Buick BUICK problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
70 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
64,300 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1966 to 2003 model years. Data snapshot: . 26 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls is the most frequently named component, appearing in 14 of 70 complaints (20.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 10 | 14.3% |
| Steering behavior | 6 | 8.6% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 5 | 7.1% |
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 2.9% |
| Engine operation | 2 | 2.9% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls | 14 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 5 |
| Electrical System | 3 |
| Steering:Rack And Pinion | 3 |
| Air Bags | 2 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 2 |
| Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator | 2 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 |
Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls: 14; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 5; Electrical System: 3; Steering:Rack And Pinion: 3; Air Bags: 2; Air Bags:Frontal: 2; Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling: 2
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 | 9 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 10 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 5 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 2 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 9; 50,000 to 74,999: 10; 75,000 to 99,999: 5; 100,000 to 149,999: 2; 150,000 and above: 0
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (10). 44 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 | 4 |
| 1996 | 3 |
| 2000 | 6 |
| 2001 | 6 |
| 2002 | 8 |
| 2003 | 4 |
| 2004 | 4 |
| 2005 | 14 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 17 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1 |
1995: 4; 1996: 3; 2000: 6; 2001: 6; 2002: 8; 2003: 4; 2004: 4; 2005: 14; 2006: 2; 2007: 17; 2008: 1; 2009: 1
Pattern summary
Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 10 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 6 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 5 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.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 482361 · 1995-03-16 (March 16, 1995)
REAR BRAKE CALIPERS LEAKING/FAILED, CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR OF FRONT BRAKES. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 482361 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 482850 · 1995-04-01 (April 1, 1995)
DEFECTIVE UNIROYAL TIGER PAW TIRES, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SKID WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. *AW
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 482850 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 756391 · 2002-01-04 (January 4, 2002)
I TRIED TO SEND THIS YESTERDAY BUT WAS KICKED OUT BEFORE CONFIRMING. I HAD A COMPLETE RACK AND PINION FAILURE WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARING OF ANY PROBLEMS. I SENT A DRAFT OF THE LETTER I SENT TO GENERAL MOTORS TO THE WEBB MASTER YESTERDAY. I DON'T KNOW WHERE MY PAPERS ARE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE SINCE GENERAL MOTORS WAS SO INDIGNANT ABOUT MY SAFETY, I FELT I HAD NO OTHER ALTERNATIVES UNTIL I SAW THE ARTICLE IN THE PHILA. INQUIRER YESTERDAY ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH 16 PONTIAC GRAN PRIX IN 1997 WHICH PROBABLY HAD THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART THAT WAS PUT IN MY…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 756391 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 763237 · 2002-06-19 (June 19, 2002)
WHEN COLD, POWER STEERING IS VERY HARD TO TURN. SOMETIMES WILL HARDLY TURN AT ALL, TO THE POINT OF BEING DANGEROUS. I AM THE SECOND OWNER, AND HAVE ALL RECORDS FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I KNOW THIS IS AN OLDER CAR, BUT, IT IS IN BEAUTIFUL CONDITION. I HAVE READ ELSWHERE THAT THIS IS A RECOGNIZED PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE AT THIS TIME?*AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 763237 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10110228 · 2005-02-09 (February 9, 2005)
