11 of the 139 complaints about the 2003 Buick Regal are about the braking system — 8% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 105,000 miles.
11
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
SERVICE BRAKES
ALL WINDOW COMPONENTS MOTORS AND REGULATORS HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE IN ALL 4 DOORS BRAKE SHAKING TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE
NHTSA complaint #11014548 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED AND ANOTHER VEHICLE STRUCK THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE BACK, THE ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BODY, THE FOOT, AND THE NECK. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN. UPDATED 11/29/16*LJ UPDATED 12/13/16.
NHTSA complaint #10905903 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
ON THE EARLY MORNING OF 03/08/2016 AROUND 5:50AM ON MY WAY TO WORK, THE CAR LOST ALL POWER AS I WAS TRYING TO TURN LEFT ON TO A COUNTY ROAD. I WAS ABLE TO STEER THE CAR OUT OF TRAFFIC COMING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND ALMOST WENT DOWN THE DITCH DUE TO THE STEERING WAS VERY HARD TO TURN. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE CAR CONTINUING TO GET TO MY DESTINATION. AT THE NEXT INTERSECTION, THIS HAPPENED AGAIN AS SOON AS I USED THE TURN SIGNAL (I WAS TURNING RIGHT THIS TIME). I RESTART THE CAR AGAIN AFTER PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. THIS PROBLEM IS NOW WILL OCCUR EACH TIME I USE EITHER TURN SIGNAL LEFT OR RIGHT. I CONSIDER THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE ACCIDENT CAN OCCUR IF SOMEONE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO REACT WHEN IT HAPPEN THE 1ST TIME ON A BUSY ROAD.
NHTSA complaint #10846290 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
THE VEHICLE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND HAD TO BE RESTARTED WHILE ROLLING. EVERY EVENT USUALLY INVOLVED TURNING AND BRAKING AT THE SAME TIME, BUT OCCASIONALLY SHUT DOWN WHILE IDLING AT STOP LIGHTS. IT APPEARED TO BE SIMILAR TO THE IGNITION RECALLS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ON OTHER VEHICLES, BUT NOT ON THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. IT HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES AND AT LEAST TWO TO THREE TIMES WHILE TURNING ONTO ON RAMPS TO FREEWAYS. IT ALWAYS REQUIRES SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL TO RESTART AND VERY STIFF STEERING BECAUSE POWER STEERING IS DISABLED. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN TRAFFIC AND PRESENTED VERY HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. I BELIEVE THE IGNITION IS AT FAULT, BUT CANNOT SAY POSITIVELY. USUALLY OCCURS WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR SOME TIME AND THE ENGINE HAS BEEN RUNNING QUITE SOME TIME AND IS CONSIDERABLY WARM. UNDER HOT CONDITIONS IT OCCURS MORE OFTEN.
NHTSA complaint #10626897 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 09/16/14
NHTSA complaint #10609926 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE BRAKE LINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
NHTSA complaint #10609174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE BRAKE LINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
NHTSA complaint #10609174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE LINES AND THE FRAME WERE COVERED WITH RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE NOT AVAILABLE.
NHTSA complaint #10575315 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING AND WOULD LOSE POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE AND THE MANIFOLD ABSOLUTE PRESSURE WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. UPDATED 12/12/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD FRONT AND REAR GLOWED REED HOT. THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS IN THE RED. COOLANT LEAKED FROM A HOSE NEAR THE ENGINE AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO EMIT BLUE SMOKE. THE VEHICLE BURNED ONE QUART OF OIL EXCESSIVELY. THE BATTERY, THERMOSTAT, FRONT BRAKES, TRANSMISSION OIL FILTER AND GASKET WERE ALL REPLACED. ALSO, THE DRIVER REAR WINDOW WAS INOPERATIVE, THE WINDSHIELD WASHER WAS SPRAYER DID NOT WORK, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE HEAT/AC BLOWER DID NOT OPERATE IN ALL THE SETTINGS. UPDATED 12/23/11
NHTSA complaint #10434147 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
(1) I HAVE A 2003 BUICK REGAL WITH MILEAGE OF 17700.THIS MORNING AT 9 AM WHEN I STOPPED BEFORE THE TRAFFIC LIGHT IN THE INTERSECTION OF MOUND RD AND 13 MILE RD. (2) SUDDENLY THE BRAKE PEDAL APPEARS TO BE VERY LOOSE AND THE CAR STARTS GOING BACKWARD SLOWLY. I KEEP ON PRESSING THE BRAKE BUT THE CAR KEEPS GOING BACKWARD. I SWITCHED TO PARKING GEAR AND THEN DRIVING GEAR AND PRESS THE GASPEDAL AND THE CAR STARTS MOVING FORWARD. BOTH MY WIFE AND I WERE IN THE CAR. FORTUNATELY NO CAR WAS BEHIND US SO NO ACCIDENT OCCURED. (3) THE DEALER CHECKED THE CAR AND CAN NOT FIND WHAT IS THE PROBLEM. SO THEY ASKED US TO CONTINUE DRIVING UNTIL THE PROBLEM HAPPENS AGAIN! HOW CAN WE CONTINUE DRIVING A CAR WHICH ALMOST LED TO A FATAL ACCIDENT? THAT IS CRAZY!
NHTSA complaint #10122584 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
WHILE TRAVELING AT 25 MPH IN TRAFFIC DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS VERY HARD. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVER HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED $9700 DAMAGE BUT THE OTHER VEHICLE SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE.
NHTSA complaint #10071481 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.