1998 Buick Regal Brakes Problems

On my way home from purchasing the vehicle, the car began to lose power and i noticed black smoke though the rear view mirror. Another driver signaled me down, so I pulled over and realized my car was on fire. The fire was in the engine compartment from what appeared to be the exhaust manifold. Since i was in a residential area, i grabbed a water hose and began to diffuse the fire. The fire department arrived and forced my hood open to reassure the fire was out. Luckily i was able to make it out safe. But i strongly believe my life and the lives of other drivers were definitely in danger

NHTSA ID

11455963

Incident

Mar 4, 2022

TL * THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK REGAL. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE FAILURE RECURRED EIGHTEEN TIMES OVER A PERIOD OF THREE MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 177,000. UPDATED 09/02/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE BRAKES WOULD STALL, THE STEERING AND BRAKES WOULD FAIL AS WELL. UPDATED 09/16/2014 *JS

NHTSA ID

10607974

Incident

Apr 1, 2014

Mileage

177,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHEN PROCEEDING TO MAKE A TURN. THE CONTACT EXERTED MORE EFFORT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. THROUGH RESEARCH, THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V527000 (STEERING;RACK AND PINION). THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED FAILURES IDENTICAL TO THE ONES MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 62,000. THE ABS MOTOR FAILED WHICH PREVENTED THE REAR BRAKES FROM WORKING AND ALSO THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS FAULTY WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHEN USING THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL. UPDATED 03/04/09. *JB

NHTSA ID

10254767

Incident

Dec 1, 2008

Mileage

62,000 mi

THIS CAR HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS, NOTED BY MANY OWNERS. RUSTED PAINT OVER REAR WHEEL WELLS. I CANNOT COUNT THE NUMBER OF TIMES I HAVE HAD TO GET THE TURN SIGNALS FIXED. I HAD TO REPLACE THE ABS SYSTEM THIS SPRING. NOW I AM TOLD I HAVE A CRACKED MANIFOLD. THE HEATING DISPLAY ON THE DASHBOARD HAS NOT WORKED FOR THREE YEARS: WE MANIPULATE THE HEAT/ AIR BY TRIAL AND ERROR. I HAD A "CHECK ENGINE SOON" LIGHT PROBLEM THAT REQUIRED NUMEROUS COMPUTER SCANS, AND WOULD ONLY BE FIXED FOR A MONTH OR TWO AT A TIME. THE WINDOW BUTTONS ARE FAILING. THE CAR DRIVES WELL, BUT HOW MUCH MORE MONEY IS IT REASONABLE TO PUT INTO? IT HAS 138, 00 MILES, AND HAS BEEN SERVICED EVERY 3000 MILES. IT SHOULD BE GOOD FOR ANOTHER 60, 000 MILES. AFTER READING THE COMPLAINTS, IT SEEMS I WILL ONLY BE WASHING MY MONEY. IS THE CRACKED MANIFOLD RELATED TO THE REPORTED FIRES?

NHTSA ID

10226460

Incident

May 2, 2008

DT: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE SHUT DOWN, AND WHEN HE TURNED IT BACK ON, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE AND BRAKE LIGHT WOULD BE ON. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, AND HE FOUND THE GROUND ON THE SAFETY BRAKE MALFUNCTIONED. HE FOUND A RECALL ON WEB LINE, BUT ACCORDING TO BUICK, THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10140583

Incident

Oct 22, 2005

HAVE 1998 BUICK REGA GS. ONLY 55000 MILES. HAVE HAD SEVERAL ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS REPLACED OVER LIFE OF VEHICLE. SAME PROBLEM EVEN WHILE UNDER WARRENTY. DEALER ORIGINALLY TURNED ROTORS. DEALER APPEARED TO BE AWARE OF PROBLEM. PROBLEM RETURNED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. AFTER SEVERAL ROTORS AND BRAKE PAD REPLACEMENTS OUT OF WARRENTY I FINALLY REPLACED ROTORS WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE CROSS DRILLED AND SLOTTED ROTOR (ASSUMING A HEAT PROBLEM) BUT TO NO AVAIL. VEHICLE SHAKES VIOLANTLY AT TIMES WHEN BRAKES APPLIED AND ROTORS ALWAYS WARPED. I BELIEVE GM WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM FROM ONSET BUT REFUSES TO RECALL VEHICLE. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS VEHICLE DID THIS FROM THE DAY I PURCHASED IT NEW IN DECMEBER OF 1997 BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A NEW FORM OF ANTILOCK BRAKED THAT PULSATED. FEAR THAT IF SOLD TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL, VEHICLE BRAKES MAY FAIL.

NHTSA ID

10128695

Incident

Dec 30, 1997

Mileage

250 mi

FAILURE OF DRIVER'S SIDE REAR BRAKE LIGHT TO ACTIVATE WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. PASSENGER SIDE AND HIGH MOUNT LIGHT WORK FINE. LEFT TURN SIGNAL (WHICH IS THE SAME WIRE AS THE BRAKE) ALSO WORKS. AFTER BEING TICKETED FOR EQUIPMENT FAILURE, HAD DIAGNOSED AND FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THIS SWITCH CONTROLS TURN SIGNALS, WIPERS, CRUISE CONTROL, ETC. SINCE THIS OCCURED I HAVE NOTICED OTHER GENERAL MOTORS VEHICLES WITH THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND I WONDER IF ANY INVESTIGATIONS HAVE BEEN DONE ON THIS PROBLEM?

NHTSA ID

10058524

Incident

Jul 25, 2003

Mileage

115,000 mi

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES INTERMITTENT NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END WHEN VEHICLE IS BACKING UP. *LA THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE NOISE APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM THE ABS. DURING A TEST DRIVE THE TECHNICIAN ALSO HEARD THE NOISE BUT WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER CONTACTED THE REGIONAL SERVICE TECHNICIAN WHO INDICATED THAT THE ABS NOISE WAS NORMAL. *NM

NHTSA ID

10051653

Incident

Dec 1, 2002

Mileage

55,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES WHEN APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE STARTS TO SHUTTER WHEN MAKING TURNS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10033751

I PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW AROUND DECEMBER 23, 1997. THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES ON IT. I NOTICED THAT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THE WAS A VIBRATION (FELT LIKE A PULSE) IN THE VEHICLE AND COULD SLIGHTLY FEEL THE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. OWNERS MANUAL ADVISED ONE MAY FEEL THE ABS RELEASE AND REENGAGE WHILE APPLYING BRAKES. VEHICLE WAS ONLY DRIVER ABOUT 6000 MILES A YEAR. AT ABOUT 8000 MILES THE VIBRATION BECAME SO SEVERE I HAD TO TAKE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO ADVISED THAT BRAKES WHERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY BUT THEY WOULD TURN THE ROTORS FOR FREE. AT ABOUT 15000 MILES (AND NOW OUT OF WARRENTY ALTOGETHER DUE TO PAST 3 YEARS OLDS) HAD TO HAVE ROTORS TURNED AGAIN. WITHIN A FEW THOUSAND MILES HAD TO HAVE NEW ROTORS AND BRAKES. WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED MILES OF NEW ROTORS AND BRAKES THE PROBLEM CAME BACK AND IS SEVERE BUT I CANNOT AFFORD TO KEEP REPLACING ROTORS EVERY FEW HUNDRED MILES. THE BRAKE PADS ALWAYS APPEAR TO WEAR NORMAL BUT THE ROTORS ARE ALWAYS WARPING. THE VEHICLE STILL ONLY HAS 42000 MILES AND IS OVER 5 YEARS OLDS. THE VEHICLE FEELS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I FEEL THIS PROBLEM WAS POSSIBLY KNOWN TO GM PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE AND THAT GM STILL REFUSES TO RECALL THE BUICK REGALS WITH THIS PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10029234

Incident

Dec 23, 1997

Mileage

500 mi

WHILE APPLYING BRAKES THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE. ALSO, THERE IS SLOW BRAKING. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

