U.S. public vehicle records

1998 Buick REGAL problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

245 owner complaints analyzed

6 distinct recall campaigns

92,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1998 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 133 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Steering:Rack And Pinion is the most frequently named component, appearing in 36 of 245 complaints (14.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	76	31.0%
Braking behavior	32	13.1%
Engine operation	20	8.2%
Electrical and battery issues	17	6.9%
Transmission and shifting	5	2.0%
Fuel system concerns	4	1.6%

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.

Steering:Rack And Pinion

Electrical System

Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Steering

Exterior Lighting

Tires

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Steering:Rack And Pinion: 36; Electrical System: 32; Engine: 29; Engine And Engine Cooling: 26; Steering: 22; Exterior Lighting: 9; Tires: 9; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 8

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 9; 25,000 to 49,999: 10; 50,000 to 74,999: 26; 75,000 to 99,999: 33; 100,000 to 149,999: 33; 150,000 and above: 22

75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (33). 112 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.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2000: 16; 2001: 21; 2002: 10; 2003: 28; 2004: 38; 2005: 13; 2006: 20; 2007: 5; 2008: 15; 2009: 14; 2010: 5; 2011: 11; 2012: 5; 2013: 3; 2014: 5; 2015: 12; 2016: 15; 2017: 3; 2018: 2; 2019: 1; 2020: 1; 2021: 1; 2022: 1

Pattern summary

Steering:Rack And Pinion leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 76 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 32 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 20 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 10017129 · 2003-05-06 (May 6, 2003)

POWER STEERING RACK. INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER ASSIST WHILE TURNING TO THE LEFT. DEALER DIAGNOSED AS BAD POWER STEERING RACK. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 117,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10017129 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10029234 · 2003-07-26 (July 26, 2003)

I PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW AROUND DECEMBER 23, 1997. THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES ON IT. I NOTICED THAT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THE WAS A VIBRATION (FELT LIKE A PULSE) IN THE VEHICLE AND COULD SLIGHTLY FEEL THE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. OWNERS MANUAL ADVISED ONE MAY FEEL THE ABS RELEASE AND REENGAGE WHILE APPLYING BRAKES. VEHICLE WAS ONLY DRIVER ABOUT 6000 MILES A YEAR. AT ABOUT 8000 MILES THE VIBRATION BECAME SO SEVERE I HAD TO TAKE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO ADVISED THAT BRAKES WHERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY BUT THEY WOU…

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10029234 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10033751 · 2003-08-12 (August 12, 2003)

CONSUMER STATES WHEN APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE STARTS TO SHUTTER WHEN MAKING TURNS.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10033751 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10012101 · 2003-03-19 (March 19, 2003)

THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING, THE DEALER STATED THE CRACK SENSOR AND THE FUEL SENSOR WERE THE PROBLEM. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 33,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10012101 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10013667 · 2003-03-30 (March 30, 2003)

HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF DURING OPERATION AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING. LISTED BELOW IS THE TEXT OF MY NOTE TO THE DEALER MORE FULLY DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM. YOU MAY RECALL AFTER REVIEW OF YOUR SERVICE RECORDS THAT I BROUGHT THIS VEHICLE TO YOU DECEMBER 3, 2002 FOR A FAULTY BLOWER MOTOR. AFTER DIAGNOSIS YOU PHONED AND INDICATED THE PROBLEM WAS A RESISTOR, NOT THE MOTOR AND DURING DIAGNOSIS YOU DISCOVERED WIRES UNDER THE HOOD DAMAGED BY AN ANIMAL WHO HAD BUILT A NEST UNDER THE COWLING. I AUTHORIZED REPAIR OF BOTH THE RESISTOR AND THE WIRING. ON …

Owner-reported narrative. 92,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10013667 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10056510 · 2004-02-04 (February 4, 2004)

THIS VEHICLE APPEARS TO HAVE A SERIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH THE LEFT BLINKER GOING REALLY FAST WHEN DEPRESSED (AS IF GOING OUT). THEN EVERY TIME YOU DEPRESS THE LEFT BLINKER THE ELECTRICAL ON THE DASH GOES OFF AND BLINKS. THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP WHILE DRIVING. LUCKILY EVERYTIME IT HAS HAPPENED WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, BUT THIS COULD SERIOUSLY PUT SOMEONE IN DANGER. I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS RELATED BUT THE ELECTRICAL ON THE THERMOSTAT CONTROL DASHBOARD HAS GONE OUT AS WELL AS SOME OF THE …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10056510 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10060519 · 2004-03-05 (March 5, 2004)

I BOUGHT A 1998 BUICK REGAL USED FORM GLENN BUIGE IN LANSING MI. WITH-IN FOUR MONTHS OF OWNING THIS CAR THE TRANSMISSION STARTED GOING OUT. IT WAS SHIFTING HARD BETWEEN THE 1 AND THE 2 GEAR THEN IT STARTED NOT TO SHIFT AT ALL IF THE CAR WASN'T WARMED UP FOR FIFTEEN MIN. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY CLAIMED THAT SINCE THERE WERE NO LIGHTS COMING ON AND IT TESTED ALL RIGHT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM BUT THEY COULD PUT IN A REBUILT TRANSMISSION FOR 2,000. SOMEHOW THIS DID NOT MAKE SENSE. AFTER READING UP AND STUDIES THAT I HAVE DONE THIS IS A ON …

Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10060519 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10215176 · 2008-01-16 (January 16, 2008)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING 1-5 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD CONSTANTLY STALL. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT OFF WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER IT STALLED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,900 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,988. UPDATED 02/15/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE SUCH AS STEERING GEAR FAILURE, WHICH THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED. AIR CONDITION …

Owner-reported narrative. 91,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10215176 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10052833 · 2004-01-11 (January 11, 2004)

I JUST PURCHASED THE CAR USED EXACTLY A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO. THE BRAKE LIGHT ON THE DASH BOARD CAME ON FOR A COUPLE SECONDS AND WENT OFF. THEN NEXT DAY AFTER THE BRAKE LIGHT SITUATION THE CHECK ENGINE AND ENTIRE DASHBOARD CAME ON WHILE DRIVING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. AND CAUSED THE CAR TO STALL. WHICH THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE DID START BACK UP. AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING ON THE CODES FOR THE BRAKE OR ENGINE PROBLEM ( WHICH I H…

Owner-reported narrative. 1 miles reported. Look up ODI 10052833 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10111851 · 2005-02-20 (February 20, 2005)

NOT SURE OF THE PROBLEM W/ MY 98 BUICK REGAL GS. IT HAS 59,000 MILES ON IT, AND HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR THE PAST 10 MONTHS ON A REGULAR BASIS. HAVE REPLACED SPARK PLUGS, BATTERY, AND AM NOW ON THE 3RD NEW FUEL PUMP. PUT OVER $5,000 INTO THIS CAR. NO PREVIOUS HISTORY OF PROBLEMS. I AM ORIGINAL OWNER. IT HAS COMPLETELY CUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING AND HAS LEFT ME STRANDED 6 TIMES, 3 OF THOSE WITH MY 4 YEAR OLD. THESE PROBLEMS STARTED ON EASTER, 2004 AND ARE STILL CONTINUING TO DATE. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 58,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10111851 at NHTSA ↗