1991 Buick Regal

ON APRIL 1, 1997, GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION FILED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT TO RECALL THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, REGISTERED IN 14 HIGH CORROSION STATES, TO REPLACE THE REAR ENGINE CRADLE BOLTS AND RETAINERS.THE REAR ENGINE CRADLE BOLTS WOULD EITHER FRACTURER OR PULL THROUGH THE RETIANERS DUE TO CORROSION.AS OF SEPTEMBER 1998, THE SIXTH QUARTER, 59.3% OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES HAD BEEN REPAIRED.IN ADDITION TO THE COMPLAINTS OF FRONT ENGINE CRADLE BOLT FAILURES IN THE ABOVE FAILURE REPORT SUMMARY, ODI HAS RECEIVED SIX REPORTS OF POSSIBLE FRONT ENGINE CRADLE BOLT FAILURES, INCLUDING TWO CRASHES.AN RQ IS WARRANTED TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF FAILURES OF THE FRONT ENGINE CRADLE BOLTS AND RETAINERS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.

There is no summary currently available

There is no summary currently available

THE ENGINE CRADLE FRONT BOLTS AND/OR RETAINERS MAY FAIL, ALLOWING THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE CRADLE TO FALL, POSSIBLY SEPARATING THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT FROM THE STEERING GEAR, WITH COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL

FEDERAL AUTHORITIES ARE INVESTIGATING WHETHER GENERAL MOTORS HID AN IGNITION SWITCH DEFECT WHEN IT FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY IN 2009,THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S INVESTIGATION OF THE AUTOMAKER INCLUDES A PROBE OF WHETHER GM COMMITTED BANKRUPTCY FRAUD BY NOT DISCLOSING THE IGNITION PROBLEM, A PERSON BRIEFED ON THE INQUIRY, AUTHORITIES ARE ALSO INVESTIGATING WHETHER GM UNDERSTATED THE DEFECT TO FEDERAL SAFETY REGULATORS,UNDER THE TREAD ACT OR THE FED RECALL ACT,THE MANUFACTURER IS TO REPLACE THE FAULTY CAR,WHEN WILL MY CAR BE REPLACED WHAT ABOUT THE FRAME CRADLE BOLT RECALL, I HAD A ROLL OVER ACCIDENT IN A BUICK AND GM DID NOTHING , NEVER REPLACED ,REPAIRED , OR REIMBURSED ME . MY AIR BAG NEVER DEPLOYED , MY SEAT BELT WAS ALSO DEFECTED , YET DURING THIS RECALL GM GAVE CONGRESS OVER $300 MILLION IN ELECTION FUNDS TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY? $35 MILLION FINE IS A JOKE IF SOMEONE GAVE YOU $50 BILLION,THE $35 MILLION SHOULD BE 10 X THAT AMOUNT OR AT LEAST PAY FOR MY CAR , PAY FOR MY MEDICAL BILLS ($100,000 AND CLIMBING) LOOK AT FORD , THEY ARE RECALLING CARS TODAY FOR STEERING ISSUES YET GM COMES UP WITH A KEY FRAUD TO HIDE THE FRAME CRADLE BOLT ISSUE SEE PICTURES,MY AIRBAG NEVER WENT OFF AND MY SEAT BELT WAS ALSO FAULTY GM CUSTOMER CARE [XXX], I AM SORRY TO HEAR THAT YOU EXPERIENCED THIS WITH YOUR BUICK. I AM HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU ARE OKAY! I BELIEVE I HAVE LOCATED YOUR PREVIOUS CASE WITHIN OUR SYSTEM. IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN LOOK INTO FOR YOU, PLEASE PRIVATE MESSAGE ME YOUR VIN OR CASE NUMBER TO OUR GM CUSTOMER CARE PAGE. [XXX] GM CUSTOMER CARE IF GM IS LOOKING INTO 10+ YEAR OLD RECALLS IT CAN LOOK INTO MINE,ITS NOT ABOUT KEY RECALL ,THIS IS ABOUT ANY GM RECALL,MY CASE IS ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/[XXX]/POSTS/10202966721162013 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10592944

