Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Buick Regal submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
DRIVERS SIDE DOOR DOES NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THE DOOR DOES NOT WORK WITH KEY EITHER. LOCK SEEMS TO WORKING BUT DOOR DOES NOT OPEN. THE CAR ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND SHOULD BE A RECALL.
I PURCHASED MY CAR IN 1998 AND SOON AFTER THAT THE PAINT STARTED TO PEEL. IN ABOUT 2000 I FINALLY RESEARCHED IT ONLINE AND FOUND OUT TO LOOK AT MY VIN NUMBER, AND IF THE 11TH NUMBER WAS A '1' THAT IT WAS PAINTED IN CANADA AND THAT THEY TROUBLE WITH BAD PRIMER UP THERE. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD SUED FOR A NEW PAINT JOB. GM CLOSED THAT PLANT DOWN. I WENT TO MAACO HERE AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE THE PRIMER WAS BAD, THEY WOULD HAVE TO STRIP THAT ALL OFF TOO, AND THE WHOLE JOB WAS MORE THAN I COULD AFFORD. ALSO, EVER SINCE I'VE HAD THE CAR, THE BRAKES HAVE MADE A HORRIBLE NOISE ON STOPPING, MAINLY IN WARM WEATHER. ALL MECHANICS THINK IT IS VERY ODD AND HAVE TRIED TO FIX IT SEVERAL TIMES. TWO MECHANICS HAVE ACTUALLY STOPPED THE NOISE BUT IT RETURNS PROMPTLY. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO IMPAIR THE BRAKING ABILITY. IT'S A GOOD OLD CAR AND NOW HAS 93,000 MILES WITHOUT OTHER COMPLAINTS, BUT IS EMBARRASSING TO DRIVE WITH 1/2 OF ITS PAINT MISSING. IT LOOKS LIKE A COW. *TR
EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH PAINT, AS A RESULT WE CAN NOT TRADE OR SELL THE VEHICLE UNLESS VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY PAINTED. *BF *TC
BOUGHT A 1996 BUICK REGAL IN 1999. THE PAINT HAS BEEN LITTERLY PEELING OFF THE CAR ALL OVER. IS THERE A RECALL FOR THIS OR IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO FOR THIS?*AK
ON 02/02/03, I NOTICED A LARGE PIECE OF MY HOOD WAS EXPOSED DUE TO PEELING PAINT. (THE GRAY METAL OF THE CAR'S STRUCTURE IS EXPOSED) THE CAR IS A 1996 BUICK REGAL PURCHASED IN 12/99. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE AREAS SURROUNDING THE PEELING PAINT WILL CONTINUE TO PEEL AWAY RESULTING IN NO WHITE PAINT ON THE HOOD. UPON RESEARCHING HOW TO REPAIR THIS, I CAME UPON INFORMATION THAT GM HAD/IS HAVING A CONCEALED, LATENT MANUFACTURING DEFECT. (THE PHOTOS I VIEWED SHOWED THAT I AM HEADING TO BECOMING ANOTHER VICTIM TO GM'S PAINT PROBLEMS) I CONTACTED BUICK CORPORATION AND WAS TOLD THAT THE WARRANTY FOR THE REPAIRS HAD EXPIRED. I BROUGHT TO THEIR ATTENTION THE DISCOVERY RULE AND THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO KNOW OF GM'S LATENT DPAINT DEFECT UNTIL THE PAINT LITERALLY STARTED PEELING OFF OF MY VEHICLE. AND I STILL WAS NOT AWARE OF A PROBLEM UNTIL I CONDUCTED A SEARCH ENGINE ON THE INTERNET. APPARENTLY A STORY WAS DONE BY DATELINE NBC IN 11/97 ABOUT THE ISSUE. (ONCE AGAIN, MY CAR WAS PURCHASE 12/99) THE REPRESENTATIVE REPEATED THAT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND ENDED THE CONVERSATION. I AM ANGRY BECAUSE I AM ABOUT TO MAKE MY FINAL CAR PAYMENT AND THIS ISSUE WAS NEVER BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION. DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE?
CAR PAINT PEELED OFF IN SHEETS WHEN CAR WAS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD - CREATED DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS, AS I WITNESSED DRIVERS BEHIND ME SWERVING TO AVOID WHAT WAS FLYING OFF THE ROOF OF MY CAR. MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT - CERTIFIED BUICK DEALERSHIP 'FIXED' = THEY CAUSED OVER $700 IN DAMAGE! I AM NOT THE ONLY BUICK OWNER OF THAT YEAR TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM & BUICK / GM REFUSES TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY - EVEN AFTER THEIR DEALERSHIP RUINS MY CAR! HAVE 3 CERTIFIED BUICK AUTO BODY REPAIR QUOTES, SHEET OF THE BAD PAINT & CHUNK OF RUBBER WINDOW GASKET HACKED OFF MY CAR - LATER FOUND INSIDE VEHICLE. BUICK KNOWS THEY HAVE A PROBLEM & CONSUMERS ARE PAYING TOP DOLLAR FOR DEFECTIVE MERCHANDISE (FALSE ADVERTISING AT THE VERY LEAST). PLEASE HELP! MR
FRONT DRIVERS DOOR HINGE HAS RUSTED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
DASH LIGHT COMES ON FOR NO REASON.
SAFETY RECALL--BRAKES. ADJUST SIDE DOOR FOR PROPER CLOSING. 231 FLASH E-PROM AND INSTALL LABEL MA-96-V9943. SAFETY RECALL--BACKFIRE. REPLACED TORQUE CONVERTER SWITCH.
PLASTIC BUMPER DENTED IN 1/6 MPH COLLISION WITH PLASTIC GARBAGE CAN. *DSH
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .