1996 BUICK REGAL Complaints

ON JULY 17, 2019 AT 8:40AM, I GOT INTO MY CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY. I TURNED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND THE AIRBAG EXPLODED. (THE CAR WAS NOT STARTED.) THE AIRBAG SOUNDED LIKE A SHOTGUN BEING FIRED AND A POWDER LIKE SUBSTANCE IMMEDIATELY FILLED THE CAR. THE AIRBAG ITSELF HIT ME IN THE ABDOMINAL AREA. I FOUND THE DOOR HANDLE, OPENED THE DOOR, AND ROLLED OUT OF THE CAR ONTO THE GROUND. AT THIS TIME, I YELLED FOR MY SON. MY SON PICKED ME UP OFF THE GROUND AND CALLED AN AMBULANCE DUE TO ME BEING IN A SEVERE AMOUNT OF PAIN AND IN SHOCK. I WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AMBULANCE AND OBSERVED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. I HAD SEVERAL FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS THAT CONTINUE TO THIS DAY. INSURANCE CAME TO LOOK AT CAR, FILLED OUT PAPERWORK, AND SAID THEY WERE GOING TO TOTAL THE VEHICLE. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN MOVED SINCE THIS INCIDENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE AND ABS WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT FACILITY FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND FAILURE CODES: C1265 (REAR ABS MOTOR CIRCUIT SHORTED TO GROUND) AND C1286 (EBCM/EBTCM FAILED TO ILLUMINATE THE RED BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR) WERE LOCATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (DON BROWN CHEVROLET, 2244 S KINGS HIGHWAY BLVD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63110, (314) 282-7887) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CODES INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A REAR MOTOR SHORT TO THE GROUND AND THE ELECTRIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE ACTIVATED THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATORS. FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WOULD BE PERFORMED BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

DRIVERS SIDE DOOR DOES NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THE DOOR DOES NOT WORK WITH KEY EITHER. LOCK SEEMS TO WORKING BUT DOOR DOES NOT OPEN. THE CAR ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND SHOULD BE A RECALL.

WHILE MERGING ONTO THE FREEWAY, I WAS TAKING MY CAR TO BE SMOGGED. AT SPEED, I NOTICED A LITTLE WHITE PUFF OF SMOKE EMIT FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE BAY. AS I PROCEEDED TO START MOVING TO THE SHOULDER, THIS PUFF HAD TURNED INTO A GRAY PLUME. AS I FINALLY REACHED THE SHOULDER, THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE ENGINE BAY WAS BILLOWING BLACK SMOKE. AS I TRIED TO STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, SO IT SEEMED THE FIRE HAD BURNT THROUGH A BRAKE LINE. I MANAGED TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE SLOWLY AND MANAGED TO STOP ON THE SHOULDER. OPENING THE HOOD, I FOUND A SMALL FIRE BURNING AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE, BUT IN FRONT OF THE FIREWALL. I HAD NOTHING WITH ME, SO I CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND IT WAS EXTINGUISHED. HOWEVER, BY THE TIME THEY GOT THERE, THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS TOTALED BEYOND EXTENSIVE REPAIR.

MY CAR STARTED TO NOT START AFTER BEING DRIVEN AND SHORTLY AFTER DID NOT WANT TO START IN A SIMPLE IDLE. SOMEHOW FUEL HAS BEEN GETTING TRAPPED IN A PRESSURIZED LINE AND I'M HAVING TO RELEASE THE FUEL OUT. OIL LEAKED INTO THE SPARK PLUGS CAUSED A PILOT FLAME. I HAVE READ MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS OF THIS HAPPENING TO THAT SPECIFIC MAKE AND YEAR AS WELL A FEW OF THE OTHER 90 MODELS. EVERY ACCOUNT SAYS IT IS A FLAW IN THE ENGINE AND FUEL SYSTEM. *TR

1996 BUICK REGAL. CONSUMER STATED THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT CRIMPED PROPERLY. THE BALL BEARING WENT THROUGH THE GEAR BOX WHICH CAUSED THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED. THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THERE WAS A RECALL, ON THE STEERING. HOWEVER, HE WAS INFORMED HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ERRONEOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,035.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, WEN THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY WITHOUT IMPACT TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED ABRASIONS TO THE LEFT FOREARM. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN WITH CAUTION TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 182,000. UPDATED 10/20/10 *BF UPDATED 10/26/10*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BUICK REGAL LE. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL LOUD EXPLOSION IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. SHE OPENED THE HOOD TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE AND WAS EXHUMED WITH THICK SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TOP MANIFOLD MELTED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE MANIFOLD, INJECTORS, SENSOR WIRES, PCV VALVES, AND HOSES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

ON ENGINE START, LOUD EXPLOSION IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. INSPECTION REVELED ENGINE COVER BROKEN, UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD (PLENUM) SPLIT IN TWO PIECES. SMELL OF GAS, BROKEN VACUUM AND FUEL LINES. MUST REPLACE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD, FUEL RAIL, 2 INJECTORS, VARIOUS LINES. OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. *TR