1997 Buick Regal problems
NHTSA has received 174 complaints about the 1997 Buick Regal, and 23% of them involve steering. Next are engine (21%) and electrical system (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 174 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Steering 23% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 3 and 19
- Injuries and deaths
- 2 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 107,000 miles 72 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 1 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 10 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 4 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 4 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 11 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 11 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 9 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 18 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 3 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 72 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 106,000 miles. For steering specifically, the median reported mileage is about 89,000 miles (22 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 3 complaints mention a crash; 19 complaints mention a fire; 2 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1997 ranks 11th most-complained-about out of 24 model years of the Buick Regal with enough data (60 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 7 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Consumer was driving 30MPH going uphill when airbag deployed without warning. Consumer couldnot see what caused a crash, and consumer hit guardrail on right front side of vehicle. One injury. Vehicle at dealer, and dealer had no way to tell why airbag deployed without warning.
Tl* the contact owned a 1997 buick regal. While driving at low speeds in a parking lot, the driver side of the contact's vehicle was struck by another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained major injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was unknown.
Turned air conditioner on, heard a rattling noise. Smoke started to come out of the front - passenger side. Stopped the car, opened hood and air conditioner compressor was on fire.
Windshield wiper control arm failed. A recall was issued. However, this vehicle was not included in the recall due to VIN.
Out of the blue by using the turn signal our 1997 buick regal's engine would stall. In the middle of traffic, we had no brakes or power steering. All dashboard lights would flash. Our car was towed to the GM dealership and the ignition switch was replaced. Now everything is working fine.