Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1983 Skylark.
The 1983 Buick Skylark calls for 3 quarts of engine oil, with recommended viscosities spanning 20W-20, 10W-30, and 10W-40. Reliability records for this model year show just one owner complaint, with Service Brakes, Hydraulic cited as the top complaint area, and one recall on file. Because the model-level complaint history covers 1990–2000—peaking at 100 complaints in 1995 and bottoming at one in 2000—the 1983 model sits outside that reporting window yet at a similarly minimal complaint level, leaving researchers with very little documented field data to judge its long-term durability.
Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 181.1 in |
| Overall width | 69.3 in |
| Overall height | 53.1 in |
| Wheelbase | 104.7 in |
| Curb weight | 2531 lb |
Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.
This engine holds 3 qt of 20W-20 / 10W-30 / 10W-40 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.
| Brake Fluid | DOT 3 |
| Engine Coolant | ETHYLENE GLYCOL |
| Engine Oil | ABOVE 40 degrees F |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 3 qt |
| Engine Oil | ABOVE 40 degrees F |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 4 qt |
| Engine Oil | ABOVE 40 degrees F |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 3.0 qt |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
The federal record supplied contains no entry for the 1983 model year, only data from 1990 through 2000. Within that span, complaints rose from 31 in 1990 to a peak of 100 in 1995 and 1996, then fell to 37 in 1998 and 1 in 2000. Recalls fluctuated between 1 and 6 per year, with the highest number (6) occurring in 1996. Because the target year lies outside the recorded interval, the data do not specify where 1983 fits in any complaint or recall trend. Consequently, there is insufficient factual basis to judge whether the 1983 Buick Skylark is a good or poor year to buy based solely on the provided federal statistics.
All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
THE BRAKE PROPORTIONER VALVES MAY BREAK AND SEPARATE FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER. THIS WOULD ALLOW BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK AND WOULD RESULT IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. Remedy: THE DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE ALL SUSPECT VALVES.
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
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Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
3 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.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.