1998 BUICK REGAL Complaints

CONSUMER STATES WHEN APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE STARTS TO SHUTTER WHEN MAKING TURNS.*AK

I PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW AROUND DECEMBER 23, 1997. THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES ON IT. I NOTICED THAT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THE WAS A VIBRATION (FELT LIKE A PULSE) IN THE VEHICLE AND COULD SLIGHTLY FEEL THE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. OWNERS MANUAL ADVISED ONE MAY FEEL THE ABS RELEASE AND REENGAGE WHILE APPLYING BRAKES. VEHICLE WAS ONLY DRIVER ABOUT 6000 MILES A YEAR. AT ABOUT 8000 MILES THE VIBRATION BECAME SO SEVERE I HAD TO TAKE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO ADVISED THAT BRAKES WHERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY BUT THEY WOULD TURN THE ROTORS FOR FREE. AT ABOUT 15000 MILES (AND NOW OUT OF WARRENTY ALTOGETHER DUE TO PAST 3 YEARS OLDS) HAD TO HAVE ROTORS TURNED AGAIN. WITHIN A FEW THOUSAND MILES HAD TO HAVE NEW ROTORS AND BRAKES. WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED MILES OF NEW ROTORS AND BRAKES THE PROBLEM CAME BACK AND IS SEVERE BUT I CANNOT AFFORD TO KEEP REPLACING ROTORS EVERY FEW HUNDRED MILES. THE BRAKE PADS ALWAYS APPEAR TO WEAR NORMAL BUT THE ROTORS ARE ALWAYS WARPING. THE VEHICLE STILL ONLY HAS 42000 MILES AND IS OVER 5 YEARS OLDS. THE VEHICLE FEELS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I FEEL THIS PROBLEM WAS POSSIBLY KNOWN TO GM PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE AND THAT GM STILL REFUSES TO RECALL THE BUICK REGALS WITH THIS PROBLEM. *AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF, CAUSING CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT (WITHOUT THE HEAT SWITCH BEING TURNED ON) GOT SO HOT IT MELTED A PLASTIC BAG ON THE SEAT AND GOT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAT SO HOT IT MELTED THE FOAM UNDER THE LEATHER AND CAUSED A BROWN BURN MARK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREY LEATHER SEATS. *TT

POWER STEERING RACK. INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER ASSIST WHILE TURNING TO THE LEFT. DEALER DIAGNOSED AS BAD POWER STEERING RACK. *NLM

POWER WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED ON LEFT REAR DOOR IN MARCH 2002, AND ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR IN MARCH 2003. BOTH FAILURES WERE OF THE PLASTIC RETAINER FOR THE CABLE END WHICH HOLDS THE WINDOW UP. BOTH WINDOWS DROPPED SEVERAL INCHES. THE REAR WINDOW DROPPED WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING DRIVER DISTRACTION. IN BOTH CASES THE WINDOW COULD NOT BE RAISED WITHOUT REMOVING THE DOOR UPHOLSTERY PANEL. THE ONLY REPAIR IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE WINDOW REGULATOR ASSEMBLY. LIST PRICE FOR THE DRIVER'S DOOR PARTS ONLY WAS $352. *JB

HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF DURING OPERATION AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING. LISTED BELOW IS THE TEXT OF MY NOTE TO THE DEALER MORE FULLY DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM. YOU MAY RECALL AFTER REVIEW OF YOUR SERVICE RECORDS THAT I BROUGHT THIS VEHICLE TO YOU DECEMBER 3, 2002 FOR A FAULTY BLOWER MOTOR. AFTER DIAGNOSIS YOU PHONED AND INDICATED THE PROBLEM WAS A RESISTOR, NOT THE MOTOR AND DURING DIAGNOSIS YOU DISCOVERED WIRES UNDER THE HOOD DAMAGED BY AN ANIMAL WHO HAD BUILT A NEST UNDER THE COWLING. I AUTHORIZED REPAIR OF BOTH THE RESISTOR AND THE WIRING. ON JANUARY 3, 2003 I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO YOU FOR A SIMILAR PROBLEM, THE BLOWER MOTOR WOULD FAIL INTERMITTENTLY ALONG WITH THE ELECTRONICALLY DIMMED REARVIEW MIRROR AND THE INTERIOR DASH LIGHT WOULD FAIL TO DIM WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS WERE TURNED ON. YOU KEPT THE VEHICLE UNTIL JANUARY 7, 2003 BUT WERE UNABLE TO OBSERVE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD TWO INSTANCES OF THIS BLOWER FAILURE SINCE BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET TO YOU BEFORE THE FAN AND ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS DISAPPEARED. THIS MORNING SHORTLY AFTER 5:00 AM (IN THE DARK) I HEADED TO THE RICHMOND AIRPORT. AS I WAS ABOUT TO PULL ONTO ROUTE 54 FROM OUR DEVELOPMENT I DECIDED TO TURN ON THE BLOWER TO CLEAR MOISTURE FROM THE WINDOWS. WHEN I DID THE HEADLIGHTS EXTINGUISHED. HAD THIS BEEN TWENTY SECONDS LATER I MAY HAVE WRECKED MY VEHICLE AND INJURED OR KILLED MY PASSENGER AND MYSELF. *NLM

THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING, THE DEALER STATED THE CRACK SENSOR AND THE FUEL SENSOR WERE THE PROBLEM. *JB

ELECTRIC WINDOWS--FRONT PASSENGER CAN ONLY BE USED VIA CONTROLS ON DRIVER'S DOOR AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW CAME DOWN AND WILL NOT STAY UP--WE CUT OFF THE POWER TO IT AND IT STILL CREEPS DOWN. IT LACKS ABOUT 2-3" OF BEING SHUT AND HAS TO BE TAPED TO KEEP AIR/WATER OUT. THIS HAPPENED LAST SUMMER. *NLM

WINDSHIELD WIPERS DON'T WORK 1/2 THE TIME. THEY SEEM TO GO OFF TRACK--YOU HAVE TO STOP THE CAR, OPEN THE HOOD AND TIGHTEN THE BASE--THE NUT THAT HOLDS THE WIPER ARM ON WORKS LOOSE. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR ABOUT 8 MONTHS. *NLM