1992 Buick Roadmaster Limited Sedan 5.7 V8

Summary:

Big comfy quick beast a good deal

Faults:

Alternator was a dud when I bought the car, used car dealer replaced it with new part before I took delivery (92.000 miles)

At 98.000 miles:

Left rear axle seal leaked, replaced.

Groove worn into right driveshaft, not replaced (Garage couldn't get replacement part, the seal on that axle didn't leak so they just put it back together)

All tie rod ends were gone, had to replace.

This was two years ago and now it's happening again. From what some cab drivers tell me, this is a typical weakness on these cars (Caprice-based)

U-joint worn (clunked), replaced

Seems to be happening again.

At 122.000 miles:

Starter went out, replaced.

Brake pads, shoes seem to last long.

Shocks are going out, will replace.

Steering crunch/pop noise during full-lock turns (e.g. when pulling out from a parking space), haven't been able to figure out, garage finds nothing wrong.

Has a general running problem, performance is rather sluggish at times, other times it's running like a scalded cat, haven't been able to figure it out.

Transmission fluid change at 100K, tech says transmission was VERY clean inside.

General Comments:

When running right it's quick!

Very comfortable, excellent for road trips.

Uses a bit of gas in town, consistently 15 mpg. Better on highway, 23 mpg.

Size of car took some getting used to (esp. for parallel parking) but you feel VERY safe in it, surrounded by all that metal.

Chicks actually LIKE this car!

The car is loaded with options and is just great, I love it even with its flaws and minor problems.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th August, 2002

4th Oct 2006, 07:22

I replaced the leaky axle with a used one from the junk yard on or about the 15 of Sep. and it fixed the problem or so I thought. I noticed this morning the thing is leaking again and I guess it started yesterday. My drive way was dry and I was happy for about 3 weeks. Need some help like yesterday.

1992 Buick Roadmaster Base 350

Summary:

A luxurious, durable beast that everybody should own

Faults:

The heater core went out at about 65,000 miles.

The trip odometer does not always keep accurate mileage.

General Comments:

Overall, I love this car. It has comfort and luxury beyond compare, especially for such an inexpensive used car.

The 1992 model has small outside mirrors, which I've heard GM fixed in 1994 or 1995.

The leather seats are incredibly comfortable, and the car floats down the road.

I've also driven this car in heavy traffic. If you know what you are doing, the Roadmaster CAN whip around in rush hour. Its size tends to intimidate smaller vehicles who yield. I have had to take on a couple of SUV's, with the Roadmaster winning most of the time.

Its a great car, gets wonderful gas mileage (for a 350 V-8) and I would definitely recommend one to anybody!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd June, 2001

1992 Buick Roadmaster Limited 5.7 liter V8

Summary:

A lot of car for not a lot of dough

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car yet.

General Comments:

I love this car.

It's large, it has plenty of power, and it gets great gas mileage for a vehicle of its size.

The interior is to-die-for. The leather seats look absolutely gorgeous and feel even better; and the switches for the power accessories all have a nice heavy reassuring feel to them. Everything seems well screwed together. There are plenty of storage nooks - inside the doors, and a particularly large storage area inside the front passenger armrest. The doors themselves are reassuringly heavy. The only complaint I have about the interior is the fact that the fold-out cupholders aren't very useful for holding tall cups.

The exterior is very classy. It looks very much like a Cadillac, only not quite as gaudy.

The car drives very well. The 180 hp 5.7 liter V8 is more than adequate for daily driving, and the seats are comfortable enough for extended jaunts behind the wheel. It handles very well for an 18 foot long luxury sedan, with very little floating. However, large pillars and a small backlight conspire to hinder rear vision.

All in all, if you're looking for a large vehicle but don't want to be an SUV lemming, I wholly recommend this car. It seems to be built very well (better than Ford rivals), is comfortable, reliable, and powerful. And if you're a twentysomething male like me, it is very inexpensive to insure.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th June, 2001

20th Sep 2002, 13:02

I just bought a 93 road master limited it's GREAT, but the only thing is what is the true horsepower of this car? I've been doing research and I find that it has only 180 is this true? If this is correct what were they thinking? 5.7 180hp.? Doesn't make much sense or does it? well anyways the car is a dream!I bought it for $6,000 with only 56,000 miles on it and it was kept in mint condition, not a bad deal! What must one do to install a radio in this car without bringing to to a dealer so they can charge me a arm and a leg? The manual say connecting any accessory can damage the computer system and performance of the engine.

Another thing is were can I get side strips I'm missing one.

8th Jun 2003, 21:37

Bought my Roadmaster a couple months ago. It's a 94. I am very happy with it, but have noticed that when I start it up, it will run and go dead. I then have to start it again. Has anyone else had this problem? I will be having it looked into.

14th Jan 2004, 12:51

Your charcoal canister is probably clogged. Refer to

underhoodservice.com for the testing procedure.

Dodger Dave.