2002 BUICK REGAL Complaints

RATTLE TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE STEERING COLUMN AT 22,000 MILES. DEALER REPLACED LOWER STEERING SHAFT UNDER WARRANTY. RATTLE CAME BACK AT 57,000 MILES AND I NEEDED THE SAME PART REPLACED AGAIN PLUS I NEEDED A NEW RACK. CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND I FELT THESE PARTS SHOULD NOT FAIL AT 57,000 MILES, ESPECIALLY ONE OF THE PARTS FOR A SECOND TIME. COST TO FIX WAS $1400 OF WHICH GM PICKED UP 40%. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SEAT HEATING ELEMENTS WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. HE HAD NOT NOTICED ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. WHEN PLACED ON HIGH OR LOW THE SEAT GOT VERY HOT. AT TIMES WHEN THE SELECTOR SWITCH WAS SET TO OFF THE SEAT CONTINUED TO OVERHEAT.*AK UPDATED 11/29/2005 - THE CONSUMER PULLED THE FUSE FOR THE SEAT PRIOR TO TAKING IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE HEATED SEAT MODULE WAS FAULTY. THE IGNITION KEY DOES NOT RELEASE SOMETIMES. *NM

DT: STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ABS BRAKES ON AUGUST 1, 2004. THE ABS LIGHT/TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT STAYED ON. CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND TOOK VEHICLE TO THEM ABOUT ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH. THEY HAVE REPLACED SEVERAL VBPMV MODULE, BCTMB MODULE, AND WIRING ON THE WHEEL SENSORS, ALSO, THEY HAVE CLEANED WHEELS SPEED CONTROL. WHEN THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON THERE IS EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE CONSUMER HAS ANOTHER APPOINTMENT TO TAKE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2005. *AK *NM

DT: CALLER COMPLAINED ABOUT ROTOR PROBLEM. THE ROTORS BEGAN PITTING AND STARTED TO RUST. CALLER COULD FEEL THE BRAKES NOT HOLDING. THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. CALLER SAID BOTH REAR ROTORS WERE RUSTED. CALLER HAD REAR ROTORS REPLACED A FEW WEEKS AGO AND NOW HE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE FRONT AS WELL. DEALER SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY COULD NOT HELP . MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO HELP. CALLER TOOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER MECHANIC TO HAVE THE WORK DONE. *AK

DT: CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS AND THE VEHICLE SHIFT LIGHTS DO NOT WORK. WHEN THESE DO NOT WORK, THE TAIL LIGHTS DO NOT WORK EITHER. THE CONSUMER FOUND OUT WHEN SOMEONE TOLD HIM THE TAIL LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. THE DEALERSHIP HAS FIXED THE PROBLEM TWICE, BUT WHEN THIS HAPPENS, IT ONLY WORKS FOR A DAY. THE CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED BUICK. CONSUMER NOTICED THE TAIL LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING ON SATURDAY, JULY 9, 2005. HE HAD BEEN DRIVING WITHOUT THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS NOT KNOWING THE TAIL LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. *NM

RE2002 REGAL [XXX] I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW FROM KEN NELSON BUICK DEALER SHIP IN DIXON, IL. I HAVE BEEN A BUICK CAR ENTHUSIAST FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, BUT I FIND THIS DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE NOT TO BE UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH WHAT THE LOU BACHRODT DEALERSHIP CLAIMS IS FEDERALLY MANDATED RESTRICTIONS ON PARTS MANUFACTURE, WHICH ARE NOT AS DURABLE AS ON MY PREVIOUS 1994 REGAL, WHICH I HAD FOR EIGHT YEARS, WITH NONE OF THESE PROBLEMS. THE BRAKES ARE NOT ASBESTOS ANYMORE AND ARE PRONE TO RUSTING OUT, AND NEED TO BE REPLACED ALL TOO EARLY. THE PLASTIC MATERIALS OF THE OTHER PARTS IS NOT MADE FOR RELIABILITY NOR DURABILITY. IN SEPTEMBER 2003 THERE WAS A RECALL #030334 FOR INSTALLING NEW NUTS AND TABLETS . I HAVE THE PART NUMBERS. MILEAGE 19135. SEPTEMBER 2004 THERE WAS NOISE FROM REAR BRAKES, AND FOR WHICH THE ROTORS HAD RUSTED AND HAD TO BE REFACED; MILEAGE 29489. THIS SHOULD NOT BE NECESSARY ON A NEW CAR WITH THIS LOW MILEAGE. JUNE 2005 THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH STEERING. IT SEEMED AS THO THERE WERE LOOSE BOLTS IN THE FRONT WHEELS. THE DEALER LOU BACHRODT (THEY HAVE DONE ALL THESE REPAIRS) SAID THE SHAFT OF THE STEERING COLUMN WAS DISINTEGRATING AND HAD NO GREASE. MILEAGE 37631. THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT, TO THE TUNE OF $789.79. THIS AMOUNT INCLUDES FUEL INJECTOR SYSTEM CLEANING; TRANSMISSION FLUSH SERVICE AND TUNE UP AND REPLACEMENT OF THE PLENUM GASKET WHICH THEY STATED WAS LEAKING. LOU BACHRODT SERVICE MANAGER STATES THEY HAVE NOT YET HAD A RECALL FOR THIS STEERING COLUMN SHAFT PROBLEM, BUT I BELIEVE I COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR AND CAUSED A VERY BAD ACCIDENT TO OTHERS, AS WELL AS MYSELF FROM THIS BAD NEW DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN ANALYZED BY THE DEALER, A TRANSMISSION AND A MISFIRE CODE CAME UP. THE TRANSMISSION WAS FLUSHED AND I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS EXCESSIVE COPPER IN THE FLUID INDICATING WEAR AND PREMATURE FAILURE. A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT FAIL AT 65,500 MILES UNDER EVERYDAY DRIVING CONDITIONS. REPAIRS ON THE TRANSMISSION HAVE NOT TAKEN PLACE. IN MY OPINION THE PRODUCT WAS DEFECTIVE AND GM SHOULD REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT A SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED COST. I WILL PURSUE A REMEDY FROM GM. THE MISFIRE WAS TRACED TO A FAULTY FUEL INJECTOR WHICH WAS REPLACED. *JB

BRIGHT SUN CAUSED SIGNIFICANT IMPAIRMENT OF VISIBILITY CAUSED BY GLARE FROM DASH REFLECTED INTO THE WINDSHIELD. *BF DESIGN PROBLEM INVOLVING THE ANGLE OF THE WINDSHIELD RELATIVE TO THE REFLECTIVE SURFACE OF THE DASH. *SC

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL. ON A TRIP FROM FLORIDA TO PENNSYLVANIA SUPER CHARGER BELT BROKE ON I-95 SOUTH. ONSTAR DIRECTED ME TO A DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR SERVICE. SERPENTINE BELT IDLER PULLEY BEARING SEIZED. REPLACED DRIVE BELT, SUPER CHARGER BELT AND PULLEY. ALSO, BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF LEAKING ACID FROM POSITIVE BATTERY. THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT CAUSED BY BELT FAILURE. *AK

A LOUD RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL. WHEN THE BRAKES APPLIED THE NOISE ESCALATED. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE WHEEL BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK