Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2011 Buick Regal submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 38 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.
The 25 most recent of 38, in the owner's own words
Driver side headlamp draws moisture, keeps blowing bulbs at 104.99 a pop. Water gets in the headlight assembly and shorts out the ballast. This happens even when driving down the road at random. It could be pitch black and suddenly you have no headlights and are forced to drive with only fog lamps
Condensation gets into headlight assembly and shorts out HID headlight. Issue occurred with drivers and passenger headlights. Car will not have headlights because of short. Thus causing a safety issue.
Moisture has been collecting in both headlight assemblies for the past 3 years, whenever the car is outside or driven in the rain. Recently, this caused both high/low beam headlights to burn out. Replacing the bulbs is not enough, as the bulbs immediately burn out/smoke and blow out because of the water accumulation. On the driver side headlight, there was actually standing water in the headlight assembly that came pouring out when the cover was removed to replace the bulb. Dealership says both headlight assemblies must be replaced entirely to resolve the issue, due to corrosion. The vehicle has never been in an accident (there are NO cracks from collision, etc.). This appears to be a manufacturing defect or an issue with seal. This is a crazy expensive repair, to have to have the entire headlights replaced on the vehicle, on both sides, because they are not properly sealed/allow condensation and accumulation of water to take place. Can GM please cover the cost of this? Otherwise, this might be the last GM car I ever buy... This is also a major safety issue, as one must have working headlamps. Without an entirely new headlight assembly on each side, the lightbulbs, when replaced, burn out unexpectedly almost immediately, within weeks of replacement.
After heavy rain in mid-September 2022, both headlights just stopped working. The dashboard will usually display a warning or pop up symbol that something is not working, but I had no warning and got pulled over driving at dusk with no headlights. There has been been other issues with this vehicle too! The other issues include: Bluetooth connection not working at all, the transmission has “jerking” issues while changing gears and the engine revving too high while only going 30mph while driving in suburban Massachusetts. The car has less than 70k miles, these issues should not be happening. The main issue is the headlights, considering they cost around $200/ea and just stopped working with no notice.
I was driving on a back road when my car started smoking and blazed up on passenger side headlights an I see were people have been saying this was seriously fire issue now I'm out of work no car and I was only owner fa 5 months
Headlight assembly case on both passenger and driver side fills with condensation and then causes headlight bulb and/or ballast to burnout ,this also could cause a fire
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions the headlights became inoperable. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the wiring in the bumper was hot at the base. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where the engine was diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was unknown.
Drivers side lightbulb has been changed multiple times. Noticeable condensation in light itself. Driving at night and lights went out completely. Had to drive with only fog lights on. Issue happens sporadically and without warning so it is hard to address.
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. The contact stated that after a rainstorm, moisture entered the driver’s side headlight housing causing the bulb to blow. The contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V484000 (Exterior Lighting) which he linked to the failure however, the Vin was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Front headlamp burned out due to moisture in the assembly. There is an issue with the ballast in the headlamp assembly for the turbo model. The seal may be faulty due to the headlamp shorting out except for the daytime running lights. I realized that it had malfunctioned and there was moisture in the assembly itself. My repair shop quoted $1500.00 for the repair/replacement as the whole assebly needs to be replaced. This is definitely a safety hazard and a common one for this make and model. This should be a recall due to the faulty headlamp assembly.
HEADLIGHT KEEPS BURNING OUT. IT HAS BEEN REPLACED 5 TIMES ALSO DRIVER SEAT HEATING WORKS FOR 1 MIN AND TURNS OFF
FAULTY HEADLAMP ALLOWING WATER TO ACCUMULATE AND SHORT OUT BALLAST. THIS IS A $1300 PART THAT SHOULD NOT BE GOING OUT LIKE THIS.
THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY SEAL IS ALLOWING MOISTURE TO ACCUMULATE IN THE HEADLIGHTS CAUSING DIMMING & LOW LIGHTING, THE HEADLIGHTS TO GO ON & OFF PERIODICALLY WITHOUT WARNING AND CAUSING THE ASSEMBLY WIRING TO MELT, CAUSING MORE DAMAGE AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. WHILE MY HUSBAND DRIVING TO WORK IN THE EARLY MORNING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING AND HAD TO USE HIS HIGH BEAM LIGHTS AND ONLY ONE HEADLIGHT WORKING. THIS HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY 6 AM ON 1/6/2020. GM HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE PROBLEM SINCE 2010 ON SEVERAL OF THEIR GM VEHICLES. NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED.
