1999 BUICK REGAL Complaints

I MENTION THIS BECAUSE OF A POSSIBLE SAFETY HAZARD WHERE IT SEEMS A FIRE COULD START QUITE EASILY. AFTER GIVING A LOCKSMITH A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS TO CHANGE A 1999 REGAL IGNITION CYLINDER, THE FOLLOWING MALFUNCTION CONTINUES. ABOUT 80% OF THE TIME I CANNOT TURN THE IGNITION TO THE OFF POSITION. THE KEY CANNOT BE PULLED OUT UNTIL I AM ABLE TO GET THE IGNITION INTO THE OFF POSITION. IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH OR TO MUCH VOLTAGE GOING TO THE IGNITION SECURITY SYSTEM CAUSING THE IGNITION TO LOCK UP. RECENTLY I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS A SECURITY SWITCH RIGHT BEHIND THE KEY CYLINDER THAT IS MALFUNCTIONING. IT CONSISTS OF A SMALL STEEL PLUNGER TYPE BUTTON THAT IS SUPPOSE TO DEPRESS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED IN PARK. I FOUND OUT THAT IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE FOR THE DEALER TO REPLACE. THEREFORE I DRILLED A HOLE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SILVER DOLLAR UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL COLLAR. WHEN I TURN THE CAR OFF, I NEED TO PLACE MY FINGER IN THE HOLE AND PRESS THIS BUTTON WHICH ALLOWS ME TO TURN THE KEY INTO THE OFF POSITION. I NOTICED THAT THIS SWITCH BECOMES EXTREMELY HOT. I WOULD THINK THE DEALER WOULD CORRECT THIS WITHOUT COST SINCE IT SEEMS OBVIOUS TO BE A MANUFACTURED BAD DESIGN AND A SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE RECEIVED QUITE OF FEW REPLIES FROM BUICK CUSTOMERS EXPRESSING THE SAME PROBLEM SINCE POSTING THIS ISSUE ON THE WEB.*AK

IGNITION KEY SWITCH GOES OUT WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL IS TURNED ON. ALSO, ENGINE FAILS. THE DESIGN OF THE KEY SWITCH IS FAULTY.*AK

THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD MELTED BETWEEN EGR PORT AND WATER JACKET. THIS ALLOWED COOLANT TO FLOOD THE MOTOR. THREE WEEKS AFTER THIS $1200 REPAIR I SPUN A ROD BEARING PROBABLY. $2700 LATER. *AK

THE VEHICLE BRAKE LINE AND FUEL LINE RUSTED. AS A RESULT THE BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

ALL FOUR RIMS ARE PEELING AND BREAKING INTO PIECES , CREATING POCKETS THAT TRAP DIRT AND DEBRIS. THIS MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ALIGN THE TIRES.*AK

ON JULY 31, 2004 I ATTEMPTED TO START MY 1999 BUICK REGAL FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT DAY AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED A TAPPING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ALONG WITH A FOUL ODOR THAT DID NOT SMELL LIKE ANTIFREEZE. THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT ON, THOUGH I HAD JUST FLUSHED AND REFILLED THE RADIATOR JUST 3 MONTHS BEFORE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GET THE CAR TO THE REPAIR SHOP, IT DIED AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN. I WAS LATER INFORMED THAT A DEFECT COMMON TO THIS ENGINE HAD CAUSED THE PROBLEM; THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND HAD BROKE, ALLOWING COOLANT TO ENTER THE ENGINE. JUST TO REPLACE THE MANIFOLD IS GOING TO COST ME $652. AND THE EXTENT OF THE ENGINE DAMAGE CAN ONLY BE DETERMINED AFTERWARDS. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE MANUFACTURER COULD BUILD SUCH AN EXPENSIVE, SUPPOSEDLY "LUXURY" VEHICLE WITH SUCH A CHEAP PART THAT THEY KNOW WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL WITHOUT WARNING AND END THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE OR REQUIRE VERY HIGH REPAIR BILLS. IT IS JUST THEIR DECEPTIVE WAY OF MAKING THEIR VEHICLES DISPOSABLE AND RIPPING OFF THE CONSUMER. THIS IS THE 3RD BUICK I HAVE OWNED AND I'VE ALWAYS PRAISED THE BUICK NAME, BUT THEY'VE JUST LOST A CUSTOMER!! SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THEIR DECEPTIVE MANUFACTURING PRACTICES.*AK

ONE OWNER CAR, WELL MAINTAINED AND SAFELY DRIVEN. 70000 MILES. WHILE DRIGING CAR, STEERING LOCKED UP DURING LEFT AND RIGHT TURNS. STEERING POPPED"OUT OF POSITION SEVERAL TIMES. VERY HAZARDOUS TO DRIVE. MECHANIC WAS A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY, HOWEVER TY THE TIME I GOT THERE, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS POSITIONED AT THE 4 O'CLOCK POSITION WIHILE DRIGIN STRAIGHT AHEAD. MECHANIC STATED THE ONLY OTHER CAR THAT HE HAD SEEN A RACK FAIL ON SO EARLY WAS A '97 BUICK REGAL. UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A RECALL THAT ENEDED IN 1998.*AK REPAIR TO REPLACE RACK, $800. ADDITIONAL COST OF $350 AT DEALER TO FIX AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT. DEALER MAINTAINS INCORRECT REPAIR TO RACK CAUSED THIS PROBLEM IN THE STEERING WHEEL. OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. THIS WAS A SERIOIUS HAZARD!

SIMULTANEOUS FAILURE OF BOTH MOTORS IN POWER WINDOWS IN DRIVER AND FRONT SEAT PASSENGER OF 1999 BUICK REGAL, CAUSING SUDDEN DROP OF WINDOWS. BOTH WERE REPLACED BY DEALER AT COST TO OWNER OF $1,100. NO EXPLANATION WAS PROVIDED BY DEALER AS TO REASON FOR THIS EXTRAORDINARY OCCURENCE OTHER THAN STATING THAT REPLACEMENT WAS NOT UNDER EXPIRED WARRANTY. THE SUDDEN DROP OF THE WINDOWS WAS HIGHLY DANGEROUS DUE TO ITS DISTRACTION FACTOR, INABILITY TO REPEL INCLEMENT ELEMENTS, ETC.*AK

[XXX] [XXX] SUBJECT: OWNER COMPLAINT MY VEHICLE: 1999 BUICK REGAL [XXX] MESSAGE: ON 05/15/04, MY CAR SERVICE ENGINE SOON INDICATOR CAME ON. THE CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED GM DEALER. AFTER $1,226.35 I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD LEAKED ANTIFLUID INTO THE ENGINE. UPON CLOSE INSPECTION, THE TECHNICIAN AND I NOTICE THAT THE UPPER INTAKE HAD CORRODED BADLY CAUSING IT TO LEAK. THE UPPER INTAKE IS MADE FROM SOME KIND OF BLACK PLASTIC, THAT LAYERS OF IT COMES OFF WITH A SLIGHT WIPE OF MY FINGER. THIS IN MY OPINION IS A DESIGN FLAW. NOW MY ENGINE IS RUIN. THE ENGINE SERVICE INDICATOR IS STILL ON BECAUSE OF INTERNAL ENGINE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE CORRODED INTAKE MANIFOLD. I HAVE ONLY 69,000 MILES ON THE CAR; THEREFORE THIS PLASTIC CORROSION MUST HAVE STARTED THOUSANDS OF MILES EARLIER. I BELIEVE GENERAL MOTORS (BUICK) SHOULD CORRECT THIS PROBLEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND COMPENSATE THEIR CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE HAD THIS DESIGN FLAW PROBLEM. IF YOUR ENGINEERS WISH TO INSPECT THE CORRODED INTAKE MANIFOLD, PLEASE ADVISE AND I WILL SEND IT TO THEM. PLEASE NOTE, GM REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR CORRECT THIS PROBLEM AT GM EXPENSE. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] *AK UPDATED 07/25/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT ENGINE FAILED. CONSUMER WILL HAVE THE MECHANIC REPLACE THE ENGINE. *AK PRIOR TO THE ENGINE FAILURE THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES BECAUSE THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT OIL WAS LEAKING ONTO HER DRIVEWAY.