2012 Buick REGAL problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
92 owner complaints analyzed
7 distinct recall campaigns
59,527 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2012 model year. Data snapshot: . 63 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Exterior Lighting is the most frequently named component, appearing in 32 of 92 complaints (34.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 17 | 18.5% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 10 | 10.9% |
| Steering behavior | 6 | 6.5% |
| Engine operation | 3 | 3.3% |
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 2.2% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 32 |
| Engine | 21 |
| Electrical System | 14 |
| Suspension | 11 |
| Service Brakes | 8 |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 7 |
| Power Train | 7 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 |
Exterior Lighting: 32; Engine: 21; Electrical System: 14; Suspension: 11; Service Brakes: 8; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 7; Power Train: 7; Vehicle Speed Control: 6
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 17 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 10 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 14 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 10 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 9 |
| 150,000 and above | 3 |
Under 25,000: 17; 25,000 to 49,999: 10; 50,000 to 74,999: 14; 75,000 to 99,999: 10; 100,000 to 149,999: 9; 150,000 and above: 3
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (17). 29 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 |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 7 |
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 4 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 12 |
| 2019 | 10 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 18 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 | 1 |
2012: 7; 2013: 4; 2014: 2; 2015: 4; 2016: 2; 2017: 5; 2018: 12; 2019: 10; 2020: 11; 2021: 18; 2022: 6; 2023: 5; 2024: 3; 2025: 2; 2026: 1
Pattern summary
Exterior Lighting leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 17 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 10 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 6 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 10480187 · 2012-10-15 (October 15, 2012)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT THE WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200.
Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10480187 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10496411 · 2013-02-05 (February 5, 2013)
ON DECEMBER 12, 2012 , SHORTLY AFTER SUNSET, MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING ON A RURAL ROAD AT ABOUT 30 MPH. I WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. I REACHED OVER TO SWITCH THE RADIO FROM SIRIUS TO FM, BUT INADVERTENTLY HIT THE ENGINE ON/OFF BUTTON, LOCATED ABOUT 2 CM FROM THE RADIO BUTTON. WHEN I HIT THE BUTTON, THE ENGINE WENT OFF, WE LOST ALL INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL LIGHTS, AND THE CAR SLOWED DRAMATICALLY. IT WAS TERRIFYING. WE MANAGED TO PULL THE CAR TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD WE BEEN ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, A MAJOR COLLISION AND PILE-UP LIKELY WOULD HAVE …
Owner-reported narrative. 7,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10496411 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10725396 · 2015-06-15 (June 15, 2015)
THE CAR HAD NO ELECTRICAL POWER. ANYTHING ELECTRICAL WOULDN'T WORK. WE COULDN'T REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY, PUT WINDOWS OR ANYTHING. THE SECOND TIME I TRIED TO USE THE VEHICLES SELF JUMP START BUT NOTHING WOULD WORK. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO POWER IN THIS CAR AT THIS TIME. MY WIFE SAID AT ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS SHE DID SMELL A BURNING ODOR. WE ALSO HAD THE DIGITAL SPEEDOMETER STOP WORKING. IT STARTED WORKING AGAIN AFTER THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED. WE FEEL WE ARE DRIVING A FIREBOMB WAITING TO HAPPEN AND DO NOT WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS C…
Owner-reported narrative. 39,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10725396 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11031942 · 2017-10-05 (October 5, 2017)
MY BATTERY SEEMS TO BE LOSING CHARGE. THEN IT WILL COMPLETELY DIE. WHEN I CHARGE IT ON A BATTERY CHARGER FOR A WHILE IT WOULD HOLD THE CHARGE FOR A A COUPLE OF DAYS THEN DIE AGAIN. I HAD THE BATTERY, ALTERNATOR, AND STARTER CHECKED AND MACHANIC STATED THAT THEY ARE ALL WORKING GOOD. THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY. THE DRIVERSIDE POWER CONTROL BUTTONS WORK ON AND OFF. SOME DAYS THEY WORK AND OTHERS THEY DONT, ALMOST LIKE A SHORT. THIS ALSO HAPPENS RANDOMLY.
