2000 BUICK REGAL Complaints

9/12/09 DIES AND WILL NOT RESTART. 9/14/09 PARTS THAT NEEDED REPLACED ARE STARTER AND BATTERY. PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. CAR WILL ONLY TURN OVER (RUN) WHEN THE HEAD LIGHTS ARE ON (NOT IN THE AUTO MODE) AND IF TURNED OFF THE CAR DIES AND EVERY LIGHT ON DASH IS ELIMINATED AND FLASHING. THEN WHEN BLINKERS ARE USED WHILE DRIVING THE MOTOR DIES. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME THE CAR IS DRIVEN (AFTER 9/14/09). ON BLOGS OTHER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AND REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH. *TR

2000 BUICK REGAL W/AUTOMATIC...AFTER ABOUT 3 YRS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM "KEY CAPTURE"...PARK, TURN OFF IGNITION AND SOMETIMES CANNOT REMOVE KEY AND CANNOT MOVE WHEEL TO LOCATE ANTI-THEFT STEERING WHEEL LOCK DETENT...REPEATED RESTART / MOVING OF AUTO / IGNITION OFF ...FINALLY RELEASES KEY !!...LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER CAUSES STEERING WHEEL LOCK !!!...IF BATTERY IS DISCHARGED, ATTEMPT AT START CAUSES KEY TO BE "CAPTURED,"...CANNOT BE REMOVED WITHOUT "BOOST."...THE LATTER INDICATES ESSENTIALLY FAULTY DESIGN...APPARENTLY NOBODY CHECKED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH DEAD BATTERY, LOSS OF AUTO ELECTRICAL POWER, OR LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER AT STEERING WHEEL ANTI-THEFT LOCKING SYSTEM..."THEFT SETUP"...CAN SET DOOR LOCKS AND EXIT VEHICLE, BUT "CAPTURED KEY" CAN BE USED TO START ENGINE AND VEHICLE CAN BE DRIVEN AWAY !!!..APPARENTLY THIS IS NO LONGER A SIMPLE MECHANICAL DETENT, BUT A SOLENOID SYSTEM...SO-CALLED "FAIL SAFE" IS IN "WRONG DIRECTION" !!!...OUGHT TO FAIL INTO NON-LOCKING...THIS SYSTEM IS IRRITATING AT MINIMUM, BUT CAN EASILY BE A TERRIBLE SAFETY HAZARD WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION...DEALER MAINTAINED "NEVER HEARD OF PROBLEM."..PAST JUNE ARRIVED IN FARGO, ND FOR OVERNIGHT...TOOK DOZEN RESTARTS / MOVES / STOPS BEFORE KEY "RELEASED" !!!...LOCAL DEALER FAMILIAR WITH PROBLEM...CONNECTOR CORROSION AT SHIFT CONSOLE...UNITIZED ASSEMBLY, ENTIRE CONSOLE SUB-ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT AT $780 !!!...TECH "LOADED" CONNECTOR WITH SILICONE "IGNITION GREASE" TO FORESTALL RECURRENCE...DON'T KNOW EXTENT (YEARS AND VEHICLES) GM IS USING THIS SYSTEM...(ASIDE OPINION)...DEALER DENIAL OF PROBLEM AND NO ISSUANCE OF DEFECT WARNING OPENS UP A POTENTIALLY HELLISH LEGAL LIABILITY CAMPAIGN... *TR

MY SON WAS DRIVING WHEN HE NOTICED SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. HE PULLED OVER AND FLAMES ENGULFED THE FRONT OF THE CAR . IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS. AL HIS BELONGINGS WERE INSIDE AS HE WAS MOVING TO COLLEGE. I RECEIVED A RECALL FOR THIS MATTER IN THE MAIL. VIN # AND REASON MATCHES MY CAR. I HAD LIABILITY INSURANCE ONLY SO I LOST EVERYTHING. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE PARKING LOT DAMAGE ALSO. MY SON WAS NOT INJURED THANKS TO HIS QUICK THINKING AND GOD. I PAID $3000.00 FOR THE CAR. WE STILL TRUST G.M. BUT WOULD LIKE THEM TO ADDRESS THIS MATTER WITH ME. THANK YOU, *TR

CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIR WORK PERFORMED ON HER 2000 BUICK REGAL - SAFETY RECALL 09047. *NJ THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL LETTER IN THE MAIL. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR THE RECALL ON MAY 18, 2009. ON MAY 27, 2009 THE VEHICLE STALLED AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE STARTED UP AGAIN AFTER A 5 MINUTE REST. THE NEXT DAY, THE VEHICLE STALLED 4 SEPARATE TIMES WHILE DRIVING, THE LAST STALL TOOK A WAIT OF 20 MINUTES. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK SINCE THE VEHICLE STARTED STALLING AFTER THE SAFETY RECALL WAS PERFORMED. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD A NEW IGNITION SWITCH WAS NEEDED, BUT DECLINED THE REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER WENT TO HER PERSONAL MECHANIC TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. THE MECHANIC STATED THE ENGINE WIRING AND IGNITION WERE ALL OK. THE MECHANIC DID FIND 2 PLUG WIRE SEPARATORS ON THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE AND SPARK PLUG WIRES WERE ROUTED WRONG, HE ALSO FOUND THE BATTERY WAS INSTALLED ON ELECTRICAL WIRES LEADING TO THE FUSE PANEL. THE MECHANIC EXPLAINED TO THE CONSUMER THAT THE SPARK PLUG CAPS WERE REPLACED AND RE-ROUTED INCORRECTLY, AND THE SPARK PLUG SEPARATOR WIRES WERE ALL MIXED UP, WHICH CAUSED THE SPARK PLUGS TO MISFIRE RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE STALLING. THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE MECHANIC SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE CAREFUL AND DID THE REPLACEMENT CORRECTLY WHEN PERFORMING THE RECALL. *JB

