2001 Buick Regal Transmission Problems

TRANSMISSION FAILURE,RADIATOR FAILURE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10352628

Incident

Jul 15, 2010

Mileage

102,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STARTED THE ENGINE ON A COLD START AND A SHAKING MOTION OCCURRED. ADDITIONALLY, WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION THE ENGINE POWER FAILED TO ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO EXCEED OVER 25 MPH. ALSO, THE TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE POWER TRAIN, TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTIONS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,500. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 99,584. UPDATED 05/13/10. *LJ

NHTSA ID

10321065

Incident

Jan 12, 2010

Mileage

99,584 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND APPROACHING AN INCLINE, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO SECOND GEAR AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES; HOWEVER, HE FELT THE FAILURE WAS LIFE THREATENING WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY ABLE TO BE DRIVEN IN 1ST, 2ND, AND REVERSE GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR REPAIR AND HE STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO A DEFECTIVE TORQUE CONVERTER THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED AT 92,000 MILES. THE TORQUE CONVERTER IN THE VEHICLE WAS THE ORIGINAL PART. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

NHTSA ID

10227890

Incident

Apr 12, 2008

Mileage

92,000 mi

I HAVE A 2001 BUICK REGAL, PURCHASED NEW IN OCTOBER 2001. IN MAY 2005 THE REAR WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FELL. I TOOK IT FOR REPAIR AT A BUICK DEALER AND IT COST ME $516 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. A SHORT TIME AGO THE FRONT WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FELL, AND TODAY THE FRONT WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FELL. I AM IN THE CAR ALONE 99.99% OF THE TIME. THE REAR WINDOWS AND PASSENGER WINDOW ARE NEVER DOWN. INITIALLY I THOUGHT THAT WAS WHY THEY FAILED, BUT NOW THE DRIVERS WINDOW FELL. I SEE THAT JEEP VEHICLES HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. BEING GM PRODUCTS, HAS THIS BEEN DISCUSSED. I JUST PAID THIS CAR OFF AND FEEL IT IS PROBABLY THE WORST VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED. I HAVE REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND HAD ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION. *NM

NHTSA ID

10171491

Incident

Oct 21, 2006

2001 BUICK REGAL AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED. *KB WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE VEHICLE HAVE A SLIGHT LURCH, A WEAK THUD AND IT KICKED DOWN FROM DRIVE TO THIRD GEAR. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO A REST STOP AND WHEN HE WAS GETTING READY TO LEAVE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE IN REVERSE, FIRST OR SECOND GEAR. IT WOULD ONLY LURCH FORWARD WHEN IN DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR FACILITY WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE PLANETARY HAD A BROKEN GEAR, SOME DAMAGED CLUTCH DISKS AND METAL FRAGMENTS IN THE PAN. THE CONSUMER DIDN'T GET TOO FAR WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN HE SMELLED FUMES AND SAW BLUE SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER, OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW BLUE SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONSUMER AND A POLICE OFFICER OBSERVED A DAMP SPOT ON THE GROUND WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE TRANSMISSION FLUID. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION STICK WAS CHECKED IT SHOWED THERE WAS NO FLUID. A HAIRLINE CRACK WAS DISCOVERED IN THE LEFT COVER AND WHEN IT BECAME HOT, IT EXPANDED FORCING OUT FLUID. *JB

NHTSA ID

10165815

Incident

Jul 1, 2006

Mileage

40,300 mi

OUR 2001 BUICK REGAL LOST IT'S A/T AT 40,300 MILES, LOCKED OUT OF REVERSE, GEARS 1 & 2. ONLY HAD DRIVE-3. WHY DOES THE GM AND AMERICAN CARS LOSE THEIR A/T MORE SO THAN THE JAPANESE CARS. WE WERE CURSING ON I-5 AT 70 MPH IN CRUISE CONTROL SOUTH OF STOCKTON, CA, WHEN THE CAR GAVE A SLIGHT LURCH, A THUD AND SLOWED DOWN. I STOPPED CHECKED THE TIRES, ALL OK. CHECKED THE ENGINE OIL AND A/T FLUID, ALL OK. PROCEEDED TO OXNARD, CA HAD THE A/T REPAIRED COSTING US SENIORS $3,600--OUCH. THE SHOP SAID THE PLANETARY GEAR AND THE CLUTCH DISKS WERE BROKEN WITH METAL FRAGMENT IS THE PAN. I KNOW IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT GOSH, IT SHOULD HAVE LASTED LONGER THAN IT DID KONKING OUT AT 40,300. OUR SON DROVE HIS TOYOTA CAMRY 130,00 WITH OUT PROBLEMS, WHY CAN'T AMERICAN CARS BE AS RELIABLE. MY NEXT CAR WILL BE JAPANESE, AND THAT IS A PROMISE. THANKS, LLOYD PEARSON. *NM

