IllustrationLIGHTED BUTTONS THAT CONTROL HVAC UNIT AND RADIO HAVE GONE OUT. I TOOK TO MY DEALER IN 1998 AFTER 1 YEAR OF WATCHING MORE LIGHTS GO OUT AND I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE UNIT IF I WANTED THE LIGHTS BACK. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN NIGHT DRIVING WHEN TRYING TO MAKE CHANGES
1993 Buick Regal
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Buick Regal do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 29.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Regal years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 3 of 85 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports3 fire reports6 injury reports
What owners actually said
85 reportsBRAKE PADS AND ROTORS REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES, HOWEVER NEAR ACCIDENTS DUE TO DEFECTIVE COMPONENTS. MJS
VEHICLE WOULD BE PARKED, BUT THE ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKS/POWER TRUNKS AND INTERIOR DOME LIGHT WILL COME ON AND OFF UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL SHORT AND MAY RESULT IN A POSSIBLE FIRE. HAVE NOT CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
I HAVE A TERRIBLE ENGINE KNOCK, AND WHEN TAKEN TO A MECHANICAL SHOP THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST ME OVER $4000 FOR A REBUILT GM ENGINE, BECAUSE IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. ANOTHER MECHANIC TOLD ME THE 3.8 IS USUALLY AN EXCELLENT ENGINE, AND HE'D NEVER HEARD OF ONEGOING BAD WITH ONLY THE AMOUNT OF MILES I HAVE ON MINE. I READ THAT TH…
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I HAVE A TERRIBLE ENGINE KNOCK, AND WHEN TAKEN TO A MECHANICAL SHOP THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST ME OVER $4000 FOR A REBUILT GM ENGINE, BECAUSE IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. ANOTHER MECHANIC TOLD ME THE 3.8 IS USUALLY AN EXCELLENT ENGINE, AND HE'D NEVER HEARD OF ONEGOING BAD WITH ONLY THE AMOUNT OF MILES I HAVE ON MINE. I READ THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM IN THE '93 REGAL...CAN I GET IT FIXED UNDER A RECALL OR SOMETHING? I LOVE MY CAR AND I AM A NURSE WHO TAKES CARE OF A TOTALLY DISABLED LADY IN HER HOME...I NEED MY CAR BACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT I CAN'T AFFORD $4000. PLEASE ADVISE ME WHAT TO DO...I STILL OWE $11,000. ON THIS CAR...HELP ME PLEASE! OTHER THAN THE ENGINE KNOCK IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL CAR. I TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT. I JUST HAD THE BODY RETOUCHED SO IT LOOKS LIKE NEW.
PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED IN JULY 1997. SOMETIMES THE CAR'S ENGINE STOPS RUNNING FOR NO APPARENT REASON, LEAVING ME IN MOTION WITH NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL RE-START IMMEDIATELY, ONE TIME IT TOOK AS LONG AS SEVERAL HOURS. ALSO, OCCASIONALLY WHEN PARKED, THE CAR WILL CRANK, BUT NOT START AT ALL. SOME…
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PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED IN JULY 1997. SOMETIMES THE CAR'S ENGINE STOPS RUNNING FOR NO APPARENT REASON, LEAVING ME IN MOTION WITH NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL RE-START IMMEDIATELY, ONE TIME IT TOOK AS LONG AS SEVERAL HOURS. ALSO, OCCASIONALLY WHEN PARKED, THE CAR WILL CRANK, BUT NOT START AT ALL. SOMETIMES THE CAR STARTS AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, SOMETIMES IT HAS TAKEN FOR AS LONG AS HALF AN HOUR. SEVERAL MECHANICS, INCLUDING MY LOCAL DEALER, HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THIS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. BUICK CUSTOMER RELATIONS WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY USEFUL ADVICE OR ASSISTANCE. THIS CAR IS VERY DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OFF THE ROAD BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT.
REAR BRAKE ROTORS AND CALIPERS WERE REPLACED AND THERE WAS ONLY 40,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON SMOOTH DRY PAVEMENT AND APPLYING BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN, A NOISE WAS HEARD AND ABS FAILED STOP VEHICLE FROM 25 MPH. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK
STOP LIGHT LENS (RED) ABOVE REAR SEAT IN BACK WINDOW MELTED AND THE FABRIC AROUND IT MELTED.
WHEN TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 35MPH ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ON SCENE. DEALER STATED THAT THE FIRE WAS DUE TO DEFECT IN THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. *AK
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES CONTINUE TO FAIL, REPAIRS MADE HOWEVER PROBLEM STILL CONTNUES.
Official recalls
295V152000 · Exterior Lighting
Aug 8, 1995
INCORRECT CLEAR FRONT SIDE MARKER BULBS WERE INSTALLED RATHER THAN AMBER BULBS. THIS DOES NOT CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE: DURING ILLUMINATION, THE BULBS WILL SHOW CLEAR RATHER THAN AMBER AND COULD MOMENTARILY CONFUSE OTHER DRIVERS.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CLEAR BULBS WITH THE CORRECT AMBER BULBS.
93V035000 · Seats
Mar 9, 1993
THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT SEAT MANUAL RECLINING MECHANISMS DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 207, "SEATING SYSTEMS." THE SEAT BACK MECHANISMS WILL NOT LATCH UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE SEATS MAY RECLINE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, RESULTINGIN A HAZARD TO SEAT OCCUPANTS AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.
Remedy: REPLACE THE MANUAL SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM WITH A MECHANISM THAT COMPLIES WITH FMVSS 207.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2PE94063 · Corroded Rear Disk Brakes
Opened Aug 12, 1994 · Closed Dec 21, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available
EA93018 · Fuel Leaks
Opened Jul 13, 1993 · Closed Jun 24, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available