Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Buick Regal submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 21 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
EVERY TIME I TURN ON MY LEFT OR RIGHT TURN SIGNAL IT SHORTS OUT.... TOOK TO A MECHANIC AND HE DID SOME RE WIRING AND IT WORKED FOR A LITTLE BIT THEN STARTED TO HAPPEN AGAIN.... I DON'T WANT TO SPEND A BUNCH OF MONEY ON IT ANYMORE. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR CONTINUED TO RANDOMLY FLASH. ALSO, ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE ENGINE WOULD MISFIRE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 09V116000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND 99V356000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), BUT THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN IF THE FAILURES WERE RELATED TO THE RECALLS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS BLEW OUT. IN ADDITION, THE IGNITION KEY WAS RUNNING HOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 212,500.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE TURNING SIGNAL HAD SHORTENED. AS A RESULT, THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.
JUST AS THE CURRENT GM RECALL MY BUICK REGAL SUDDENLY LOSES ALL POWER WHILE DRIVING. THE 1ST TIME THIS OCCURRED I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE GOING 60 MPH AT NIGHT, 1ST ALL THE DASH LIGHTS FLASHED ON, THEN MY HEADLIGHTS, POWER STEERING, ALL ELECTRONICS AND ENGINE DIED! LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE EMERGENCY LANE! ONCE, I WAS ABLE TO PULL MY FRIGHTENED SELF TOGETHER, THE CAR STARTED RIGHT BACK UP AND I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE INTERSTATE AND MAKE IT HOME VERY CAUTIOUSLY. IN THE DAYS FOLLOWING, I TESTED IT JUST DRIVING VERY CLOSE TO HOME AND CONTINUOUSLY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, SOMEWHAT SEEMING TO OCCUR MORE OFTEN WHEN I USED MY TURN SIGNAL, THESE INCIDENCES OF TOTAL POWER FAILURE OCCURRED @ SPEEDS OF 0-35 MPH, SINCE I WAS UNWILLING TO PUT IT BACK ON THE INTERSTATE. WHEN PERFORMING A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM, I QUICKLY FOUND THAT I WAS NOT THE ONLY TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM, SOME WITH A 1998 BUICK REGAL JUST AS MYSELF, AND OTHERS WITH A SIMILAR MAKE & MODEL (STILL GM) AND CLOSE TO THE SAME YEAR, WELL BEFORE 2003. AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO A MECHANIC & GETTING A NEW ALTERNATOR AND BLOWER MOTOR, THE CAR DIED YET AGAIN BEFORE I EVEN MADE IT OUT OF THE PARKING LOT. IT WAS SUGGESTED TO ME TO TRY THE NEW ALTERNATOR BEFORE REPLACING THE IGNITION AND RELATED PARTS WHICH ARE QUITE PRICEY ON THIS VEHICLE WHICH HAS 1 OF THOSE CHIPS IN THE KEY. THIS PROBLEM HAS YET TO BE SOLVED AND I WONDER IF THE CURRENT RECALL IS EVEN MORE OVERDUE THAN THOUGHT. PLEASE HELP! DO NOT WAIT UNTIL MYSELF, MY CHILDREN OR OTHERS SUFFER FATAL CONSEQUENCES! THIS VEHICLE IS NEW TO ME, HAS VERY LOW MILEAGE AND IS IN OTHERWISE IN GREAT CONDITION AND ALSO HAS A SATISFACTORY CARFAX REPORT. MY SINCEREST THANKS! *TR
1. RIGHT SIDE CORNERING LAMP IS INOPERATIVE DESPITE REPLACING BULB, SOCKET AND EVEN ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE HEADLAMP HOUSING ASSEMBLY WITH ALL NEW WIRING AND BULBS IN IT (NOT THE TURN SIGNAL BECAUSE THAT WORKS AND SO DO ALL HEADLIGHT FUNCTIONS I.E. HIGH/LOW BEAM). 2. WHEN ABOVE ISSUE STARTED CAR SUDDENLY STARTED SHUTTING OFF WHENEVER TURN SIGNALS WHERE USED WHEN PASSING OR TRYING TO ENTER HIGHWAY ON ENTRANCE RAMP REGARDLESS OF IF WE WERE SPEEDING UP OR SLOWING DOWN. IT HAS ALSO HAPPENED AT A COMPLETE STAND STILL WHILE LOCAL MECHANIC WAS INVESTIGATING COMPLAINT REGARDING ALL THE ABOVE AND HE IS STILL NOT ABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE. I AM AFRAID TO LET MY FAMILY RIDE IN THIS VEHICLE AND I AM AFRAID IT WILL COST US A FORTUNE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS CAUSING THIS UNSAFE ISSUE! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THE HEADLIGHTS WERE CROOKED AND NOT AIMING STRAIGHT. THE CONTACT LOCATED A RECALL IN REGARDS TO THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 99V356000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING: HEADLIGHTS) BUT WAS ADVISED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE VEHICLE OWNERS MANUAL WHICH CONTAINED A MANUAL INSERT WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPTICALLY AIMING THE HEADLAMPS PER THE RECALL NOTICE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
I HAVE A 1998 BUICK REGAL GS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WHEN ACTIVATING THE TURN SIGNALS. UPON ACTIVATING A SIGNAL IN EITHER DIRECTION THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN AND STALLS THE ENGINE. THE CAR IS NORMALLY IN MOTION AND POWER STEERING, HEADLIGHTS ETC IS LOST. *TR
I JUST REVIEW YOUR "COMPLAINT" SEGMENT. I FOUND NO FEWER THAN 8 COMPLAINTS RELATIVE TO OWNERS OF 1998 BUICK REGALS EXPERIENCING THE VERY SAME AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLES. I.E. THE CAR DYING WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL STICK IS ACTUATED. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL SINCE THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION? THERE WERE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VEHICLE DYING WHILE IN MOTION. IF ONE OF YOUR STAFF MEMBERS WERE INJURED OR KILLED, WOULD THIS BE A BETTER REASON TO NUDGE GM TO DO A VOLUNTARY RECALL FOR THOSE AFFECTED WITH THIS PROBLEM? I JUST WANT TO BELIEVE THAT SOMEONE CARES. SINCERELY. JOSEPH WOJCIECHOWSKI *TR
1998 BUICK REGAL GS, PROBLEM EVIDENT FOR THE LAST 10, 000 MILES. WHEN USING THE TURN SIGNAL STICK, CAR EXPERIENCES A "DEAD SHORT" AND ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WHILE CAR IS ROLLING. CAR BECOMES WORSE AS CAR IS DRIVEN FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. DEALER SAID HE COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. IT IS INTERMITTENT, BUT EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. ON MY LAST RIDE(4/21/2008), THE VEHICLE CONSISTENTLY EXPERIENCED A CUT OFF OF POWER AND IF I HAD NOT MOVED THE TURN SIGNAL STALK TO ITS NEUTRAL POSITION, I AM SURE THE CAR WOULD HAVE STALLED WHILE STILL IN MOTION, REDUCING AND/OR ELIMINATING POWER STEERING AND BRAKE FUNCTIONS. THE PROBLEM STARTED AT ABOUT 75,000 MILES. HAVE THERE BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS? *TR
THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL CONTINUALLY BLOWS OUT ON MY 1998 BUICK REGAL. I AM CONCERNED THAT IT WILL START A FIRE IN MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *NM
TURN SINGALS DONT WORK, EVEN WHEN REPLACED. I HAVE THE WORST TIME WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE TURN SIGNAL. IT HAS COST ME ALOT OF MONEY TO REPAIR, BUT STILL DOESNT WORK. *AK
TURN SIGNAL COMES ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY WHEN APPLIED. CAUSE OF PROBLEM UNDETERMINED AT THIS TIME. *AK
WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER TRIED TO USE THE SIGNAL LEVER, HOWEVER IT WOULD NOT WORK. MECHANIC REPLACED THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH. *SLC
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED AND THE MOTOR WIPER SYSTEM REPLACED.
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL INFORMATION (99V-356), CONSUMER IS NOT SURE ABOUT THE RECALL PROCEDURE, INFORMATION WAS PREVIOUSLY SUPPLIED THAT CONFLICTS AND IS CONFUSING TO CONSUMER. *MJS
RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED & UNDERSTOOD. BUT, CERTIFICATE WASN'T HELPING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. HEADLIGHTS ON LOW BEAM DIDN'T COVER VISIBILTY FOR DRIVING WHICH COULD BE DANGEROUS. HIGH BEAMS WORKED FINE. DEALER HAS TRIED & NO SUCCESS. *AK
WHEN HIGH BEAM LIGHTS ARE ON, IF YOU ARE IN A SHALLOW RIGHT TURN AND ANOTHER VEHICLE APPROACHES, YOU ARE UNABLE TO CHANGE TO LOW BEAMS. THE HEADLIGHT LEVER HITS THE STEERING WHEEL AND WILL NOT CHANGE FROM HIGH TO LOW BEAMS.
MOISTURE HAS ACCUMULATED ON INSIDE OF HEADLIGHT LENS. CONSOLE LATCH BROKEN, REPAIRED BY DEALER. WIPER ARMS WOULD NOT REMOVE SNOW, LINKAGE DISCONNECTED, REPAIRED BY DEALER, THEN WENT OFF WINDSHIELD, REPAIRED A TOTAL OF 3 TIMES. HALF OF DIGITAL TEMPERATURE-RADIO DISPLAY WENT DIM, REPAIRED BY DEALER. DIGITAL SUPERCHARGER BOOST GUAGE INTERMITENTLY STICKS ABOVE ZERO, DEALER COULD NOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM. *AK
HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH TO VIEW THE ROAD CLEARLY DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE HEADLIGHT LENS. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS ARE TOO SMALL.
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
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