8014660

Incident

Jul 23, 2002

DATE OF PURCHASE WAS SEPT 2000 USED. REPORTED ROTOR BRAKE WARPAGE AND TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. ROTORS WERE TURNED BUT PROBLEM NOT COMPLETLY GONE. MECHANIC DISMISSED TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE AS TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVATION. TRANSMISSION FAILED 7/22/2001.*AK

NHTSA ID

749254

Incident

Jul 24, 2001

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY. HE PARKED VEHICLE ON AN OVERLOOK. WHEN HE CAME BACK TO VEHICLE TO START HIS WIFE STATED THAT SHE SMELLED SMOKE. WHEN STARTING UP VEHICLE IDLED ROUGHLY, AND STARTED GOING DOWN HILL AT BOTTOM OF HILL. ALSO, THERE SMOKE AND FLAMES ERUPTED FROM CONSOLE. HE APPLIED BRAKES AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES. VEHICLE WENT INTO MECHANICAL BRAKES, CAUSING HIM TO STOP 100 FEET. *AK CONSUMER AND WIFE EVACUATED VEHICLE AFTER STOPPING, ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. *JB REFERENCED IN EA02-030

NHTSA ID

887606

Incident

Apr 22, 2001

EXTREME VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL/COLUMN WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

743373

Incident

Aug 5, 1999

ABS MOTOR BURNED OUT, CAUSING ABS BRAKE LIGHT ON DASHBOARD TO COME ON. *AK MECHANIC REMOVED MASTER CYLINDER, BLED HYDRAULIC BRAKES AND REPLACED ABS. *SLC BUICK WOULD NOT PAY FOR REPAIRS. *SLC

NHTSA ID

884090

Incident

Mar 9, 2001

BRAKE PROBLEMS, PULSATION IN BRAKE PEDAL. REPLACED FRONT ROTORS-BLUE FROM OVERHEATING AT 707 MILES. BRAKES VIBRATE, TURNED ROTORS & REPLACED GLAZED FRONT BRAKE PADS AT 1154 MI. BRAKES PULSATE, REPLACE BOOSTER BRAKE ASSY. AT 1641 MI. BRAKES PULSATE, REPLACE MASTER CYLINDER AT 4926 MILES. BRAKES PULSATE, REPLACED BOTH FRONT ROTORS AT 13,462 MI. BRAKES PULSATE, REPLACED FRONT AND REAR ROTORS (PAPER THIN AND BLUE) AT 14,431 MI.

NHTSA ID

741178

Incident

Jul 31, 1998

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WARPED SOON AFTER DELIVERY,DEALER WOULD ONLY TURN THEM AT MY COST,AFTER 40,000 DIFFERENT DEALER ADVISED ROTORS SO BADLY SCRAPED BY PREVIOUS BUICK DEALER NEW ROTORS WERE REQUIRED AT $550...I FEEL LIKE THESE WERE DEFECTIVE FROM THE START AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID

739845

Incident

Dec 15, 1999

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, BRAKE CALIPER FELL OFF, JAMMING FRONT WHEEL CAUSING IT TO FREEZE, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK THE VEHICLE WOULD DRIVE IN REVERSE BUT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL STAYED LOCKED. THE CAUSE WAS FOUND TO BE TWO BOLTS THAT HOLD THE CALIPER SHEARED OFF. THE CALIPER, AFTER COMING OFF, JAMMED THE FRONT WHEEL MOVEMENT TO HALT. THE VEHICLE SHAKED WHEN BACKING AND TURNING DUE TO POWER STEERING GEAR FAILURE. THE BRAKES PULSATE WHEN APPLIED DUE TO EXCESS RUNOUT OF BRAKE ROTORS. *YH

