1998 BUICK REGAL Complaints

DT: THE VEHICLE TURNS PROPERLY TO THE RIGHT, BUT WHEN TURNING TO THE LEFT, IT FEELS AS THOUGH THERE IS NO POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT DEALERSHIP BEING REPAIRED, AND CONSUMER WAS TOLD IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH RACK AND PINION. VEHICLE IS NOT PART OF THE CURRENT RECALL.*AK *JB

DT: THE AIR BAG WAS PUSHING THROUGH THE DASHBOARD ON THE CONSUMERS 1998 BUICK REGAL. SHE NOTICED THIS ON 7-21-05. SHE TOOK IT IN ON THE 22ND AND THEY SAID THE CLIP WAS BROKEN. THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD GLUE IT DOWN BUT THEN IT MIGHT NOT WORK IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THEY SAID THAT RIGHT NOW, IF ANYONE WAS RIDING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, IT MIGHT KILL THEM AND IT WOULD BREAK THE WINDOW. SHE IS NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE. SHE HAS NOT TALKED TO GENERAL MOTORS. THERE IS NO AIR BAG LIGHT ON IN THE VEHICLE. SHE HAS NOT WRECKED THE CAR. SHE HAS ONLY HAD THE CAR ABOUT 6 MONTHS AND IT WAS NOT LIKE THAT AT A ALL WHEN SHE BOUGHT IT. *JB

HAVE 1998 BUICK REGA GS. ONLY 55000 MILES. HAVE HAD SEVERAL ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS REPLACED OVER LIFE OF VEHICLE. SAME PROBLEM EVEN WHILE UNDER WARRENTY. DEALER ORIGINALLY TURNED ROTORS. DEALER APPEARED TO BE AWARE OF PROBLEM. PROBLEM RETURNED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. AFTER SEVERAL ROTORS AND BRAKE PAD REPLACEMENTS OUT OF WARRENTY I FINALLY REPLACED ROTORS WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE CROSS DRILLED AND SLOTTED ROTOR (ASSUMING A HEAT PROBLEM) BUT TO NO AVAIL. VEHICLE SHAKES VIOLANTLY AT TIMES WHEN BRAKES APPLIED AND ROTORS ALWAYS WARPED. I BELIEVE GM WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM FROM ONSET BUT REFUSES TO RECALL VEHICLE. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS VEHICLE DID THIS FROM THE DAY I PURCHASED IT NEW IN DECMEBER OF 1997 BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A NEW FORM OF ANTILOCK BRAKED THAT PULSATED. FEAR THAT IF SOLD TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL, VEHICLE BRAKES MAY FAIL.

OPERATION OF THE TURN SIGNAL CAUSES THE CAR TO STALL, AFFECTIGN THE POWER STEERING AND ABS.

I WAS DRIVING ON AC EXPRESSWAY WHEN MY STEERING FAILED. I COULD TURN RIGHT BUT WAS BLOCKED FROM TURNING LEFT. AFTER SOME TIME I COULD FORCE THE CAR TO GO LEFT, BUT IT FORCED THE GEAR BEARING TO SLIP AND NOW THE STEERING WHEEL IS 180 DEGREES UPSIDE DOWN AT STRAIGHT AHEAD POSITION. I HAVE NOT HAD THE CAR REPAIRED YET. IT IS STILL INOPERABLE. THIS REGAL WAS MADE IN CANADA IN APRIL OF 1998, MORE THAN SIX MONTHS AFTER THE BUICK REGAL RECALL FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM. I AM ASKING FOR AN INVESTIGATION FROM ODI SO THAT IF ALL 1998 AND 1999 REGALS HAVE THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM, THAT THEIR OWNERS BE NOTIFIED THAT STEERING MAY FAIL WHILE DRIVING. ONLY THE 1998 REGAL OWNERS WHO HAD CARS BUILT FROM 1/1/97 TO 10/15/97 HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED SO FAR. AND WITH MY VEHICLE BEING MANUFACTURED SIX MONTHS AFTER THE RECALL, IT WASN'T JUST BUILT WITH AN ERRANT 'OLD' PART, AS G.M. CLAIMS, BUT WHICH CAN BE REFUTED BY ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS SINCE THEN. OWNERS MUST BE INFORMED, AS THE REGALS WERE ORIGINALLY SOLD WITH THE PITCH THAT THE CARS COULD GO 200,000 MILES BEFORE WEARING OUT DUE TO THE 'W' WHEEL BASE. AND OWNERS LIKE MYSELF MAY TRY TO DRIVE THAT FAR- NOT KNOWING THAT THE STEERING FAILS AT AROUND 100,000 MILES.

