Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1995 Buick Park Avenue owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 1995 Buick Park Avenue. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH the air bag deployed with no warning. The horn was sounding and would not turn off. A tow truck was called and before it arrived the vehicle caught fire and seemed to have started in the steering column. The police were called, extinguished the fire and filed report #10-24586. The tow truck took the vehicle to a storage lot. The contact stated that the vehicle was possibly destroyed. General motors was called. The failure and current mileages were approximately 120,000.
While driving at 30 MPH the car lost power steering. I was able to pull to the side of the road. The car was towed to a repair shop, where they found that the three bolts holding the power steering pump broke off in the engine block. They replaced the bolts at a cost of $275. I had just completed a 1200 mile trip.
Aug4,2004: :15 am on my way to work for an early start I was 2 minutes into my drive. I noticed a slight loss of assist from the power steering. The symtoms were typical of a slipping belt or low power steering fluid. From the stop at the corner of hillside and hwy60 I proceeded to turn right, but as I straightened the wheel entering the right lane the steering went tight with a clunk and the steering wheel was freewheeling. Before I could stop I found myself in the left lane staring down a semi coming down the hill. Fortunately he was alert and had enough room to stop. I talked to the driver and suggested backing my car up to the shoulder on the right side (north) of the road. The angle of the tires if they held current position would place me on the shoulder just east of hillside. The semi blocked all traffic from the west and when the east traffic cleared I proceeded. …
Bolts connecting power steering unit to engine block broke off inside engine block, causing ps unit to detach and separate from engine, subsequently damaging other engine parts and drive axle. This happenned while driving on interstate highway (25-30 MPH) in snow and ice conditions. This made steering very difficult, almost impossible. The unprovoked unwarranted failure of the ps unit mounting bolts breaking off with no warning makes this a serious safety hazard. This incident could have caused serious injuries to other motorist, pedestrians, passengers, and myself. Unsuspecting failure of these mounting bolts reflects a serious defect in the engineering, manufacturing, and assembly of these parts. Repairing the damage and replacing the broken bolts appears very labor intensive and costly. …
In late 1999 I began to have problems with the steering at low speeds. It continually got worse untill the power steering would go out completely at speeds below 20mph. The dealership has replaced the entire steering system three times. The dealership has been in contact with Buick over the last six months, and they tried everything the Buick technical people suggested. However, the problem continues. The car has been taken off of the road because it is unsafe. At this point both Buick and the dealership have stated that the car is not repairable, and that they do not know what the problem is. No one from Buick has ever come to beckley to look at the vehicle. All of their input has been over the telephone. I and the dealership both feel that whatever the problem is, it most likely is not confined to this one car. …
Power steering system becomes inoperable at speeds below approximately 15 MPH. This happens when making slow turns in traffic ,parking etc. The car can not be steered. It is as though the engine has been turned off. It is a safety hazard because the car will not turn, resulting in it going into the other traffic lane. Mountaineer auto mall has replaced everything in the power steering system two times. Two weeks ago they told me they had contacted Buick & were told there was nothing they could do. Further, they explained the car was not repairable, and it should not be driven because it is a safety hazard, not only to ourselves but other drivers as well. We need to know how to proceed with Buick.
Without warning steering wheel and brakes locked up while driving down a hill, consumer down shifted and was able to pull off the road. Consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealership, the dealer was able to duplicate the problem. The consumer heard a bang sound, right front wheel vibrated,there was no power steering, the alternator light had come on. The right front wheel locked up and skidding begun. The consumer viewed the power steering pump had broken off and went down, bent, and wedged itself in the axle.
Power steering pump bolts broke off the engine block and fell on the axle shaft causeing loose of power abd the belton right side of car . Also damage to the axle shaft . Second time it happened in 2 weeks. Not happy with the results of the problem. Nobody seem to know about the this problem according to the service people at Buick. Service people at Buick said that they never heard of this problem. I'm not happy with this problem
The consumer has been experiencing problems with power steering. While driving, their power steering bolt broke, causing the power steering belts to come unloose. The manufacturer has been contacted. The mechanic found that the 2 bolts holing the unit sheared off, due to one bolt not being fully seated, this caused the unit to vibrate and fail.
While driving out of parking lot heard a loud noise. Opened up hood and power steering unit was not in original position. Towed to the dealer, and said that the power steering bolts were broken. Resulted in loss of power steering.
Steering complaints in other Park Avenue years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 1995 Buick Park Avenue?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the steering of the 1995 Buick Park Avenue, 19% of the model year's 117 complaints. The component named most often is hydraulic power assist system (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1995 Buick Park Avenue steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 1995 Buick Park Avenue, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1995 Buick Park Avenue steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 120,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.