Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1999 Buick Regal, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine49
- Engine and engine cooling43
- Electrical system42
- Steering31
- Service brakes, hydraulic23
- Visibility20
- Power train10
- Seat belts10
- Equipment8
- Wheels7
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 7 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 8 1999 Regal vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 7 people died inside them, and 2 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1999 Buick Regal failed the safety check 2.35% of the time — 33% more often than the average 1999 passenger car (1.76%). Median odometer at inspection: 101,564 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 11.7–12.2 L/100 km (about 19–20 mpg US), CO₂ 269–281 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regal · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.8 | 9.0 | 11.7 |
| Regal # · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 14.8 | 9.1 | 12.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
6 Transport Canada recalls for the 1999 Buick Regal.
| 2015501 23 Oct 2015 | Engine On certain vehicles equipped with a 3.8L engine, degradation of the front rocker cover gasket may result in eventual oil seepage. Under hard braking, drops of … |
| 2009105 8 Apr 2009 | Engine On certain vehicles equipped with a 3.8L naturally aspirated engine, degradation of the front rocker cover gasket may result in eventual oil seepage. Under har… |
| 2008081 5 Mar 2008 | Engine On certain Grand Prix GTP and Regal GS vehicles equipped with a 3.8L supercharged engine, degradation of the front rocker cover gasket may result in eventual oi… |
| 2004287 11 Aug 2004 | Lights And Instruments Certain vehicles do not comply with the requirements of CMVSS 108. Some of these vehicles do not meet the overhead sign illumination requirements in the Standa… |
| 2000003 5 Jan 2000 | Lights And Instruments Certain vehicles do not comply with the requirements of CMVSS 108 - Lighting Equipment and Retroreflective Devices. The vertical vehicle headlamp aiming device… |
| 1999136 26 Jul 1999 | Electrical Certain vehicles with the key in the "ON" position, may exhibit a condition in which the ABS motor shorts to its case and grounds through a flexible brake pipe.… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 1,497,516 MY 1997-2003 BUICK REGAL, MY 1998-2003 CHEVROLET LUMINA, MONTE CARLO AND IMPALA, MY 1998-1999 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE, MY 1997-2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 3.8L V6 NATURALLY ASPIRATED ENGINE. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A CONDITION IN WHICH DROPS OF ENGINE OIL MAY BE DEPOSITED ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD THROUGH HARD BRAKING.
GM IS RECALLING 207,542 MY 1997-2003 BUICK REGAL AND PONTIAC GRAND PRIX VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 3.8L SUPERCHARGED V-6 ENGINE. THESE VEHICLES HAVE HIGHER FRONT ROCKER COVER GASKET TEMPERATURES, CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR EARLIER DEGRADATION OF THE FRONT ROCKER COVER GASKET AND EVENTUAL OIL SEEPAGE.
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES DO NOT CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." SOME OF THESE VEHICLES DO NOT MEET THE OVERHEAD SIGN ILLUMINATION REQUIREMENTS.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES DO NOT CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE VERTICAL HEAD LAMP ADJUSTING DEVICE MAY NOT BE CALIBRATED PROPERLY.
SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WITH THE KEY IN THE "ON" POSITION, EXHIBIT A CONDITION IN WHICH THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) MOTOR SHORTS TO ITS CASE AND GROUNDS THROUGH A FLEXIBLE BRAKE FLUID PIPE.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Buick told its dealers about the 1999 Buick Regal: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 636650 | SUBJECT REGARDING CARPET PULLING OUT FROM UNDER FROM THE REAR DOOR SILL PLATE, LEFT OR RIGHT SIDE. *TT |
| 636475 | INFORMATION ON REFINISHING ALUMINUM WHEELS. *TT |
| 636448 | VEHICLES WITH THE CJ2 AUTOMATIC AIR CONDITIONING AND WITHOUT THE U20 CLUSTER WHICH IS THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER AND THE CJ2 AUTOMATIC AIR CONDITIONER DISPLAYS THE CELSIUS AND NOT FAHRENHEIT. *TT |
| 635006 | INFORMATION ON SERVICING 4T65-E TRANSAXLE SPACER PLATE AND GASKETS FOR VARIOUS MODELS FROM 1997 THROUGH 2002. *TT |
| 634997 | INFORMATION ON SERVICING 4T65E TRANSAXLE SPACER PLATE AND GASKETS. *TT |
| 634985 | CONCERNS WITH SLIPS, HARSH UPSHIFT OR GARAGE SHIFTS, LAUNCH SHUDDERS, FLARES, ERRATIC SHIFTS AND INTERMITTENT CONCERNS, DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1811 OR P0748 SET. *TT |
| 634963 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THERE IS A HOLE IN THE SHIFTER BOOT IN VEHICLES WITH FLOOR SHIFTS. *TT |
| 634927 | THIS BULLETIN PROVIDES INFORMATION ON TILT STEERING COLUMN STICKING IN PSOTION AND UNABLE TO RELEASE. *TT |
| 634917 | CONCERNS WITH TILT SETTERING COLUMN STICKING IN POSITION AND UNABLE TO RELEASE. *TT |
| 634911 | THIS BULLETIN PROVIDES INFORMATION ON TWO DIFFERENT CONDITIONS WITH THE TILT STEERING COLUMN STICKING THE EXTREME UP POSITION AND / OR STICKING IN THE NO.4 POSITION. *TT |
| 634813 | SOME OWNERS MAY COMMENT ON A REPEAT ENGINE OIL PAN LEAK. *TT |
| 631274 | SUBJECT REGARDING VARIOUS DRIVEABILITY SYMPTOMS, MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ILLUMINATES INTERMITTENTLY, DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES SEAT, ENGINE WILL NOT START. *SLC |
| 631232 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ON THE TIME IT TAKES THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR GLASS TO DEFOG. *SLC |
| 629556 | SUBJECT REGARDING FALSE TIRE INFLATION MONITOR SYSTEM (TIM) MESSAGE/LAMO ILLUMINATION (INSTALL NEW ELECTRONIC BRAKE TRACTION CONTROL MODULE- EBTCM).*JG |
| 629522 | SUBJECT REGARDING HVAC TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE SIDE TO SIDE AND/OR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES B0361, B0441 SET. *TT |
| 629375 | SUBJECT REGARDING WHINE NOISE IN PARK OR NEUTRAL, SERVICE ENGINE SOON OR SERVICE VEHICLE SOON LAMP ILLUMINATION. *TT |
| 628928 | SOME OWNERS MAY COMMENT ON A TRANSMISSION OIL LEAK. *TT UPDATED *EH |
| 628877 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE CARPETING IS SEPARATING FROM, OR COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE REAR DOOR OPENING SILL PLATE MOLDING. *TT |
| 628862 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMPLAIN THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON (SES) INDICATOR IS ILLUMINATED WITH HARSH TRANSMISSION SHIFTS. *TT |
| 628826 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ON WIND NOISE OR A WHISTLE AROUND THE MIRRORS ON THE FRONT DOORS. *TT |
| 628085 | CONCERNS WHERE THE CARPET PULLS OUT FROM UNDER THE SILL PLATE ON THE LEFT OR RIGHT REAR FOOT WELL AREA. *TT |
| 627977 | INFORMATION ON DIAGNOSING WIND NOISE FROM THE OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR AREA. *TT |
| 627651 | INFORMATION REGARDING FALSE TIRE INFLATION MONITOR SYSTEM. *YH |
| 627538 | INFORMATION REGARDING ITCHING TYPE NOISE FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. *YH |
| 625325 | INFORMATION REGARDING A CLUNK OR POP NOISE IN THE LEFT FRONT FOOT WELL AREA. *YH |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation