RoadVitals

2013 Buick Regal Powertrain (other) Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Powertrain (other) reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Mar 13, 2025
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
10%
of 91 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2013 Buick Regal submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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.

Owner reports naming powertrain

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

ElectricalEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Mar 13, 2025

I have a continuous problem where the vehicle goes into limp mode/reduce power mode it studders and stalls out. The check engine and stabilitrak light comes on. It is extreamly dangerous at it happens on the road and in traffic. I have thousands of dollars, a new thortle body sensor, a new crank positioner, new timing chain, new ECM, new gaskets and so much more.

NHTSA ID
11648213
Incident
Mar 13, 2025
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 2, 2021

MY 2013 BUICK REGAL VIN:[XXX] IS HAVING ONE OF THE 3 RECALL ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE LISTED. ISSUE #13V173, MY CAR WILL NOT START AND THE BATTERY IS LOSING POWER. I REPLACE THE BATTERY AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE BATTERY IS GOOD AS WELL AS THE ALTERNATOR BUT WHEN I TOOK MY CAR TO BUICK, I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE GENERAL CONTROL MODULE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE NHTSA DOES NOT HAVE MY VIN LISTED AS ONE OF THE AFFECTED 2013 REGAL MODELS BUT IN MY OPINION, IT SHOULD BE LISTED. I AM ATTACHING A SCREENSHOT OF THE PART AND REPAIR LISTED FOR MY VEHICLE. THE PART IS $929 TO REPLACE. PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID
11398766
Incident
Feb 13, 2021
EnginePowertrain (other)Steering
Filed Sep 14, 2020
Fire reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOSS ACCELERATION, STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. IN ANOTHER WHEN TURN OFF THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ROLL DRIVER SIDE WINDOW UP, THE TRUNK OPEN AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPER INDEPENDENTLY START TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ED MARTIN BUICK GMC, 9896 N MICHIGAN RD, CARMEL, IN 46032, AND WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN DETACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIR DUE TO THE REPAIR FEES. FIVE CODE ALSO CAME UP, P0131, P0016, P0017, P0014 AND P0171. AND LEAVING THE DEALER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TIMING CHAIN, BALANCE CHAFF, CHAIN KIT, TIMING COVER GASKET SET, CAM COVER GASKET SET AND TWO CAMSHAFT SENSORS, WERE REPLACED. THE WHILE LEAVING THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE VEHICLE LOSS ACCELERATION, HEAT BLOWING AT THE FLOW BOARD AN UNKNOWN ODOR ENTERED THE VEHICLE CABIN COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A BUICK DEALER. WHILE ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER, THE PARK TO DRIVE GEAR WAS CLUNKING AND JERKING FROM 3RD TO 2ND AND 4TH TO 3RD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN SEVEN TIMES TO THE SAME DEALER. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT SHE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP BUT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE A FAILURE. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE VEHICLE LOSS ACCELERATION AND JERKING IN GEARS, HEAT ENTERING THE VEHICLE CABIN AND SQUEALING. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE BATTERY COVER WAS MELTED ON ONE SIDE. NO INDICATION ON THE OVERHEAT THAT LEVEL THE TEMPERATURE GAGE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 81,290.

NHTSA ID
11354914
Incident
Dec 18, 2019
Mileage
81,290 mi
ElectricalPowertrain (other)Steering
Filed Aug 16, 2019

AT LESS THAN 90K MILES MY POWER STEERING ABRUPTLY WITHOUT WARNING STOPPED WORKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR. MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL ABRUPTLY WITHOUT WARNING STAY STUCK IN A LOW GEAR WHILE I AM DRIVING. I TURN OFF THE CAR AND START IT AGAIN AND IT'S FINE. MY COMPUTER SCREEN WILL GO BLACK AND STAY THAT WAY, WHICH CONTROLS THE RADIO, NAVIGATION, ETC., THEN IT WILL BEGIN WORKING AGAIN AFTER A FEW MINUTES, HOURS, DAYS, JUST WHENEVER IT DECIDES TO START WORKING. THE SCREEN HAS ALSO HAD RAPID MOVING LINES OF BLACK AND WHITE. MY LEFT TURN SIGNAL WORKS, BUT YET IT CONSTANTLY HAS A RAPID TURN SIGNAL SOUND LIKE IT IS GOING OUT OR IS OUT, YET EVEN WHEN I CHANGE THE BULB IT STILL MAKES THE SOUND. THE POWER STEERING I JUST FIXED A MONTH AGO, ALL OTHER ISSUES ARE ON GOING.