MY CAR HAS BEEN BLOWING LIGHT BULBS VERY FREQUENTLY. I NOTICED THAT THE WIRE WHAT IS CHARD AND BURNED AND NAKED RESULTING IN THE WIRES TOUCHING EACH OTHER AND CAUSING MY LIGHTS TO FAIL. I REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS ONCE AND TWO MONTHS LATER THE INSULATION WAS BURNT OFF OF THE WIRE AGAIN. THERE HAS BEEN 2 INSTANCES WHERE IVE BEEN DRIVING AND MY HEADLIGHTS HAVE WENT COMPLETELY OUT AT NIGHT TIME AND I LIVE IN A RURAL AREA WHERE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF STREET LIGHTS. IT ALMOST CAUSED ME TO WRECK. IT'S NOT JUST MY VEHICLE THAT HAS THIS ISSUE. I HAVE THREE FRIENDS WHO EITHER DRIVE A REGAL THEMSELVES OR HAVE A CLOSE FAMILY MEMBER THAT HAS ONE AND ALL THREE OF THEM HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY CONCERN. AND IF IT WERE TO HAPPEN TO SOMEBODY ELSE WHO WAS MAYBE NOT SO LUCKY IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A FATAL ACCIDENT.
MY WIFE'S XENON HID HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES BEGAN LEAKING DURING MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN.THE RAIN SHORTED OUT THE BALLAST AND THE HEADLIGHT WENT BLACK. I REPLACED IT AND SOON AFTER, THE OTHER SIDE DID THE SAME. THE ASSEMBLIES GOT WORSE AND BEGAN FOGGING UP DURING WEATHER CHANGES. THEN, MORE BALLASTS WENT OUT. I WENT TO GM AND THEY SAID THE ASSEMBLIES ARE OUT OF PRODUCTION AND NO LONGER AVAILABLE! THIS IS NOT AN OLD CAR. I FOUND NOS UNITS ON EBAY AND OTHERS, AS WELL AS USED UNITS FROM WRECKED CARS, BUT THESE WERE FROM $300 TO $1,500 FOR EACH SIDE! I CHECKED ONLINE AND NOTED THAT THIS APPEARS TO BE A HUGE ISSUE THAT HAS HAUNTED MANY FOLKS AND GM IS NOT ADDRESSING IT. I HAD TO ORDER ANOTHER BALLAST TODAY, SO I'M ORDERING TWO. I ALSO FOUND SO-CALLED AFTERMARKET UNITS IN CHINA, BUT DURING INSPECTION I FOUND THEY WERE ACTUALLY MADE AT HELLA SPECIFICATIONS FOR GM IN SLOVINIA, BUT BEING SOLD AS AFTERMARKET IN CHINA FOR $700 A PAIR. THIS SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR ISSUE AND IF GM NO LONGER SUPPORTS A NEWER CAR, ONE IS FORCED TO BY ANOTHER CAR. I AM OUT QUITE A BIT OF MONEY WITH NO HELP FROM GM /BUICK WHATSOEVER. HOW CAN THIS BE ALLOWED? THIS ISSUE BEGAN IN 2015!
THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT KEEPS MELTING THE HARNESS THE LIGHT BULB GOES INTO. I'VE REPLACED IT 2 AND THIS WILL BE THE 3RD TIME.NOTICED WHEN I WAS PULLED OVER FOR A FIX IT TICKET. SECOND TIME I NOTICED THE LIGHTS WERE UNEVEN AND THE 3RD TIME IT WAS POINTED OUT BY A TOLL BOOTH ATTENDANT
CONDENSATION STARTED IN DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT TO THE POINT WHEN LIGHT BULBS SHORT OUT AND ARE RUINED AS SOON AS THEY ARE PUT IN. THE WATER ENTERING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS DANGEROUS.
I OWN A 2011 BUICK REGAL WITH THE VEHICLE OPTION "TT6" HID HEADLAMPS. BOTH HEADLAMPS ARE CURRENTLY INOPERATIVE. WHAT I HAVE DISCOVERED IS THAT THE FRONT HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES HAVE CONDENSATION INSIDE OF THEM. THIS CONDENSATION IN TURN HAS CAUSED NOT ONLY THE HID BULBS TO FAIL BUT ALSO HAS CREATED CORROSION ON THE CONNECTORS WHICH ATTACH TO THE BALLAST MODULE INSIDE EACH LAMP. THIS HAS RENDERED EACH HEADLAMP COMPLETELY USELESS BECAUSE THE CONNECTORS INSIDE OF THE THEM CANNOT BE REMOVED AS IT IS A SEALED UNIT. THE BALLAST AND THE BULB CAN BE REPLACED BUT THE WIRING/TERMINALS CANNOT BE. ADDITIONALLY, EVEN IF THOSE COMPONENTS COULD BE CHANGED AND THE LIGHTS MIRACULOUSLY CAME BACK TO LIFE, THEY WOULD FAIL AGAIN IN SHORT ORDER DUE TO THE CONDENSATION ISSUE. SIMPLY BUYING A NEW HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY IS THE OBVIOUS FIX BUT EACH UNIT COSTS < $1,250 + TAX AND INSTALLATION, WHICH BY THE WAY, INVOLVES REMOVAL OF THE ENTIRE FRONT FASCIA...ANOTHER $300. THEREFORE HAVING TO SPEND AROUND $3,000 TO GET ONES HEADLAMPS TO FUNCTION IS THE ONLY RECOURSE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION BECAUSE THE LAMPS CAN JUST BLINK OFF WITHOUT ANY NOTIFICATION WHILE DRIVING WITH THE ONLY FIX BEING OBSCENELY EXPENSIVE.
