2004 BUICK REGAL Complaints

ON AUG 13 I NOTICED THAT I WAS HAVING ISSUES STARTING MY 2004 BUICK REGAL. ON AUG 25 I HAD MY 2004 BUICK REGAL TOWED TO GATEWAY BUICK GMC AT 11438 LBJ FWY, DALLAS, TX DUE TO THE CAR IMMEDIATELY SHUTTING OFF AFTER STARTING IT AND SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE MECHANICS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS DUE TO WIRING IN THE ENGINE HARNESS THAT SHORTED OUT THE BATTERY AND ALSO DAMAGED THE CAMSHAFT AND THE CRANKSHAFT SENSORS. THE BATTERY, WIRES, AND SENSORS WERE ALL REPLACED. ON AUG 27 I WENT AND PICKED UP THE CAR AND LATER ON THAT DAY I TRIED TO START THE CAR AND RAN INTO THE SAME ISSUE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ON AUG 28 AND THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS DUE TO A DEAD BATTERY. THAT NIGHT AUG 27 WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR I NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS NEVER SHUTOFF THUS KILLING THE BATTERY (WIRING DONE BY THE MECHANIC). WE GOT THE BATTERY REPLACED AND ON SEP 4 WE WENT TO PICK UP THE CAR. ON OUR WAY HOME THE CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DOING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. LATER ON THAT NIGHT THE SAME ISSUE RETURNED. ON SEP 4 WE HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP.THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT WE HAD AN IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM AND THEY WANTED $303. UNFORTUNATELY, MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS OFFICIAL RECALL. I CALLED GM AND SPOKE WITH [XXX] (1-866-790-5700 EX. 41026, CASE #: 71-1361100546) WHO WASN'T HELPFUL. I KNOW THAT MY VIN WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, BUT I??M HAVING THE SAME ISSUES AS THE OTHER GM BRANDS AND MODELS. THE ONLY REMEDY HE OFFERED WAS THAT I PAY FOR THE REPAIR. I WOULD LIKE GM TO LOOK INTO MY VEHICLE BEING INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE REPAIR FOR MY IGNITION SWITCH TOTALING $303 SINCE I BELIEVE IT??S THE SAME ISSUE THAT ITS OTHER MODELS ARE HAVING. FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE 3 RENTAL CAR COSTS. I INCURRED A COST OF $42.05 FROM AVIS, $343.39 FROM BUDGET, AND $89.21 FROM ENTERPRISE TOTALING $474.65. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME AND THE ENGINE TURNED OFF AND I HAD NO POWER STEERING AND NO POWER BRAKES; I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO SLOW DOWN AND PULL CAR OFF THE STREET. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. *TR

IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. ALL ALARMS ON INSTRUMENT PANEL LIT UP AND THE ENGINE DIED WITH NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS FOUND TO BE FAULTY AND WAS REPLACED. ALTHOUGH I FOUND INFORMATION ON THE WEB PAGE INDICATING THAT GM HAD IDENTIFIED THE 2004 - 2005 BUICK REGAL LS AND GS AS HAVING IGNITION SWITCH DEFAULTS THE LOCAL DEALER ADVISED THAT A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ANNOUNCED AS OF NOW. *TR

MY 2004 BUICK REGAL LS, JUST RECENTLY STARTED TO SHUT OFF OR WON'T TURN ON, BUT AT THE SAME TIME ALL THE LIGHTS IN THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL WOULD BE FLASHING ON AND OFF REPEATEDLY NONSTOP. AS I WOULD TURN ON MY BUICK BY TURNING THE IGNITION SWITCH, IT WOULDN'T TURN ON BUT ALSO ALL THE LIGHTS WOULD BE FLICKERING ON AND OFF RAPIDLY. I WOULD HAVE TO KEEP TURNING THE IGNITION SWITCH ON AND OFF FOR ABOUT 10-20 TIMES UNTIL FINALLY MY BUICK WOULD TURN ON. NOW WHEN I WOULD BE DRIVING IT WOULD SHUT OF BY ME PUT MY TURN SIGNAL LEFT OR RIGHT OR IT WOULD SHUT OFF BY ITSELF. AGAIN AS IT WOULD SHUT OFF ALL THE LIGHTS IN THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL WOULD BE FLASHING ON AND OFF REPEATEDLY AND I WOULD LOOSE ACCELERATION AND POWER STEERING. SOMETIMES I WOULD BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET IT STARTED RIGHT AWAY, BUT IF I WAS UNLUCKY I WOULD HAVE TO PULL OVER AND TRY TO GET IT STARTED AGAIN. IT'S NOW HAPPENING SO MUCH THAT I FOUND OUT THAT I COULD SOMETIMES TURN ON MY EMERGENCY HAZARD AND IT WOULD MAKE THE LIGHTS STOP FLICKERING AND REGAIN POWER TO THE ACCELERATION AND POWER STEERING. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT MY YEAR MAKE AND MODEL ISN'T PART OF THE GM'S RECALL FOR THE IGNITION SHUT OFF PROBLEMS. WHAT WILL IT TAKE? MANY DEATHS FOR THEM TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? *TR