Incident

Sep 1, 1997

Mileage

75,000 mi

ABRUPT, TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL: AS THE VEHICLE ROLLED TO A STOP AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, AND LOUD "BANG" WAS HEARD AND FELT COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. CAUTIOUSLY MOVING OFF FROM THE STOP, THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL; THE STEERING WHEEL JUST SPUN FREELY, WHILE THE VEHICLE TRACKED ALMOST STRAIGHT AHEAD. SINCE THERE WAS STILL POWER AND BRAKING, THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO ROLL TO A STOP ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. (IF THE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL HAD OCCURRED THREE MINUTES LATER, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AT 65 MPH ... WITH POSSIBLY FATAL CONSEQUENCES.) IN THIS VEHICLE THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, FRONT SUSPENSION, AND STEERING RACK ARE MOUNTED ON A SUBFRAME. THE SUBFRAME, IN TURN, IS ATTACHED TO THE PRIMARY STRUCTURAL FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WITH FOUR BOLTS M12X1.25 BOLTS; THE ATTACHMENTS INCLUDE RUBBER BUSHINGS TO PROVIDE SOME SHOCK ISOLATION BETWEEN THE SUBFRAME AND THE REST OF THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A STEEL SLEEVE WHICH INSERTS INTO THE INNER BORE OF THE ISOLATION BUSHINGS, AND THROUGH WHICH THE MOUNTING BOLT IS INSERTED. (SEE ILLUSTRATION FROM GENERAL MOTORS "1991 BUICK REGAL SERVICE MANUAL," P. 10.3.3, FIGURE 1.) THERE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN NO CORROSION PROTECTION PROVIDED OR APPLIED TO THESE SUBFRAME ATTACH COMPONENTS DURING VEHICLE ASSEMBLY. UPON INSPECTION, THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS DETERMINED TO BE FAILURE OF BOTH REAR SUBFRAME ATTACHMENT BOLTS AND/OR ISOLATION BUSHINGS DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION IN SERVICE. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE BOLT FAILURES, THE FRONT SUSPENSION SPRINGS FORCED THE REAR OF THE SUBFRAME DOWNWARD, RESULTING IN THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT DISCONNECTING ENTIRELY FROM THE STEERING RACK ASSEMBLY.

NHTSA ID

10393193

Incident

Mar 17, 2011

Mileage

157,309 mi

WAS TRAVELING ON A CURVE WHEN IN SPLIT SECOND LOSS STEERING AND ENDED OFF ROADWAY UPSIDE DOWN ,IT WAS AFTER ABOUT A YEAR I STARTED GETTING RECALL NOTICES THAT SAID THIS SAME THING WOULD HAPPEN ,THESE RECALLS STARTED IN 2000,AND 2001 ,AND THAT'S WHEN I STARTED TO THINK THAT INFACT THE BOLTS FAILING CAUSED MY ACCIDENT OR CONTRIBUTED TO IT . I MADE CALLS TO BUICK AND WAS EVEN SENT A RECALL LIST POST DATED 12-20-2000, TODAY LOOKING ONLINE SEEMS ALOT OF TROUBLE WITH BOLTS WERE OCCURRING 96 + 97 BUT I WAS NEVER NOTICED UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE ,I CALLED BUICK LAST YEAR AND THEY NOW SAY THEY HAVE NO INFO ON MY PRIOR YEARS CALLS TO THEM ,AND TO DATE I HAVE NOT BEEN REIMBURSED FOR MY LOSSES ,NO OFFER TO REPAIR ,REFUND ECT . MY ONLY THOUGHT THAT THESE NEED TO BE BETTER NOTICED TO CONSUMERS FOR SAFETY REASONS, AS WITH TOYOTA RECALL I'M NOT SURE THE PUBLIC IS OR HAS BEEN MADE AWARE THAT THEY SHOULD REPORT ANY THING ABOUT A CAR TO THE NHTSA WEB SITE AND LET IT WORK OUT ITSELF THRU THE DATABASE, I DID NOT HAVE A COMPUTER BACK THEN TO ACCESS THE 10 FOLD INFO ON SUCH RECALLS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC ,MY MAIN CONCERN TODAY IS WHAT IS BUICK GOING TO DO FOR MY LOSSES? THANK YOU *TR