TAKATA RECALL - THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE BALLAST IN THE HID HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY FOR THE CXL TURBO MODEL. THE SEAL MAY BE FAULTY DUE TO THE HEADLAMP SHORTING OUT EXCEPT FOR THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS. THEY SHORTED OUT RIGHT AFTER A HEAVY DOWNPOUR AND I WAS STOPPED BY A POLICE OFFICER AND TOLD THAT THEY (THE HEADLIGHTS) WERE OUT. I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND LOOKED AT THE THE LIGHTS ONLY TO REALIZE THAT THEY HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND THERE WAS MOISTURE IN THE ASSEMBLY ITSELF.
I HAVE HAD THE DRIVER'S SIDE HID HEADLIGHT BALLAST REPLACED 3 TIMES IN 9 MONTHS DUE TO MOISTURE IN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS CONDENSATION IN THE HEADLIGHTS AND THEY FAILED TO OPERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GILBERT CHEVROLET (3550 US-441, OKEECHOBEE, FL 34974, (863) 261-8947) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT MOISTURE WAS IN THE HEADLIGHTS AND THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 95303514701. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,579.
I AM SEEING MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES HERE: HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/BUICK/REGAL/HEADLIGHTS-PROBLEMS.PHP ON MY BUICK, I AM HAVING THE SAME EXACT ISSUES. FOR SOME REASON, THERE IS CONDENSATION/WATER ENTERING THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING AND CAUSING THE BALLAST AND BULB TO FAIL. BUICK WANTED $1,215.00 TO REPAIR THE HEADLIGHTS. ONE PERSON IN THE SITE ABOVE SAID THE FOLLOWING: "THIS IS DUE TO A FAULTY SEAL BETWEEN THE OUTER AND INNER SHELL ASSEMBLY. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE, AS THE VEHICLE MAY LOOSE ALL HEADLIGHTS AND CAUSE THE DRIVER TO CRASH. THE ASSEMBLIES ARE VERY COSTLY TO REPLACE AND THE ISSUE IS VERY COMMON ON ALL 2011 THOUGH 2017 REGAL AND GS MODELS WITH HID. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE FIXED BY THE MANUFACTURER. NEW ASSEMBLIES WILL RESULT IN THE SAME SAFETY ISSUE IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. THIS COULD BE A DESIGN FLAW OR A MANUFACTURING FLAW. . . REGARDLESS, IT IS VERY DANGEROUS!." I AM IN A MAJOR PREDICAMENT. I CAN'T AFFORD THE NEW HEADLIGHTS, AND EVEN IF I COULD, THIS PERSON IS STATING THAT THEY ARE LIKELY TO FAIL AGAIN. ALSO, THE WAY THIS BUICK IS DESIGNED, I WAS ABLE TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WITH A MORE INEXPENSIVE BULB. I COULD NOT EASILY REPLACE THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT, OR ANOTHER BULB THAT IS OUT. THE DESIGN IS A SAFETY RISK AS I CAN'T AFFORD THE DEALERS'S REPAIR COSTS AND CANNOT DO IT MYSELF. THE WASHER FLUID BOTTLE IS IN THE WAY AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO EASILY REMOVE THE HEADLIGHT. THIS PUTS ME AT RISK FOR A CRASH AND ALSO A TICKET FROM POLICE. BUICK SHOULD FIX THIS FOR ALL REGALS WITH THIS ISSUE - ESPECIALLY SINCE THEIR VEHICLES ARE SO INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE ANYWAY..
BOTH SEALED HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES HAVE FAILED AND NOW HAVE CONDENSATION INSIDE OF THEM. THE LIGHTS ARE STILL FUNCTIONAL BUT I AM AFRAID OF A SHORT CIRCUIT. THE DEALER WANTED $1,000 PER HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY TO REPLACE. THIS VEHICLE STILL HAS UNDER 50,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAPPENED WHILE IT WAS JUST SITTING THERE, BUT I DO DRIVE THROUGH RAIN.
I HAVE HAD THE HEADLIGHTS REPLACED TWICE. WHERE YOU PLUG IN THE HEADLIGHT (LOW BEAM), IT MELTS AND THE HEADLIGHT WILL NOT WORK ANYMORE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE HEAD LAMP FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT REMOVED THE ASSEMBLY AND FOUND THAT THE PLUG THAT CONNECTS TO LIGHT BULB WAS MELTED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER KEN FOWLER BUICK OF UKIAH CALIFORNIA AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEY DID NOT SELL JUST THE PLUG; THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE PURCHASED. . THE FOLLOWING WEEK THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED, BUT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THE PLUG WAS BURNED INTENSIVELY, THAT EVEN THE HARNESS WAS MELTED ON THIS OCCASION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000. *TT *CN
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.
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