1991 Buick Regal Steering Problems

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

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH STEERING FAILED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DO A 360 DEGREE SPIN. VEHICLE RAN, HIT THE CURB, AND RAN INTO A YARD.*AK

NHTSA ID

10072212

WHILE DRIVING MY 1991 BUICK REGAL, THE FRONT CRADLE BOLTS BROKE CAUSING THE ENGINE TO DROP AND THE CAR TO LOSE ALL STEERING ABILITY. *LA

NHTSA ID

10041718

Incident

Oct 12, 2003

WHILE COMING HOME HEARD A BANGING NOISE WHENEVER HITTING A BUMP. CONSUMER TURNED STEERING AND HEARD A LARGE CLUNK. THEN, THERE WAS LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, STEER WHEEL COULD TURN ALL THE WAY AROUND. *AK

NHTSA ID

882771

Incident

Mar 11, 2001

WHILE DRIVING IN SNOW APPLIED BRAKES, BUT VEHICLE DID NOT STOP DUE TO LOSS OF STEERING. *AK

NHTSA ID

878639

Incident

Nov 17, 2000

TWO MONTHS AGO WHEN I USED MY TURN SIGNAL SMOKE BEGAN TO COME FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. ANYTIME I USE THE TURN SIGNAL NOW IT SMOKES. WE HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND TRIED TO GET THE PART BUT EVERYONE HAS TOLD US THAT IT WILL MOST LIKELY TAKE 6 MONTHS. I DO NOT WANT TO PUT MY FAMILIES SAFETY ON THE LINE LIKE THAT. GM SEEMS TO NOT BE TAKING THE STITUATION AS SERIOUSLY AS THEY SHOULD BE.

NHTSA ID

729972

Incident

Jun 1, 2000

WHILE TRAVELING NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATON. *AK

NHTSA ID

857935

HAD RECEIVED SECOND RECALL NOTICE 97V058000 REGARDING CRADLE BOLTS. AGAIN CALLED DEALERSHIP ABOUT PARTS. AGAIN DEALERSHIP SAID NO PARTS AVAILABLE & WOULD CALL WHEN THEY COME IN. *AK

NHTSA ID

826079

Incident

Jun 30, 1998

THE STEERING LOCKED UP.

NHTSA ID

516070

Incident

Jan 21, 1997

STEERING MAKES POPPING NOISE WHEN TURNING WHEEL.

NHTSA ID

511842

Incident

Apr 1, 1996

RADIO CONTROLS LOCATED ON STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO SMOKE WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED. *AK

NHTSA ID

984676

Incident

May 16, 1996