Owner-reported narrative. 96,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11031942 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10453542 · 2012-03-30 (March 30, 2012)
THE INTERIOR CENTER CONSOLE HAS A BRUSHED CHROME TRIM AROUND THE OUTSIDE AND A MIRROR FINISH CHROME BEZEL DIRECTLY SURROUNDING THE GEAR SHIFTER. I FIRST REALIZED IT TO BE A CONCERN WHEN I WAS DRIVING DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN, AND THE SUNLIGHT REFLECTED OFF THE MIRROR IMAGE CHROME BEZEL, UNDER MY DARK SUNGLASSES, AND DIRECTLY INTO MY EYES, MOMENTARILY BLINDING ME. AS SOON AS I REALIZED WHERE THE BLINDING LIGHT CAME FROM I REMOVED MY RIGHT HAND FROM THE STEERING WHEEL TO BLOCK AS MUCH OF THE GLARING LIGHT AS POSSIBLE. I HAD TO KEEP MY HAND IN THE…
Owner-reported narrative. 110 miles reported. Look up ODI 10453542 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11194249 · 2019-04-05 (April 5, 2019)
FOR THE PAST YEAR MY VEHICLE IS CONSUMING A LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL. I HAVE TO ADD 2.5 QUARTS AFTER 1500 MILES OR SO. GENERAL MAINTENANCE IS ALWAYS DONE. IT WILL STALL AT STOP LIGHTS OR STOP SIGNS. WE HAVE CHANGED THE CAM SHIFT SENSORS AND SOLENOIDS DUE TO THE CODES THROWN. MY VEHICLE IS STILL USING 4 QUARTS BEFORE 3,000 MILES. I HAVE BEEN AT A STOP LIGHT ON HIGHWAY 34 AND MY CAR JUST STOPPED WHEN I WENT TO ACCELERATE. I WAS IN PEORIA AT A STOP LIGHT GOING UP HILL AND MY CAR STALLED 4 TIMES BEFORE I COULD GET IT TO START. ALL MY GAUGES JUST DROP. M…
Owner-reported narrative. 100,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11194249 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11208170 · 2019-05-17 (May 17, 2019)
CODES P0016 P0017 DTC P0299 UNDER TURBO BOOST P0010 - FLUID LEAK FROM TRANSMISSION - STABILITRAK LIGHT ON AND OFF (2017, 2018, 2019)- { I PAID TO HAVE THE ISSUE FIXED AND LESS THAN A YEAR LATER IT HAPPENS AGAIN} CAR WILL NOT PICK UP SPEED - CRANK / CAM POSITION NOT PLAUSIBLE - TIMING CHAIN STRETCHED /STUCK.( POPPING SOUND COMING FROM UNDER MY SEAT IN 2017)THESE ARE ALL ISSUES THAT HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING. I AM GETTING ON THE ON RAMP FOR THE HIGHWAY AND MY CAR WILL NOT GO PASS 35 MPH FOR OVER 15 SECONDS, EVEN IF I FLOOR IT. THERE IS ON COMING TRA…
Owner-reported narrative. 86,047 miles reported. Look up ODI 11208170 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10700804 · 2015-03-21 (March 21, 2015)
DIFFICULT TO SHIFT MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN COLD WEATHER, ALONG WITH GEAR NOISE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER ON JAN 16, 2015 AND ALL THEY DID WAS GIVE US A COPY OF GM'S CORPORATE BULLETIN 03-07-29-004I: MANUAL TRANSMISSION OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS (DEC 19, 2014). THIS DOCUMENT TOLD US TO SHIFT SLOWLY IN COLD WEATHER, BUT THEN WE CANNOT SHIFT IT AT ALL. TOOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER ON FEB 20, 2015. THE SERVICE MANAGER TEST DROVE IT AND AGREED THERE WAS A SHIFTING ISSUE. THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH IS MUCH EASIER TO SHIFT. UNFORTUNATE…
Owner-reported narrative. 3,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10700804 at NHTSA ↗