NHTSA ID

10313401

Incident

Sep 28, 1997

Mileage

80,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 BUICK REGAL. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE AT 2 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE. HE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE SUBFRAME FAILED AND WAS HANGING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR CRADLE BOLTS PULLED THROUGH THE RETAINERS DUE TO CORROSION. THE FAILURE CAUSED A SEPARATION OF THE STEERING SHAFT. THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 97V058000 (STRUCTURE); THEREFORE, THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS, WHICH EXCEEDED $600. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 125,000.

NHTSA ID

10237742

Incident

Aug 7, 2008

Mileage

125,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN DEPRESSED AND NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAVING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS DEFECTIVE AND WAS UNABLE TO REPLACE THE PART BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER IN STOCK. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 59,000.

NHTSA ID

10191065

Incident

Dec 15, 2006

Mileage

59,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH ON A CITY STREET, THERE WAS A BANGING NOISE FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE ENGINE SLIPPED OUT OF ITS MOUNT BECAUSE THE ENGINE CRADLE BOLTS HAD FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 00V189000, REGARDING THE STRUCTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.

NHTSA ID

10169843

Incident

Sep 16, 2006

Mileage

102,000 mi

ON APPROXIMATELY JULY 5, 2006 I HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT OF MY 1991 BUICK REGAL [XXX]. AS I AM A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, I REMOVED THE WHEEL AND TIRE IN ORDER TO INSPECT THE FRONT END COMPONENTS FOR A PROBLEM. I FOUND THAT THE STEEL WHEEL HAD A LARGE CRACK THAT WRAPPED ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE AREA AROUND THE LUG HOLES. THIS CRACK APPEARED TO BE CAUSED BY METAL FATIGUE. I THEN REMOVED THE OTHER WHEELS ON THE VEHICLE AND FOUND SMALLER CRACKS AROUND TWO OF THE REMAINING THREE WHEELS. I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO BOTH GENERAL MOTORS AND MY DEALERSHIP. THIS VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED BY MY WIFE AND HAS NEVER BEEN ABUSED OR WRECKED. SINCE THERE ARE MANY THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES WHICH ARE USING THESE WHEELS, I FEEL THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK WITH ALL VEHICLES USING THESE WHEELS. I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED THESE CRACKS FOR RECORD KEEPING PURPOSES, AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO SEND THEM IN WITH THIS COMPLAINT. THIS COULD BE THE BEGINNING OF A REAL PROBLEM AND PEOPLE COULD BE SERIOUSLY INJURED. *NM UPDATED 07/12/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

10162842

Incident

Jul 5, 2006

Mileage

120,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 20 MPH AND MAKING TURNS A CLUNKING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE. UPON INSPECTION, THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THE BOLTS AND WASHERS FROM THE ENGINE CRADLE WERE CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED TWO RECALLS FOR THE BOLTS, NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 97V058000 AND # 00V189000. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER'S RECORDS BOTH RECALLS WERE PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED. THE BOLTS AND WASHERS ARE BEING REPLACED. UPDATED 04/11/06. *JB

NHTSA ID

10153893

Incident

Mar 28, 2006

Mileage

145,285 mi

Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules

CUSTOMERS MAY COMPLAIN OF GRINDING / SCRAPING / GROANING NOISE FROM REAR SUSPENSION. *TT

SOME V6 ENGINES MAY, ON A VERY INFREQUENT BASIS, HAVE AN OIL ODOR CONDITION THAT IS GENERALLY ENCOUNTERED AFTER THE ENGINE'S OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED.TYPICALLY THE ODOR LASTS APPROXIMATELY 1000 MILES AFTER THE CHANGE OF OIL AND THEN DOES NOT REAPPEAR UNTIL THE NEXT CHANGE OF OIL. *TT

COLD START RATTLE NOISE (DIAGNOSIS/SERVICE PROCEDURE). *TW

COLD START RATTLE NOISE. *TW

COLD START RATTLE NOISE. *TW