NHTSA ID

877720

Incident

Dec 25, 2000

SEVERE FRONT BRAKE PROBLEM WITH SHAKE AND POSSIBLE ROTOR DAMAGE REPORTED TO AND REPAIRED BY CAVENDER BUICK, UNDER WARRANTY, ON JUNE 1999. (NOTE: YOUR NHTSA SITE HAS SEVERAL COMPLAINT ENTRIES REGARDING SAME). ON 12/25/00, ON RETURN TRIP TRAVELING I37 NORTH TO SAN ANTONIO FROM CORPUS CHRISTI, I APPLIED BRAKES TO MAKE MY EXIT ON SAN ANTONIO LOOP 410. IMMEDIATELY AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE WE HEARD A LOUD ROTATING CLUNK FROM THE FRONT END. I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER. I WAS ON THE SHOULDER WHEN THE CAR MOVEMENT FROZE AND CAME TO A JOLTING HALT. THIS WAS AT 1630 HRS. TOW TRUCK ARRIVED AT 2200 AND MOVED CAR TO NEAREST GM DEALERSHIP WHICH WAS CAVENDER OLDSMOBILE. ALTHOUGH CAVENDER DEALERSHIPS ARE FAMILY RELATED THEY ARE 2 TOTALLY SEPARATE DEALERSHIPS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. THEY SERVICED MY CAR THE FOLLOWING DAY AND DETERMINED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER HAD SHEARED OFF AND JAMMED SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE ROTATING WHEEL AND THE FIXED AXLE PREVENTING FOWARD MOVEMENT ON THE CAR. INTERSTATE 37 WAS WET AND SLICK ON DEC 25TH AND I AM VERY VERY HAPPY THAT THE CALIPERS DID NOT COME OFF WHILE I WAS TRAVELING THE SPEED LIMIT ON THAT FREEWAY. OTHERWISE I COULD HAVE CHECKED OFF "YES" ON YOUR FATALITY BOX ON THIS FORM. IT IS UPSETTING TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE AT THIS SITE INFORMATION REGARDING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE YET THEY ARE UNDER "COMPLAINTS" WHILE YOU HAVE WINDSHIELD WIPERS UNDER "INVESTIGATIONS". I WOULD THEN SUGGEST, WITH STRONG URGENCY, THAT AN IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION BE INITIATED REGARDING THE SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM, DESIGN, OR MATERIELS USED. THE SHAKING MAYBE CAUSING STRESS ON THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE CALIPERS.*AK

NHTSA ID

739058

Incident

Dec 25, 2000

BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED. *SLC

NHTSA ID

555866

THE EBCM-4 COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS CAUSING THE BRAKES TO MAKE A LOUD NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, AND AFTER SITTING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

855169

FRONT ROTORS WERE WARPED AT 25,000 MILES AND REQUIRED SURFACING. THE SECOND DEALER SURFACED ROTORS CORRECTLY. WHEN THE ROTORS ARE SLIGHTLY WARPED THE ABS CYCLED EVERY TIME THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED INCREASING BRAKING DISTANCE. UPON PARKING THE CAR ON A SLIGHT GRADE AND RESTARTING THE ABS CYCLES. WITH FOOT ON THE BRAKE UPON LETTING UP TO BACK OUT THE ABS CYCLES AND RELEASES THE BRAKES. THE STEEPER THE SLOPE THE FARTHER YOU ROLL WITHOUT BRAKES. MORE THAN EIGHT FEET IN SOME INSTANCES BEFORE THE BRAKES REAPPLY. THE DEALER AND BUICK SERVICE STATE THAT THIS IS NORMAL. *AK

NHTSA ID

715428

FRT DISC BRAKE ROTORS WARPED CAUSING SEVERE SHAKE AND POOR BRAKING PERFORMANCE. CONDITION VERIFIED BY QUALIFIED MECHANIC

NHTSA ID

710740

Incident

Jun 1, 1999

VEHICLE HAS SHAKES SEVERELY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND CRASH. *AK

NHTSA ID

707277

Incident

Jun 15, 1998

THE MATERIAL OF THE BRAKE PAD, CAUSING BRAKE PADS TO OVERHEAT AND WARP. FRONT BRAKE ROTORS ALSO WARPED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SHAKE AND MAY RESULT IN LOSS CONTROL. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

838643

Incident

Dec 1, 1998