviera line spans 1990 through 1999, which does not encompass this 1984 model year, meaning the documented reliability record begins with later generations. Within that recorded window, complaints peaked at 148 in 1995 before declining to just 6 by 1999, suggesting the most troubled years fall well downstream of this particular model and leaving the 1984 Riviera's own reliability picture outside the available data.

Model year199919981997199619951993199219911984

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

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length206.7 in
Overall width74.8 in
Overall height54.3 in
Wheelbase114.2 in
Curb weight3697 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)60/40

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.

9.9–14.8 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 9.90 sec — 1989 Coupe
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1983Convertible 4.1L V614.80 sec19.70 sec125 hpFWD
1986T-Type Coupe 3.8L V811.30 sec18.23 sec165 hpFWD
1979S-Type Coupe 3.8L V610.90 sec18.30 sec115 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 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
Engine OilABOVE 40 degrees F
Engine Oil Capacity4 qt

Reliability & federal safety record

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

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
0
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

No owner complaints on record with NHTSA for this vehicle.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

06E043000Fuel System, GasolineReported 19/05/2006

CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18… Remedy: HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION…

89V102000Vehicle Speed ControlReported 16/06/1989

A SMALL NYLON BUSHING IN THE CRUISE CONTROL SERVO BAIL MAY SLIP OUT OF PLACE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT AND UNEXPECTED INCREASES IN ENGINE SPEED OR DIESELING (ENGINE RUN ON WITH IGNITION OFF). Remedy: INSTALL A NEW BUSHING IN CRUISE CONTROL SERVO BAIL.

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 1984 Riviera 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 1984 Riviera have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.