13 of the 376 complaints about the 1998 Buick Regal are about the transmission — 3% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 73,000 miles.
13
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
POWER TRAIN
[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #10436003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I WAS DRIVING I SMELLED SMOKE THEN I SEEN SMOKE I GOT OUT THE CAR SEEN SMALL FIRE UNDER THE CAR THEN IT EXPLODED INTO A BALL OF FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #10238073 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER
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 FAILURE, TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER, WHICH THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION WAS OVERHAULED. THE IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED OUT. THE RIGHT FRONT WINDOW REGULATOR WAS REPLACED. UPDATED
NHTSA complaint #10215176 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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 GOING PROBLEM THAT GM TRANSMISSIONS HAVE AND THE COMPANY REFUSES TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AS WELL AS ALL OF THE COMPLAINS ABOUT THEIR TRANSMISSION.
NHTSA complaint #10060519 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
PURCHASED VEHICLE W/4000 MILES, I WAS THE FIRST TITLED OWNER, 1ST TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WITH 30705 MILES & WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. SECOND TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WITH 53582 MILES. I DON'T FEEL A CAR SHOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AT 30,000 MILES LET ALONE ANOTHER ONE AT 54,000. SOMETHING ELSE MUST BE WRONG WITH THE ENGINE TO NEED TWO TRANSMISSIONS IN LESS THAN 3 YEARS.
NHTSA complaint #754519 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
DATE OF PURCHASE WAS SEPT 2000 USED. REPORTED ROTOR BRAKE WARPAGE AND TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. ROTORS WERE TURNED BUT PROBLEM NOT COMPLETLY GONE. MECHANIC DISMISSED TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE AS TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVATION. TRANSMISSION FAILED 7/22/2001.
NHTSA complaint #749254 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
DATE OF PURCHASE WAS SEPT 2000 USED. REPORTED ROTOR BRAKE WARPAGE AND TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. ROTORS WERE TURNED BUT PROBLEM NOT COMPLETLY GONE. MECHANIC DISMISSED TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE AS TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVATION. TRANSMISSION FAILED 7/22/2001.
NHTSA complaint #749254 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED, ALL THE GEARS WOULD NOT ENGAGE EXCEPT FOR PARK. *SLC
NHTSA complaint #785292 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
CLUTCH SEAL IN TRANSMISSION LEAKING. YH
NHTSA complaint #608689 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
NOTICED PROBLEM SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE BUT THOUGHT MAY BE JUST THE WAY THE VEHICLE OPERATED. PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT AND PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE---WHEN CHANGING GEARS FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE AND CAUSE A JERKING MOTION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH A REBUILT TRANSMISSION (MILEAGE 11,733) AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPS FAILED TO CORRECT PROBLEM. CONSIDERED THIS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. CAR IS USED DAILY IN MY PROFESSION AS A PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE WITH THE STATE OF VA. I MAKE HOME VISITS WHERE BACKING OUT INTO HEAVY TRAFFIC IS NECESSARY AND AT TIMES THE CAR WOULD FAIL TO ENGAGE PROPERLY MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE OUT OF TRAFFIC'S WAY. THE REBUILT TRANSMISSION IS NOW AGAIN REPEATING THIS PROBLEM FOR WHICH I RETURNED TO THE DEALER TWICE. THEY WERE UNABLE TO DEFINE PROBLEM WHILE THEY TEST DROVE IT--NO ACTION TAKEN OTHER THAN TO CALL BUICK(GM) WHO STATED NO OTHER CONCERNS HAVE BEEN NOTED.
NHTSA complaint #711743 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
2 WEEKS AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRES THE SHIFTER WOULDN'T GO IN PARK & RELEASE KEY. THIS OCCURRED ONLY 2 WEEKS AFTER HAVING IN SHOP TO REPAIR ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART THAT WENT OUT THE DAY AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED. POOR QUALITY PARTS MUST BE USED IF A $25K CAR WON'T LAST 2 YEARS. COSTING ME BIG$$$ SINCE OUT OF WARRANTY BY ONLY A FEW MILES!!!
NHTSA complaint #709430 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
CLUTCH ASSEMBLY FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #608520 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
TRANSAXLE REPEATEDLY FAILS TO ENGAGE INTO DRIVE AFTER A STOP OR AFTER CHANGING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE.
NHTSA complaint #541519 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.