Faults:

The front brakes were shot when I bought it, which is common with this car. I replaced the rotors and put on ceramic (lifetime) pads myself for about $100. The front brakes on this car are easy to change for a backyard mechanic.

The clear coat on the hood was in very rough shape, and looked bad. Found a good replacement in the junkyard, another easy fix.

Tape deck and rear speakers did not work. I replaced the stereo and all 4 speakers for about $130. I was surprised how low quality the stock speakers were.

All window motors are weak, and I will probably have to replace them soon. If you use them too much, they will over heat and stop working until they cool down.

General Comments:

If you only want reliable transportation and can find one of these models in decent mechanical condition, I would buy it. Especially if you are able to do basic repairs yourself.

I drove this 12 year old car almost clear across the US, and had no problems at all. I averaged 30 mpg on the highway and 22 mpg in the city.

My only complaint with this car is typical of most North American vehicles, and that is the cheap looking and poor fitting interior. The interior plastic panels tend to rub together, and creak or vibrate. The cover behind the door handle and window switch covers do not sit flush, and look like they were made for some other car.

Faults:

My car stalls frequently in warm weather, but always starts again. By frequently, I mean every couple of miles after eight miles.

It grinds severely on take off, driving up hill, when stopped at a light, and when parked on an incline.

I have replaced the alternator, water-pump and thermostat.

General Comments:

I love how this car handles and it is quick and strong. In cool weather, it is my preferred vehicle.

The interior is somewhat worn and uncomfortable, but I'm not afraid of the kids or dog messing it up.

Faults:

I have replaced the rear brake drums at 135,000 km and have sealed a frond windshield leak.

General Comments:

I have just returned from an 11,500 kilometer trip in which I drove the car from Canada down the trans-peninsular highway of Baja mexico. Not a single problem! The fuel economy is outstanding and I got as high as 38.5 mpg (imperial gallon) on one stage of the trip and the lowest mpg I got was 27 on a very twisty, steep mountainous region. I bought this car used specifically for this trip as I did not want to take a new vehicle into Mexico. The vehicle had been quite well maintained by previous owners. I am 6 foot 4 inches tall and found the seats quite comfortable for extended driving periods, the handling and suspension are good for most driving situations (though not excellent, acceleration and braking are above average and the vehicle is very quiet on the road. I intended to sell the car upon my return home but liked it so much I sold my newer, lower mile car instead! This car handles all climate conditions well... I left home in a snow storm and drove through 350 miles of snow and rain to end up in La Paz Mexico where it was between 95-102 degrees for the 2 weeks I was there. The vehicle handled these extremes with no problems at all.

Faults:

I've replaced the throttle body sensor twice. Once around 36,000 and then again later on, under 100,000 miles, but I can't remember when. In case anybody is wondering, the faulty sensor results in a "racing" engine, high or very high RPMs. It's an intermittent problem at first solved by turning off and restarting the car. Eventually (weeks later) the Check Engine light will come on. The high RPMs can be dangerous as it is difficult to stop the car.

New struts at 119,000 and new bearing plates. The control arms were replaced at maybe 100,000 miles. Expensive dealer only part.

The plastic side panel where the seat belts are has gotten nicked and dinged from the metal seat beat buckle hitting it when it's released and recoiled.

At 119,000 miles the car has lost some pep, but that's to be expected.

General Comments:

This is my third Buick and my second Skylark. I had a 1990 V6 that I drove for 140,000 miles.

Buicks are comfortable riding cars and handle OK, but not great.

Both my Skylarks have been pretty reliable transportation.

Buicks are not exactly known for their stylish looks, but the Skylark isn't an ugly car either.