2001 BUICK REGAL Complaints

On [XXX], my son drove the car to Wendy’s to get lunch around 12:30 pm. He returned, parked the car in the driveway. My son entered the house and while we were eating lunch the doorbell rang, it was the police informing us that my car was on fire in the driveway. The fire department was called and they eventually extinguished the fire which started under the hood of the car. The jaws of life were used to cut the hood of the car loose to fully extinguish the fire. The car is destroyed. There is no fixing it. Marion, Virginia Fire Department extinguished the fire and stated that a report could be obtained but they were positive the fire started in the engine. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The 2001 buick regal that we have has very inadequate head lights as far as im concerned it is a wiring problem dims are so dim that it's like you have no head lights at all bright are just bright enough to almost see 50 to 100 feet in front of vehicle also this buick is not the only gm vehicle I have experienced this on the 98 buick century's have same head light problem some what worse though also our 2002 chevy venture van has same extremely dim dims on all three vehicles brights are substituted for dims I have tried to rimity the problem by cleaning oxidation from lenses also replacing head lamp bulbs on one vehicle lenses had condensation inside lenses replaced both lenses but the results were same extremely dim dims and still had to substitute brights for dims to see also thought batterie might be getting weak both van and buick have new batteries and alternator on Both are charging strong and to specification so after all that still have head lamp problem no worse no better

I have a buick.regal go 3.8 was just notified about recall for under hood fire I have not had this happen yet but I have been a mechanic for.8 years and from what I've seen with my 3.8 and others I have worked on it's not just only the front valve cover and gasket I have noticed that on mine I had oil pooling from lower intake manifold onto transmission also same thing on right hand side of engine the intake leaks oil were the factory uses the silicone form a gasket when sealant goes bad the oil pools on top of transmission and on right the oil pools on top of the timing cover /water pump housing so I think just replacing the front valve cover is not an adequate fix when you have two ends of lower intake leaking oil and also rear valve cover leaking the rear may not be as big of fire hazard but those intake leaks were they pool could very well poor that pooled oil onto front exuast manifold and or crossover pipe when a had break is applied to vehicle

HAD A FRONT TIRE BLOW OUT CAR WENT ACROSS THE ROAD DOWN INTO SMALL DITCH AND STOPPED TO HIT A MAILBOX RESULTING IN THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYING THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG CAME OUT SO HARD THAT IT BROKE THE WINDSHIELD DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG CAME OUT AND RESULTED IN IT BREAKING MY SPINE I'VE HAD TO HAVE ONE SURGERY SINCE THEN AND MAYBE MORE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 BUICK REGAL. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING FLAMES APPEARED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE CAUSE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED WITH THE ENGINE ON FLAMES WERE SUDDENLY PRESENT COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. A FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS WERE TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN LOOK UP INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN: 15V701000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE LISTED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

LOSING OIL NOT VISIBLE, APPEARS TO BE VALVE COVER GASKET, OIL PAN, HOSE. ADDING A QUART A MONTH.

RECALL FIXED THE FRONT VALVE COVER AND THE REAR ONE SHOULD OF BEEN DONE ALSO DUE TO THE LEAKING OF OIL THAT COULD POTENTIALLY START A FIRE FROM LEAKING ON THE BLOCK AND POSSIBLY BURN ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD.

I WAS DRIVING DOING ALMOST 50 WHEN IT SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED I JUST LET THE CAR COAST TO A STOP, THE SECOND TIME WAS EXACTLY THE SAME EXCEPT I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL WHILE I STILL HAD A GOOD BIT OF SPEED AND CRUNK IT BACK UP. THE CAR ALWAYS CRANK RIGHT BACK UP WITH NO PROBLEM AND DRIVES FINE. I'VE CHANGE MY FUSES AND CERTAIN LIGHTS (LOW TIRE, LOW COOLANT, CHECK ENGINE)ON THE DASHBOARD WON'T GO OFF AND I JUST RECENTLY HAD MY CAR INSPECTED IN WHICH IT PASSED

I BOUGHT THIS CAR A YEAR AGO. TODAY I TRIED TO CRANK THE CAR WHILE SITTING IN MY YARD A BIG BOOM HAPPENED AND THE CAR ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE PLASTIC COVERING MELTED OFF THE ENGINE AS WELL AS SOME OF THE BACK PART OF THE ENGINE IT WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE RECALLS ASSOCIATED MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBERN150757 NHTSA RECALL NUMBER15V701

ON 1997-2004 "W PLATFORM" GM AUTOS, INCLUDING MY REGAL, THE ABS SENSOR DESIGN IS FLAWED IN THAT IT'S WIRING IS LOCATED IN AN EXPOSED LOCATION AT THE INSIDE BOTTOM OF THE WHEEL HUB THAT ANY ROAD DITRITUS CAN IMPACT, CAUSING THE TRACK SYSTEM OFF DASH LIGHT TO COME ON AND ABS BRAKING TO FAIL. I AM NOW ON MY 6TH REPLACEMENT INCIDENT SINCE 2006, WHEN IT HAPPENED THE 1ST TIME. (2 EACH ON THE FRONT WHEEL HUBS AND 1 ON A REAR. DO NOT KNOW AT THIS TIME WHICH WHEEL IS INVOLVED THIS TIME,) EVERY TIME THE LITTLE SENSOR WIRE BREAKS OR GETS CUT & YOU CAN'T JUST FIX THE WIRE, IT REQUIRES A TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF THE WHEEL HUB AND COSTS NEARLY $500 A POP. THE WIRE IS RIDICULOUSLY EASY TO DAMAGE JUST BY DRIVING THROUGH PLOW DRIFT IN THE DRIVEWAY OR HITTING SMALL TREE BRANCH DETRITUS ON THE ROAD THAT BOUNCES OFF THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND SNAGS THE WIRE. MOST COMMONLY IT BREAKS INSIDE THE INSULATION AND INTERMITENTLY SHORTS OUT WHEN IT GETS WET, (& DISAPPEARS WHEN IT DRIES OUT AGAIN) CAUSING THE ABS SYSTEM TO STUTTER WHEN BRAKING, & MAKING IT EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE TO DIAGNOSE BEFORE FIXING (AN EXTRA $129). SINCE IT'S A COMMON (& FREQUENT) DANGEROUS SAFETY DEFECT ON ALL "W PLATFORM" GM VEHICLES FROM '97-'04, I FIND IT CURIOUS THAT THE NTSB HASN'T ORDERED GM TO FIND A FIX FOR THIS LONG AGO.