2000 BUICK REGAL WAS A TOTAL LOSS DUE TO AN ENGINE FIRE. *NJ THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE HAD AN OIL LEAK, BUT WHEN HE CONTACTED ANOTHER REPAIR FACILITY, HE WAS TOLD A THOROUGH INSPECTION HAD BEEN DONE AND THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, THE CONSUMER NEEDED A SMOG CERTIFICATE TO REGISTER HIS VEHICLE, HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND LEFT IT. A FEW DAYS LATER HE RECEIVED A CALL TELLING HIM TO COME TO THE SHOP. WHEN THE CONSUMER ARRIVED THERE WERE BURN MARKS ON THE HOOD OF HIS VEHICLE. THE SHOP INFORMED HIM WHEN THEY PERFORMED THE SMOG TEST A FIRE BROKE OUT UNDER THE HOOD AND THEY STATED THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE 1 YEAR AFTER THE FIRE. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BUICK REGAL. IN APRIL OF 2009, THE CONTACT NOTICED OIL LEAKS IN HER VEHICLE AND SMELLED A BURNING ODOR. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE VALVE COVER GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN MAY OF 2009, SHE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V116000. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE SPARK PLUG REMEDY WOULD BE INSUFFICIENT BECAUSE THE OIL COULD STILL LEAK ONTO ANOTHER COMPONENT AND CAUSE A FIRE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR THE RECALL REPAIR; HOWEVER, AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,023 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 107,000.

2000 BUICK REGAL STALLS WHILE DRIVING MY 2000 BUICK REGAL HAS DIED MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE LAST WEEK AS I WAS DRIVING. THE ENGINE QUITS IN AS LITTLE AS FIVE MINUTES, BUT MIGHT TAKE LONGER, AND ALWAYS HAPPENS AS I AM DECELERATING (FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR, APPLYING BRAKE). CRANKING CAUSES THE ENGINE TO FIRE, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP RUNNING. IT MIGHT TAKE UP TO TWENTY TRIES TO GET IT RUNNING AGAIN. EN ROUTE TO MY MECHANIC, DRIVING SLOWLY AND GENTLY, THE CAR WOULD NOT STALL. THE MECHANIC ROAD TESTED THE CAR, AND MADE IT STALL. INITIALLY, ERROR CODES P0300, P0463, P1096, P0103 AND P0128 WERE READ. THE OLDER BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND THE POSITIVE CABLE SERVICED. THE ECM WAS REPROGRAMMED (COST: $100!), AND THE REGAL RAN WELL FOR A DAY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, IT BEGAN DYING AS BEFORE, AND WAS RETURNED TO THE SHOP. SINCE THEN, IT HAS BEEN IN HIS SHOP FOR FOUR DAYS, ENGINE IDLING WITH TEST EQUIPMENT ATTACHED. WHEN IT DIES, IT STARTS UP IMMEDIATELY, AND NO ERROR CODES ARE PRESENT. HE IS AT A LOSS. *TR

MY CAR IS OVERHEATING AND LEAKING EXCESSIVE DEXCOOL FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS AND COOLANT ELBOW. WESTLUND BUICK GMC, BUICK, PONTIAC IN SEATTLE, WA HAS DIAGNOSED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS AND THE COOLANT ELBOW HAVE GONE BAD. A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT BUICK CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS A VIN SPECIFIC RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. BUICK CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS VERIFIED MY VIN IS NOT PART OF THAT RECALL BUT I FEEL THAT MY VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED SINCE IT IS THE SAME MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR OF OTHER VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *TR

EXPERIENCE AN INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS,USUALLY AT LOW SPEEDS. WHEN TRYING TO TURN LEFT OUT OF A PARKING SPACE EXPERIENCE HIGHER RESISTANCE OR IN A FEW CASES ASSISTS TOWARDS THE RIGHT. IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING, A CRASH COULD RESULT. *TR

SAME AS ODI CASE NUMBERS 10170430 AND 10164275. ENGINE DIES WHEN DIRECTIONAL ARE TURNED ON. I CAN SOMETIMES RESTART THE CAR A SECOND TIME, BUT IT SPUTTERS INTERMITTENTLY UNTIL ENGINE CLEARS. USUALLY A THIRD ATTEMPT TO START FAILS. WOULD LIKE INPUT FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS FOUND THE SOLUTION. I HAVE CHANGED OUT THE DIRECTIONAL ASSEMBLY. IT DIDN'T HELP. CAR HAS 173,000 MILES ON. CAR KEY HAVE SECURITY CHIP. *TR