ENGINE STALLS AFTER FIRST STARTUP, THEN AFTER RESTART ALL WARNING LIGHTS BLINK FOR LONG PERIOD. VEHICLE STALLS WHEN STOPPING FOR A TRAFFIC SIGNAL OR SLOWING DOWN TO TURN. THEN, WHEN IGNITION SWITCH WAS TURNED TO OFF POSITION, COULD NOT REMOVE KEY, AND COULD NOT TURN ENGINE OFF. MECHANIC REPLACED IGNITION ELECTRICAL SWITCH, REPLACED IGNITION TUMBLER ASSEMBLY, MADE NEW KEYS. WE SPENT $1,171.01 FOR THESE REPAIRS. WROTE A LONG LETTER TO BUICK CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER ON JULY 1, 2014, AND EXPLAINED ALL THE DETAILS OF THIS IGNITION-RELATED PROBLEM. FOUND 21 SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AT SAFERCAR.GOV. GMC NEVER ISSUED A RECALL NOTICE ON THESE IGNITION-RELATED PROBLEMS, AND SAID OUR VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE CERTAIN DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURER PARTS INSTALLED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. WHO THE HELL INSTALLED THESE DEFECTIVE IGNITION-RELATED PARTS? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE ENGINE, STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DIED ON DECELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATIONS HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED FIVE MINUTES LATER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY AND IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,600. UPDATED 8/28/14*CN UPDATED 11/25/2014 *JS

WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN MY 2004 BUICK REGAL COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. WHEN I PUT IT IN PARK AND TRIED TO RESTART IT ALL OF THE LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING AND LUCKILY IT STARTED BACK UP AFTER A COUPLE MINUTES. I DROVE TO WORK AND THEN HOME AND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. THE NEXT MORNING I WENT TO THE STORE AND AT A STOP LIGHT IT SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AGAIN. THIS TIME IT BARELY STARTED AND I IMMEDIATELY DROVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. A THAT POINT MY CAR WOULDN'T EVEN START UP AGAIN AND I WAS WITHOUT MY CAR FOR OVER A WEEK. 460 DOLLARS LATER MY CAR IS FINALLY SAFE AGAIN. *TR

TODAY, MAY 31, 2014, I WAS DRIVING AND SMELT A HARSH SMOKE FROM MY CAR. UPON PULLING OVER, AND TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF, ONCE STARTED AGAIN THE CAR'S STEERING WHEEL WOULD NO LONGER TURN (IT LOCKED UP). ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR SHUT OFF AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. I GOT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REPLACED. BETWEEN THAT TIME AND NOW, LIGHTS DIM ON AND OFF, AT ONE POINT LIGHTS WERE FLASHING, THE GAS PEDAL BEGAN TO SCREECH SLIGHTLY AS OF YESTERDAY, AND I CAN'T LEAVE ITEMS PLUGGED INTO THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER OF THE CAR OVERNIGHT BECAUSE THE CAR WILL DIE. NO LONGER FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE THIS CAR. *TR

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT 40MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT CUT OFF AND ALL THE GAUGE LIGHTS CAME ON. I WAS NEARLY SIDE SWIPED BY ANOTHER CAR. I RESTARTED THE CAR BUT IT WOULD NOT START. I TRIED TO START IT UP AGAIN. IT STARTED BUT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THE GAUGE LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD WERE STILL ON. I RESTARTED THE CAR AGAIN AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT HOME; THE SIGNAL LIGHTS AND HEAD LIGHTS DID NOT WORK. WHEN I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO START IT UP AND TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC, I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH. I PAID A TOTAL OF $540 FOR THEM TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. GMC KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND DID NOT REPORT A RECALL TO CONSUMERS NOR OFFER TO FIX IT. ALL I'M ASKING IS FOR A REFUND OF THE MONEY I PAID; $540. *TR

THE VEHICLE BEGAN RANDOMLY DYING WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS UNDER 35MPH OR IDLING AT A STOPLIGHT. THIS HAPPENED ONCE PRIOR TO AUG. '13, BUT THE FREQUENCY INCREASED. THERE WAS NO INDICATION WHEN THIS WOULD OCCUR AND NO WARNING UNTIL THE LOSS OF STEERING AND ACCELERATION. AS THE FREQUENCY INCREASED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC, BUT WITH NO SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, THERE WERE NO REPAIR CODES TO ISOLATE THE ISSUE. THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX. THE PROBLEM WORSENED AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BEGAN FLASHING RANDOMLY. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE FLASHING WAS TO PUSH THE HAZARD SWITCH, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL DIED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH IN JAN. 2014. SINCE THEN THE VEHICLE HAS DIED TWICE WHILE DRIVING, AGAIN WITH NO WARNINGS. TODAY THIS HAPPENED AT A LOW SPEED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY ALMOST CAUSING THE VEHICLE BEHIND TO REAR-END ME. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SITUATION AS IT APPEARS THERE HAVE BEEN OTHERS WITH A SIMILAR ISSUE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE OWNERS OF THE VEHICLES AND OTHER DRIVING AROUND THEM. *TR