1990 BUICK REGAL Complaints

NOT STARTING (ENGINE TRIES TO START BUT JUST WON'T CATCH) AND STALLING WHILE IDLING. #1 OF 6: TOOK CAR FROM HOME, DROVE ABOUT 15 MILES, TURNED IT OFF FOR OVER AN HOUR, DROVE ABOUT 1/10 MILE, TURNED IT OFF FOR OVER AN HOUR, WOULDN'T START. LEFT IT SIT FOR 30 MINUTES. STARTED UP JUST FINE. #2 OF 6: TOOK CAR FROM HOME, DROVE ABOUT 5 MILES, TURNED IT OFF FOR 2 HOURS, DROVE ABOUT 1/2 MILE, TURNED IT OFF FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES, WOULDN'T START. LEFT IT SIT FOR 10 MINUTES. STARTED UP FINE, ALTHOUGH I FOLLOWED PROCEDURE FOR FLOODED ENGINE. STOPPED ABOUT 2 BLOCKS AGAIN TO GET GAS. STARTED UP FINE AGAIN. #3 OF 6: TOOK CAR FROM HOME, DID A LOT OF START/STOP DRIVING THAT MORNING. LATER THAT AFTERNOON DROVE ABOUT 10 MILES, TURNED IF OFF FOR OVER AN HOUR, STARTED UP FINE, DROVE ABOUT 1/2 MILE, HAD TO STOP AT STOP LIGHT. WHILE IDLING, STALLED OUT. WOULDN'T START FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES. AT THIS POINT I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PROM AND IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE. #4 OF 6: 2 DAYS AFTER DEALER REPLACED THE ABOVE, IT STALLED AFTER FILLING THE GAS TANK AND DRIVING JUST A SHORT DISTANCE. HOWEVER, UNLIKE ALL OTHER TIMES IT STARTED UP WITHIN A MINUTE. (IT WAS RAINY THAT EVENING.) TOOK BACK TO DEALER. HE SEALED THE CONNECTIONS - THOUGHT MAYBE THEY GOT WET. #5 OF 6: ABOUT 5 WEEKS LATER WE WENT ON A LONG TRIP AND ALL WAS WELL UNTIL WE WENT TO A STORE AND BACK AND THEN ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER IT WOULD NOT START. #6 OF 6: DROVE HOME FROM WORK (14 MILES), STOPPED FOR GAS ABOUT 1 MILE FROM HOME, FILLED TANK, DROVE HOME, LEFT CAR SIT FOR 45 MINUTES, DROVE ABOUT 3 MILES, LEFT CAR SIT FOR 1 AND 1/4 HOURS, WOULDN'T START. HAD RAINED EARLIER IN THE DAY, BUT THE ROADS WERE FAIRLY DRY. THIS HAPPENED TONIGHT. TOMORROW I WILL PHONE THE DEALER. DOES THIS HAPPEN TO OTHER REGAL OWNERS AND WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT IT? I AM ALMOST SCARED TO DRIVE ANYMORE. DEPENDING WHERE IT STALLS, THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. MIGHT I ADD THAT I HAVEN'T HAD ANY MAJOR PRO

I HAVE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES ON MY 1990 BUICK REGAL. AFTER MANY REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS TO THE FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM . I DISCOVERED THAT THE ROOT CAUSE WAS THE MALFUNCTION OF THE REAR BRAKES. THE REAR CALIPERS ARE DESIGNED, THAT WHEN THEY CORRODE THE BRAKING ACTION IS DIMINISHED AND EVENTUALLY STOPS WHEN THE CALIPERS ARE COMPLETELY FROZEN. THIS FAILURE CAUSES SUBSEQUENT PROBLEMS : 1. BECAUSE THE FRONT BRAKES NOW CARRY MORE BREAKING LOAD THE PAD WEARS OUT VERY QUICKLY. 2. BECAUSE THE FRONT BRAKES NOW CARRY MORE BREAKING LOAD THE ROTORS WILL WARP AND REQUIRE FREQUENT TURNING, WHICH EVENTUALLY RENDERS THE ROTOR BELOW SPECIFIED THICKNESS AND MUST BE REPLACED . 3. THE REAR CALIPERS CAN SOMETIMES LOCK IN THE ENGAGED POSITION. THIS WILL CAUSE EXCESS AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS HEAT IN THE BRAKES. THIS WILL EVENTUALLY RUIN ROTORS AND MAY PRESENT A FIRE HAZARD. 4. THE LACK OF BREAKING IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE CAUSES AN IMBALANCE IN THE BREAKING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VEHICLE. THIS WILL CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO LERCH SIDEWAYS IN AN EMERGENCY BREAKING SITUATION AS THE INERTIA FROM THE REAR IS NOT IMPEDED, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP WITH ANY CONTROL. I HAVE EXPERIENCED ALL 4 OF THESE CONDITIONS ON MY VEHICLE. ITEMS 1-3 ARE TROUBLESOME BECAUSE THE COST IMPACT HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT . BUT THE 4TH ITEM IS CAUSE FOR MY GREATEST CONCERN AS I SEE THIS AS A SERIOUS LIFE AND SAFETY DEFECT. I HAVE EXPERIENCED FIRST HAND THE EFFECT OF THIS CONDITION WHEN MAKING AN EMERGENCY BREAKING MANEUVER. MY VEHICLE LITERALLY SNAPPED SIDEWAYS INTO THE ONCOMING LANE WHEN I HAD TO JAMB ON THE BREAKS. LUCKILY BECAUSE THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE DRY AND TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT, I WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL AND EVENTUALLY STOP THE VEHICLE. AN ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT FACTOR IS, THERE IS NO ADVANCED INDICATION THAT THE REAR CALIPERS HAVE FROZEN OR NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, PUTTING THE SAFETY OF OPERATOR AND PASSENGERS AT SIGNIFICANT RISK. THIS MUST EFFECT ALL THE OTHER GM MODELS THAT HAVE THE

WHEN SHUTTING THE DOOR THE DOOR DOESN'T CATCH SHUT, AND THE DOOR COMES OPEN WHILE DRIVING. HAS NOT SEEN DEALER. *AK

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IT CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES/FADING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN TWO COLLISIONS DUE TO THE BRAKES NOT ENGAGING AND GIVING SUFFICIENT BRAKING DISTANCE.

PREMATURE BRAKE WEAR, BRAKES MAKE GRINDING NOISE AND DON'T CATCH WELL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN EVERY YEAR AND HAD EVERYTHING REPLACED BUT IS STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. *AK

THE REAR BRAKES FREEZE UP AND THERE ARE NO REAR BRAKING ABILITY. REPAIRED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND THE PROBLEM IS REOCCURRING. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, EXPERIENCED STEEL WHEEL HUB FAILURE, WHEN 2 OUT OF 4 WHEELS HAVE FALLEN OFF DUE TO WHEEL MOUNTING SURFACE CRACKS DEVELOPED IN METAL, LOSS CONTROL WENT INTO DITCH WHEN WHEEL FOLDED UNDER CAR. *AK

ABS BRAKE FAILURE, CORROSION OF DISC CALIPERS ON THE REAR, CAUSING BRAKE LOCKUP AND EXCESSIVE WEAR OF THE FRONT BRAKES, REPLACEMENT OF DISC PADS AND ROTORS. *AK

THE REAR CALIPER IS WEARING OUT TO OFTEN. PLEASE DESCRIBE IN MORE DETAILS. *AK