1986 Buick SOMERSET: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
7 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1986 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Electrical System:Ignition is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 7 complaints (14.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 1 | 14.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System:Ignition | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 1 |
| Seat Belts | 1 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Retractor | 1 |
| Steering:Rack And Pinion | 1 |
| Structure:Body | 1 |
| Tires | 1 |
Electrical System:Ignition: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 1; Seat Belts: 1; Seat Belts:Front:Retractor: 1; Steering:Rack And Pinion: 1; Structure:Body: 1; Tires: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 7 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 3 |
| 1996 | 1 |
| 1998 | 1 |
| 1999 | 1 |
| 2000 | 1 |
1995: 3; 1996: 1; 1998: 1; 1999: 1; 2000: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System:Ignition leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 484252 · 1995-07-17 (July 17, 1995)
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED, CAUSING BELT TO BECOME STUCK IN CASE. *SKD
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 484252 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 535235 · 1998-05-06 (May 6, 1998)
ENGINE FROZE DUE TO A PUNCTURED OIL FILTER CAUSED BY A DESIGN FLAW. THE OIL FILTER IS ON THE BOTTOM OF ENGINE AND HANGS 2-3 INCHES BELOW THE FRAME.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 535235 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 547183 · 1999-07-14 (July 14, 1999)
TIRE'S ON VEHICLE (UNIROYAL RALLYE HP 205/70R 13MS), HAVE ALL SHOWN SIGNS OF FLAWS, BULGE AND SEPARATION CAUSING FAILURE. MJS
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 547183 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 784615 · 2000-04-17 (April 17, 2000)
THE PAINT IS RUSTING BEHIND THE SURFACE, CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED. NLM
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 784615 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 802353 · 1996-09-13 (September 13, 1996)
THE ELECTRIC IGNITION MODULE KEEPS GOING OUT. REPLACED (4) TIMES IN THE LAST (5) YEARS.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 802353 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 974619 · 1995-11-03 (November 3, 1995)
DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AUTO RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILURE EA94-039. TT
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 974619 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 975948 · 1995-12-04 (December 4, 1995)
RACK AND PINION STEERING STICKS. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 975948 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
7 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 1985 | 1986 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System:Ignition | 133.3%ODI 482811INTERMITTENT STALLING WHEN VEHICLE AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE, RESTARTS AFTER COOLING. *SKD | 114.3%ODI 802353THE ELECTRIC IGNITION MODULE KEEPS GOING OUT. REPLACED (4) TIMES IN THE LAST (5) YEARS.*AK |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 266.7% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3%ODI 535235ENGINE FROZE DUE TO A PUNCTURED OIL FILTER CAUSED BY A DESIGN FLAW. THE OIL FILTER IS ON THE BOTTOM OF ENGINE AND HANGS 2-3 INCHES BELOW THE FRAME. |
| Seat Belts | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3%ODI 974619DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AUTO RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILURE EA94-039. TT |
| Seat Belts:Front:Retractor | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3%ODI 484252DRIVER'S SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED, CAUSING BELT TO BECOME STUCK IN CASE. *SKD |
| Steering:Rack And Pinion | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3% |
| Structure:Body | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3%ODI 784615THE PAINT IS RUSTING BEHIND THE SURFACE, CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED. NLM |
| Tires | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3%ODI 547183TIRE'S ON VEHICLE (UNIROYAL RALLYE HP 205/70R 13MS), HAVE ALL SHOWN SIGNS OF FLAWS, BULGE AND SEPARATION CAUSING FAILURE. MJS |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
1985: 0 complaints · 1986: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Electrical System:Ignition | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | Seat Belts | Seat Belts:Front:Retractor | Steering:Rack And Pinion | Structure:Body | Tires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System:Ignition | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Retractor | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering:Rack And Pinion | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Structure:Body | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Tires | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.