WE DROVE FROM HOME TO OLATHE, KS AND BACK TO A KOHL'S AT SHAWNEE STATION ON OUR WAY HOME. WE PARKED THE BUICK AND WHEN I TRIED TO START THE BUICK IT FAILED TO START. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE BATTERY. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND TRIED TO START THE BUICK. THE BUICK STARTED BUT WHITE SMOKE COME OUT OF THE TAILPIPE AND IT BEGAN TO SHAKE TREMENDOUSLY LIKE WE WERE IN A BIG STORM. WE HAD THE BUICK TOWED TO FIRESTONE AND THEY SAID THE AIR MANIFOLD RINGS LET THE ANTI-FREEZE UP THE MOTOR AND THE SHAKING CAUSED OIL TO LEAK. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT THIS…
Owner-reported narrative. 68,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10110228 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10265712 · 2009-04-17 (April 17, 2009)
I HAD BOTH 1999 AND 1998 INTRIGUES, BOTH HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIR RUNNING LIGHTS AND BLINKING LIGHTS FAILING. REPLACE FUSES, REBLOW. SENT TO MECHANICS NUMEROUS TIMES, UNABLE TO RESOLVE. HOWEVER, THEY SAID THIS WAS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE MAKE. MY SUPERVISOR SAID HE NOTICED MANY INTRIGUES ON ROAD WITH PROBLEMS, AND SINCE THEN, I NOTICE MANY INTRIGUES WITH SAME PROBLEM. MAYBE NOT IMMEDIATE DANGER, BUT WHEN BLINKER DOESN'T WORK, IT CREATES A DANGER OF BEING REAR-ENDED. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 45,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10265712 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10193409 · 2007-06-15 (June 15, 2007)
TRANSMISSION AFTER WARM UP BECOMES ROUGH WHILE SHIFTING THROUGH GEARS. WHINNING SOUND OCCURS AND SHIFTING THROUGH GEARS IS ROUGH. CAN TEMPORARY CORRECT THE CONDITION BY SIMPLY SHUTTING DOWN ENGINE AND RESTARTING, BUT THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS ON HIGHWAYS....THIS CONDITION STARTED AT 30,000 MILES....BUT AFTER THE 3 YEAR CAR WARRANTY EXPIRED. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10193409 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10104583 · 2004-12-27 (December 27, 2004)
I WOULD LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE TRASMISSION ON MY 2001 BUICK REGAL W/ 69500 MILES ON IT. ON 12/25/2004 AFTER ACCELARATING ON AN ON RAMP TO THE FREEWAY, MY TRANSMISSION GAVE A CRACKING SOUND. AFTER THAT INCIDENT, I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH THE TRANSMISSION NOT SHIFTING CORRECTLY WHEN I START ACCELARATING FROM A STANDING POSITION. IT WILL HESITATE WHEN GAS PEDAL IS PUSHED. NOT A GOOD SIGN FOR A CAR THAT SHOULD STILL BE IN DECENT SHAPE HAVING ONLY THIS AMOUNT OF MILES.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 69,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10104583 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 762719 · 2002-06-06 (June 6, 2002)
TO START THE ENGINE , AND THE CAR WAS PUSHED INTO ST STALL BY.THE SS TUBE UNDER THE CAR AND THE SS MANIFOLD ON THE MOTOR BLOCK ARE CONNECTED VIE A THIN-WALLED PLASRIC TUBE, WHICH IS HEAT-SHRINKE UNDER THE CAR AND CONNECTED TO THE MANIFOLD BY A FLIMSY PLASTIC CONNECTOR. BOTH CONNECTORS BROKE ( OF COURSE THEY MUST BRAKE EVENTUALLY THRU AGE ETC), AND THE GAS SPILLED ONTO THE HOT MOTOR BLOCK, FORMING A PUDDLE AND VAPORIZING , THUS FORMING AN EXPLOSIVE MIXTURE WAITING TO BE IGNITED FROM THE HOT EXHAUST MAMNIFOLD. *AK REFERENCED IN EA02-030
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 762719 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 752928 · 2001-10-04 (October 4, 2001)
ENGINE STALLED AND WAS DIFFICULT TO RE-START. ONCE RESTARTED, IT RAN VERY ROUGH, EMITTED A LOUD TICKING NOISE, AND STALLED OFTEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A BROKEN VALVE SPRING. ALL OF THIS ON THE 3RD DAY OF OWNERSHIP.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 752928 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 0 |
| 1989 | 0 |
| 1990 | 0 |
| 1993 | 0 |
| 1994 | 0 |
| 1995 | 0 |
| 1996 | 0 |
| 1997 | 0 |
| 1998 | 0 |
| 1999 | 0 |
| 2000 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 |
1988: 0; 1989: 0; 1990: 0; 1993: 0; 1994: 0; 1995: 0; 1996: 0; 1997: 0; 1998: 0; 1999: 0; 2000: 0; 2001: 0; 2002: 0; 2003: 0