NHTSA ID
11244548
Incident
Aug 1, 2019
Body & structureDriver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Sep 8, 2018

I PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE AND STOPPED. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BREAK AND THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD, RUNNING INTO A WOODEN RAIL FENCE. THE FENCE WHICH WAS OLD, WAS KNOCKED DOWN. IT ALL HAPPENED SO QUICKLY, I WASN'T SURE IF I HAD HIT THE ACCELERATOR. TWO DAYS LATER I MADE A NORMAL STOP IN TRAFFIC. AFTER BREAKING, THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD. I PUSHED ON THE BREAK PEDAL TO STOP THE CAR, BEFORE IT COULD HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THIS TIME I WAS SURE MY FOOT HAD NOT HIT THE GAS PEDAL. I AM NOW GIVING THE CAR EXTRA BREAKING DISTANCE. IN EITHER CASE, I DIDN'T NOTICE IF THE TACHOMETER INCREASED RPM OR NOT, THOUGH WITH THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION RPM MUST HAVE INCREASED.

NHTSA ID
11128252
Incident
Sep 5, 2018
Mileage
66,450 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 27, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF HIS CHILD WHO OWNS A 2013 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING, THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER NOTICED DEBRIS ON THE ROADWAY. SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND THE E-ASSIST FUNCTION ACTIVATED. AFTER THE DEBRIS WAS REMOVED FROM THE ROAD, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VYLETEL VOLKSWAGEN BUICK GMC (40555 VAN DYKE AVE, STERLING HEIGHTS, MI 48313, (586) 977-2800) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000.

NHTSA ID
11114113
Incident
Apr 5, 2018
Mileage
165,000 mi
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Dec 5, 2017
Crash reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BUICK REGAL. WHILE THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO PARALLEL PARK, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING AND CRASHED INTO TWO PARKED VEHICLES. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED AND WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO THE DEALER (DALESSIO CHEVROLET BUICK IN BOONTON, NJ, 973-334-2000) WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT IT WAS AN UNKNOWN ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.

NHTSA ID
11052562
Incident
Sep 8, 2017
Mileage
40,000 mi
Fuel systemPowertrain (other)
Filed Oct 22, 2016

I HAVE A BUICK POWER ADD ON SYSTEM THAT IS 50 STATE CARB LEGAL CALLED THE STAGE ONE KIT OFFERED BY GM THE KIT CONSISTS OF AN AIR INTAKE AND A SOFTWARE CALIBRATION. AMONG ALL THE ISSUES I HAVE BEEN HAVING WITH THE CAR THEIR FINAL SOLUTION WAS TO INSTALL THE OEM CALIBRATION AND FUEL TABLES BUT LEAVE THE THE STAGE ONE KIT INSTALLED. I BELIEVE THIS MAKES MY CAR NON-50 STATE EMISSIONS COMPLIANT. PART NUMBER FOR STAGE KIT IS 12653664. THE ISNTALLATION MANUAL SPECIFICALLY MENTIONS NOT DRIVING WITHOUT THE CALIBRATION UPDATE FROM THE DEALER. I HAVE NO WAY OF PUTTING IT BACK IN.

NHTSA ID
10918057
Incident
Oct 19, 2016
Mileage
28,300 mi
ElectricalEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Oct 22, 2016

CODES PRESENT IN COMPUTER ARE P1101 AIR INTAKE PERFORMANCE, P0101 MASS AIR FLOW CIRCUIT A FAILURE. THE CAR HAS REDUCED POWER AND SURGING DURING ACCELERATION. STUMBLING AT START UP. THE VEHICLE'S TURBO WASTEGATE FAILS TO CLOSE BEFORE 3,500 RPM THEREFORE CAUSING A SEVERE SPOOL TIME ON TURBOCHARGER THE MANUFACTURE IS UNABLE TO REPAIR AS PER THE 4 MONTHS THE CAR HAS BEEN BEING DIAGNOSED AND FINALLY THE SERVICE MANAGER HAS ADMITTED THEY ARE UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. CORPORATE GM IN INVOLVED ALONG WITH FIELD TECHNICIANS. SINCE THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN RETURNED TO ME STILL FAILING NOW HAS ACTIVE CODES FOR U0100 LOST COMMUNICATION WITH ECM, U0140 LOST COMMUNICATION WITH BODY CONTROL MODULE, U0128 LOST COMMUNICATION WITH PARKING BRAKE MODULE, U0073 COMMUNICATION BUS A OFF, U0101 LOST COMMUNICATION WITH TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE SINCE THE CAN-BUS IS FAILING THE CAR IS NOW TRYING TO STALL INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING ANY SPEED.

NHTSA ID
10918054
Incident
Oct 21, 2016
Mileage
28,300 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .