1999 BUICK REGAL Complaints

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, THE AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN AT ALL. THE DRIVER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE RACK AND PINION. *AK (MAKING LEFT TURNS WERE VERY HARD AND STIFF) THE CONSUMER AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT BY TURNING RIGHT. THE RACK AND PINION WAS BINDING AND WAS REPLACED. *SCC *JB

IN THE WATERLOO COURIER OF 9/23/03 IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS INVESTIGATING A POSSIBLE STEERING DEFECT IN GM VEHICLES. THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED INVOLVED DIFFICULTY IN STEERING WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS. THIS HAPPENED TO ME AND MY DAUGHTER (WHO WAS DRIVING MY CAR AT THE TIME) ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, IN CEDAR FALLS, IOWA. WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE (1999 BUICK REGAL) BACK TO WAVERLY TO JERRY ROLING'S DEALERSHIP. ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE RACK AND PINION (SP?) HAD GONE OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. BECAUSE THE GM DEALERSHIP WAS GOING TO CHARGE APPROX. $400 MORE THAN MY REGULAR MECHANIC, I HAD THE CAR TRANSFERED TO GARRY'S TIRE IN WAVERLY WHERE THE WORK WAS DONE. I PICKED UP MY CAR ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16. I THOUGHT I SHOULD REPORT THIS INCIDENT TO YOU EVEN THOUGH THE 1999 REGAL WAS NOT ONE OF THOSE LISTED IN THE ARTICLE.

A CLIP THAT HOLDS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IN POSITION FELL OFF. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE UNTIL THE PEDAL WAS RETURNED TO ITS PROPER POSITION AND THE CLIP WAS REPLACED. I FEEL THERE NEEDS TO BE A BETTER RETENTION MECHANISM TO HOLD THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IN POSITION. THIS COULD BE A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN IF THIS FAILURE WERE TO OCCUR DURING A PASSING MANUEVER OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES.

THIS VEHICLE FREQUENTLY STALLS. IT JUST STOPS RUNNING. IT HAPPENS ON THE FREEWAY, AT INTERSECTIONS, AND ON CITY STREETS. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. THE DEALER HAS HAD THIS VEHICLE ON THREE SEPERATE OCCASIONS, AND HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT.

SUDDEN LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID DUE TO PREMATURE RUSTING OF METAL BRAKE LINES. BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, BRAKE PEDAL WENT MUSHY, SOME DIFFICULTY IN STOPPING VEHICLE. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION REVEALED METAL BRAKE LINES SEVERELY RUSTED IN THREE PLACES, ONE RESULTED IN SAID LOSS OF FLUID. *JB

THE FRONT BRAKES FAILED TO RELEASE. THE PADS WERE NOT WORN, HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNGLUED.*AK. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE GLUE ON THE BRAKES WAD DEFECTIVE. *JB

AUTO DESIGN DEFECT IS BILKING CONSUMERS AND HURTING ECONOMY.*MR THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITHOUT THERE BEING A PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER MENTIONED THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE NOT DOING THEIR JOB. INSTEAD OF WARNING THE DRIVER, IT'S COSTING THEM MONEY TO GET THEM TURNED OFF EACH TIME. THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM AND WHY HAS IT NOT BEEN FIXED YET? *PH *JB

THREE TIRES WERE REPLACED BECAUSE THE ALUMINUM WHEELS CAUSED THE TIRES TO LEAK. *AK *SCC *JB

THE HVAC (TEMPERATURE CONTROL PANEL) STARTED FADING IN AND OUT, AND THEN EVENTUALLY WENT BLANK. SEEMS TO WORK FINE. BUT CANNOT TELL WETHER THE DEFROST ETC. IS SET AT AND WHAT TEMPERATURE THE HEAT OR AIR IS SET AT. TOOK TO DEALER, WAS TOLD WOULD COST $600.00 TO FIX. I ALSO HAVE TROUBLE WITH WATER COMING INTO THE CAR ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE ON FLOOR. HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT MAY BE DRAINING IN FROM UP UNDER WINDSHIELD WASHERS. ALSO, HAD TO REPLACE ALL FOUR EAGLE LS TIRES. I HAD TERRIBLE VIBRATION, TOOK INTO SHOP AND WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE UNSAFE TO DRIVE.*AK

THE VEHICLE SWAYED LEFT TO RIGHT WHILE DRIVING, AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO CONTROL. *JB THERE WAS A CLUNK IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHICH CAUSED BY THE UNDERTORQUED STEERING GEAR BOLTS. THE STEERING SHAFT WAS LOOSE AND WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER. *TS(SEE ANNOTATION - M. JORDAN) *TS. ALSO THE ENGINE FAILED TO TURN OVER, THE DEALER REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND FOUND THE NO VOLTAGE ON THE BATTERY, THE TRANSMISSION JUMPED WHEN IT WAS PUT INTO GEAR, THE DEALER FOUND THE SHAFT FOR THE 4TH GEAR WORN, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE SIDE, THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED, THE OIL PAN AND FRONT MOTOR MOUNT WAS REPLACED