2004 Buick REGAL problems and owner complaints

COMMENTS: SAFETY ISSUE: IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WHERE I NEED MY HORN TO SOUND, I HAVE DIFFICULTY FINDING THE "RIGHT" SPOT ON MY STEERING WHEEL TO SOUND THE HORN, AS THE WHEEL MAY NOT BE STRAIGHT AT THAT TIME, BUT TURNED RIGHT OR LEFT. ALSO, I MAY BE MORE CONCERNED TO SEE THE TRAFFIC SITUATION AND CANNOT SAFELY LOOK DOWN FOR THE HORN SYMBOL. ON OLDER CARS BEFORE AIR BAGS, THAT WAS NOT A PROBLEM. I PLACED A SMALL STICKER OVER THE HORN SYMBOLS ON MY TWO CARS. NOW, AT A GLANCE, I CAN SEE EXACTLY WHERE TO PRESS THE STEERING WHEEL FOR THE HORN TO S…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10149702 at NHTSA ↗

1ST TIME VEHICLE WHEELS AND STEERING COMPLETELY LOCKED UP WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN BLOCKING TRAFFIC AND HAD TO BE TOWED AFTER POLICE AND NO ONE COULD RELEASE IT. AFTER HAVING TOWED THE VEHICLE TO MY HOME. I WAS ABLE TO RELEASE THE LOCK AND TESTED IT BEFORE I DECIDED TO DRIVE IT TO A GAS STATION FOR GAS. AS I PULLED OUT OF THE GAS STATION THE VEHICLE LOCKED UP AGAIN BLOCKING TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC COMING AT ME ON A 4 LANE COUNTY ROAD. I SENT A LETTER TO GM REPORTING THE PROBLEM AND THE REPAIR THAT WAS DONE, BUT I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THERE …

Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10485466 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION MODULE FAILED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL SPORADICALLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WOULD SHIFT FROM PARK TO NEUTRAL BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE LATER RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPAIRED BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE DEALER …

Owner-reported narrative. 97,650 miles reported. Look up ODI 10573438 at NHTSA ↗

FIRST TIME MY CAR STALLED AND HAD THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED WAS 15 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING IT FROM A BUICK DEALER. BEGINNING 9/2011 CAR BEGAN STALLING AT MANY AND VARIOUS TIMES. I ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED - TAKING TO MY BUICK DEALER ON MANY OCCASIONS AND TO MY LOCAL AUTO MECHANIC MAKING REPAIRS AS SUGGESTED AND STILL MY CAR CONTINUED TO STALL, MOST RECENT TIME OF STALLING - OCT. 2013 - HAD BUICK DEALER AGAIN CHECK AND RESEARCH TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS TO SEE WHAT COULD BE CAUSING THIS PROBLEM - BUICK COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING EVEN AFTER I …

Owner-reported narrative. 24,524 miles reported. Look up ODI 10578984 at NHTSA ↗

COMPLAINT REGARDING AIR BAG LIGHT & LOW TIRE LIGHT CAME ON SEVERAL TIMES CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE SERVICE AND ONCE OFF THE SERVICE LOT ALL DASH LIGHTS CAME ON. *TS THE TRUN SIGNAL AND WIPER MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE HUB ASSEMBLT HARNESS HAD TO BE REPALCED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ALONG WITH THE NO TRAC AND ABS LIGHT. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10138819 at NHTSA ↗

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 30 MPH WITHOUT NOTICE THE CAR TURNED OFF WITH NO APPARENT REASON. CAUSING THE CAR TO LOOSE POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES, AND RAPID LOSS OF SPEED IN A BUSY DOWNTOWN SETTING. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 OTHER TIMES SINCE THEN. WE HAVE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS ON FORUMS RECENTLY AND EVERYONE WHO HAS REPLACED THEIR IGNITION SWITCH HAS NOT HAD A PROBLEM SINCE. WE WOULD LIKE THIS INVESTIGATED BECAUSE BUICKS ARE NOT ON THE LIST AT THIS TIME FOR THE NATIONAL RECALL. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 130,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10576480 at NHTSA ↗

TODAY, MAY 31, 2014, I WAS DRIVING AND SMELT A HARSH SMOKE FROM MY CAR. UPON PULLING OVER, AND TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF, ONCE STARTED AGAIN THE CAR'S STEERING WHEEL WOULD NO LONGER TURN (IT LOCKED UP). ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR SHUT OFF AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. I GOT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REPLACED. BETWEEN THAT TIME AND NOW, LIGHTS DIM ON AND OFF, AT ONE POINT LIGHTS WERE FLASHING, THE GAS PEDAL BEGAN TO SCREECH SLIGHTLY AS OF YESTERDAY, AND I CAN'T LEAVE ITEMS PLUGGED INTO THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER OF THE …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10595338 at NHTSA ↗

ENGINE STALLS AFTER FIRST STARTUP, THEN AFTER RESTART ALL WARNING LIGHTS BLINK FOR LONG PERIOD. VEHICLE STALLS WHEN STOPPING FOR A TRAFFIC SIGNAL OR SLOWING DOWN TO TURN. THEN, WHEN IGNITION SWITCH WAS TURNED TO OFF POSITION, COULD NOT REMOVE KEY, AND COULD NOT TURN ENGINE OFF. MECHANIC REPLACED IGNITION ELECTRICAL SWITCH, REPLACED IGNITION TUMBLER ASSEMBLY, MADE NEW KEYS. WE SPENT $1,171.01 FOR THESE REPAIRS. WROTE A LONG LETTER TO BUICK CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER ON JULY 1, 2014, AND EXPLAINED ALL THE DETAILS OF THIS IGNITION-RELATED PROB…

Owner-reported narrative. 96,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10615046 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT 40MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT CUT OFF AND ALL THE GAUGE LIGHTS CAME ON. I WAS NEARLY SIDE SWIPED BY ANOTHER CAR. I RESTARTED THE CAR BUT IT WOULD NOT START. I TRIED TO START IT UP AGAIN. IT STARTED BUT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THE GAUGE LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD WERE STILL ON. I RESTARTED THE CAR AGAIN AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT HOME; THE SIGNAL LIGHTS AND HEAD LIGHTS DID NOT WORK. WHEN I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO START IT UP AND TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC, I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH. I PAID A TOTAL OF $5…

Owner-reported narrative. 84,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10588781 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION KEY WOULD GET JAMMED. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER SHIFTING MULTIPLE TIMES, THE KEY WAS ABLE TO BE REMOVED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 93,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10837584 at NHTSA ↗