NHTSA ID

10163234

Incident

Jul 4, 2006

Mileage

40,300 mi

TRANSMISSION ON MY 2001 BUICK REGAL HAD PROBLEM SHIFTING,TO FIND OUT TRANSMISSION TOTALLY FELL APART AFTER 45000 MILES,HAD TO REBUILD TRANSMISSION AT CONSIDERABLE COST CONVENIENTLY 10000 MILES OR LESS OUT OF WARRANTY,FINDING OUT BY THIS WEBSITE THAT OTHER REGALS HAVE HAD TRANSMISSION DEFECTS AND TOTAL FAILURES. *NM

NHTSA ID

10062390

Incident

Sep 9, 2003

Mileage

47,276 mi

TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN SOUNDING ROUGH AND SLIGHTLY SLIPPING GOING UP HILL IN DRIVEWAY SOON AFTER PURCHASING CAR AS USED. CAR WAS SAID TO HAVE PASSED GMC 100+ POINT INSPECTION. TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED AFTER ABOUT ONE WEEK OF OWNERSHIP AT 25,000 MILES. DEALERSHIP AND BUICK RESPONDED VERY SATISFACTORILY. REPAIRS COMPLETED UNDER WARRANTY. REPAIRS TOOK ABOUT ONE WEEK THOUGH A SECOND ATTEMPT HAD TO BE MADE AFTER TRANSMISSION CONTINUED TO SLIP SLIGHTLY WHEN GOING UP HILLS, MORE NOTICEABLE AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND AFTER A STOP AND TURNING LEFT. DEALERSHIP REPORTED THE FOLLOWING ON INITIAL REPAIRS: " ...FLUID PRESSURES OK. R&R TRANS (4T65E). FOUND INPUT AND REACTION CARRIER ASSEMBLY GEARS BROKEN. TORRINGTON THRUST BEARING FAILED, DAMAGING GEARS. REPLACED CARRIER, SUN GEAR,INPUT COMPLETE CARRIER,CARRIER DRUM, 2/1 BAND, BEARING, FILTER, AXLE SEAL, GASKETS AS NEEDED, FLUSH CASE AND RELATED COMPONENTS TO REMOVE PARTICLES" SUBSEQUENT CONTINUED PROBLEMS RESULTED IN THE FOLLOWING REPAIRS: ".....ROAD TEST -PERFORMA DIAG. ISOLATED TO VALVE BODY VALVES BINDING IN THEIR BORES. REPLACED TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY AND GASKET,...." CAR HAS FUNCTIONED WELL SINCE AND AS OF 3/5/04.*AK

NHTSA ID

10060548

Incident

Oct 12, 2003

Mileage

25,000 mi

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2001 BUICK REGAL GS, WHEN FIRST PURCHASED, HAD A CLUNK IN IT AT ABOUT 42-45 MPH, AFTER LETTING GO OF THE ACCELERATOR, AND COASTING DOWN A HILL. I HAD TOLD THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT IT, BUT THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. FINALLY THE 10TH TIME, I HAD TAKEN THE SERVICE MANAGER OUT TO THE LOCATION WHERE IT WOULD CLUNK. THEY FINALLY TOOK THE TRANSMISSION APART AND FOUND THERE WAS A SLIGHTLY STRIPPED SHAFT AND A COUPLE OTHER COMPONENTS BAD IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION HAS NOW DEVELOPED ANOTHER PROBLEM. IN THE MORNINGS ON MY WAY OUT AND THE CAR SITTING OVERNIGHT, AT ABOUT 20-35 MPH, IT WILL SHIFT RUFF, LIKE IT JERKS YOU AHEAD, LIKE I AM DRIVING A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, NOT USING THE CLUTCH. HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED THESE KIND OF PROBLEMS WITH THEIR REGAL GS? *JB

NHTSA ID

10014076

Incident

Mar 5, 2003

AT 500 MILES WE ENCOUNTERED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS A DEALERSHIP IN TEMECULA CA. CARRIAGE MOTORS KEPT OUR CAR FOR TWO DAYS AND ADVISED THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPAIRED. WE ENCOUNTER THE SAME PROBLEM AT 1240 MILES. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO HARDIN BUICK. WE WERE ADVISED THAT THEY WERE SENDING THE TRANSMISSION TO BUICK AND THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS BEING SENT TO THEM BY BUICK. THIS WOULD TAKE FROM A WEEK TO TEN DAYS. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR FOR MORE TIME THAN WE HAVE USED IT. WE DO NOT WANT A CAR WITH A TRANSMISSION WE CAN'T RELY ON. HAVE YOU HAD ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT REGAL TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS?*AK

NHTSA ID

747915

Incident

Jul 2, 2001