ONE DAY WHILE DRIVING MY WIFE'S 1998 BUICK REGAL WHEN I HEARD A SUDDEN GUST OF WIND NOISE. I HAD FOUND OUT THAT BOTH OF THE REAR WINDOWS HAD FALLEN AS IF THEY WERE OFF TRACK, BUT THESE WERE ELECTRIC WINDOWS. A FEW WEEKS LATER THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WINDOW FELL AS WELL. I CALLED 3 DIFFERENT BUICK DEALERS WHO ALL TOLD ME THAT THE REGULATORS ON MY YEAR MODEL HAVE A VERY BAD TENDANCY TO GO OUT. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE REGULATOR FOR EACH WINDOW IS $400.00 PLUS LABOR. I SPOKE TO BUICK'S CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO SAID THAT THEY HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A COMPLAINT ON THIS, BUT I HAVE FOUND COUNTLESS FORUMS ONLINE WITH MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM OF TWO OR MORE WINDOWS MALFUNCTIONING ALL AT ONE TIME...THIS IS NO COINCEDENCE. ALTHOUGH IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S JUST A FEW WINDOW PROBLEMS, UNFORTUNATELY WHEN IT RAINS THE WINDOWS FALL AND MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER HAVE ENDED UP IN A VERY WET CAR TRYING TO COME HOME. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AS I HAVE ALSO HAD THE WIRES IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR SHORT OUT AND MELT. THIS HAS HINDERED THE VIEW FROM MY MIRROR AS WELL AS LEAKED BLACK GOO ALL OVER MY CONSOLE. WHEN I TOLD THIS TO BUICK THEY DIDN'T SEE IT AS A PROBLEM. I HAVE ONE OTHER COMPLAINT THAT THE REAR SEAT BELTS ARE NOT PROPERLY DONE. THEY WORK AND DON'T WORK WHENEVER THE MOOD STRIKES THEM. THIS IS VERY DISCONCERNING WHEN I HAVE CHILDREN TO PUT IN THE BACK. *AK

ENGINE FAILED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET. IT CUT OFF NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE TRYING TO GET TO MY DESTINATION EACH TIME I TURNED ON THE TURN SIGNALS. REPLACED BATTERY & TESTED ALTERNATOR BEFORE TAKING TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THEY DIAGNOSED IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE & REPLACED. NO LONGER HAVE PROBLEM WITH IT CUTTING OFF BUT THE SECURITY LIGHT NOW GOES ON & OFF ON A REGULAR BASIS. ALSO SLUGGISH WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS.*AK

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL. INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CAUSING LEAKAGE OF THE ANTIFREEZE THAT EVENTUALLY LEAKED OUT THE EXHAUST PIPE. THIS LED TO OTHER REPAIRS THAT NEEDED TO BE FIXED.*AK

NUMEROUS FAILURES - POWER WINDOWS(SAME WINDOW 2X), HEATER/AC BLOWER MOTOR, TURN SIGNALS (SAME DIRECTION 3X), ALTERNATOR, WATER PUMP, ENGINE STRUT BRACKETS, LEAKY GASKET VALVE COVERS. CURRENT UNRESOLVED PROBLEM - FAILURE TO START ALTHOUGH BATTERY IS FINE. REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH AND STARTER YET STILL FAILS REGULARLY. NEXT REPAIR, REPLACE A WIRE IN STEERING COLUMN THAT CONTACTS THE CHIP IN THE KEY???*JB

NOT SURE OF THE PROBLEM W/ MY 98 BUICK REGAL GS. IT HAS 59,000 MILES ON IT, AND HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR THE PAST 10 MONTHS ON A REGULAR BASIS. HAVE REPLACED SPARK PLUGS, BATTERY, AND AM NOW ON THE 3RD NEW FUEL PUMP. PUT OVER $5,000 INTO THIS CAR. NO PREVIOUS HISTORY OF PROBLEMS. I AM ORIGINAL OWNER. IT HAS COMPLETELY CUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING AND HAS LEFT ME STRANDED 6 TIMES, 3 OF THOSE WITH MY 4 YEAR OLD. THESE PROBLEMS STARTED ON EASTER, 2004 AND ARE STILL CONTINUING TO DATE. *JB