Buick Regal

jackjt · December 2001

Bought one about a year ago and have truly enjoyed it. No quality issues, love the power...

No regrets!

Bushwack · December 2001

Seems like the next generation Regal/Grand Prix has been delayed (possibly cancelled). More info can be found at <http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=4485&sid=173&n=156>

If the above link doesn't work, head on to <http://www.thecarconnection.com/> and click the link titled: TCCs Daily Edition: 12/19/01.

armtdm · December 2001

A 2000 GSE now with 16,000 miles. Great power, good highway car.

terrible handling on corners, feels like a Mack truck
less then great stopping power
Poor wiper blade/hood configuration, cannot lift blades from the down position due to hood being in the way.
Performce shift feature is useless, cannot determine any difference in anything when on.

Oil leak at 750 miles due to all oil pan gaskets not torqued properly from factory
Aig bag light will sometimes malfunction and stay on when too much baggage or weight in rear
No other issues since the oil pan problem, have not brought it back for light as it does nto stay on all the time and they will just say they cannot find the problem until it does!

As this is a company car I purchased it at a real bargain (Feb of 2001 so it was sitting a while) and I can live with items I did not like for three years. Price was the main issue.
Would I buy one for myself with my money, probably not, too many other choices that look better and handle and perform better for around the same bucks..

jackjt · December 2001

Gee, you must have got a lemon!

My 01 GS for the price has been and is a real bargain. What else are you going to get for around 28K that beats the GS for power, luxury and reliability?

armtdm · December 2001

As I said, I got a great deal
2000 GSE with 500 miles sitting on lot in Feb 2001
Sticker was around $28,000.
Invoice around $26,000
There was a $2000 rebate on the 2000 models to unload them
I offered $23,000 in early Feb 2001 take it or leave it. They left it.
Feb 27th they called and said if you still want the car you can have it for $23,000
So, that is why I have the 2000 Regal GSE. Price was the sole determining factro

Bushwack · December 2001

I have a 2000 GS w/ 17,000 miles with little to complain about.

I had a rattle in my sunroof which, after the third visit to the dealer to address this problem, a mechanic rubbed some rubber rejuvinator along the weather stripping and it hasn't rattled since.

I had an EGR valve that needed replacement a couple weeks after ownership. Took an hour wait at the dealer to get that replaced.

ARMTDM, the windshield wiper is issue is tacky and minor. Just turn on the wipers and shut off the power mid-way thru its cycle.

Oil pan issue, air bag light...sh*t happens (like my EGR valve and sunroof rattle). My sister has 2,000 miles on her 2002 Lexus LS400 and has already returned to the dealer twice for an electrical issue (one being the dash doesn't illuminate when the headlights are on).

I agree the cost I paid for the car is what turned me away from getting an Acura (nearly the same deal you got from the dealer). But I can't think of another car for $23-$25K in the marketplace with similar features and performance. I suppose the Maxima would be next on the list for $5000 more.

armtdm · December 2001

Previous two cars were Maximas,a 95 and a 98. Neither one went in for any warranty work or any work in the period I had them. So to me, anything that smacks of poor workmanship is not good. Loose bolts is poor quality control at the factory.

bporter1 · December 2001

I own a 99' Regal GSE. It has 44,400 miles on it. The car is great, it rides well, handles decent, and seats 5 comfortably. The power is awesome. My car has had some minor issues though, sunroof problem (twice), power window motor burnout on passenger side and the climate control display was going dim. All repaired under warranty. And to answer your question, yes I would buy another Regal.

armtdm · December 2001

I find it interesting that the above posters would buy another Buick given the several minor porblems each has had. Have we become so accustomed to poor quality and workmanship that we feel it is okay to have to return to the dealer, waste our ever decreasing valuable time, the hassle is unbelievable just to bring it in and this is OKAY? Sunroofs, climate controls, loose bolts, come on!

Guess you guys never owned a car that required no warranty work? It is a pleasure believe me!

99gs · December 2001

I have a 99Gs, 43K, and really like the characteristics of the car. I bought it mostly for the ride and room and of course the gitty up. I still have an open issue with Buick regarding a poping noise in the front end during turns. The dealer recognizes the problem, but can't figure out what needs to be fixed. A Buick field engineer is next on the list. Other wise I love the car, really like the new tires. Put some Mich Symmetry tires on and had them siped. The car rides and handles beautifully with them. Jack

gweilo · December 2001

Have you considered the ISS according to this bulletin?

Affected Vehicles:
1997-2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue
1999 Buick Regal
2000-2002 Buick LeSabre, Cadillac DeVille and Seville, Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, Pontiac Bonneville and Sunfire
2001-2002 Buick Regal, Oldsmobile Aurora

Some customers may comment on a clunk noise from the front of the vehicle when turning. This condition may also be felt throught the steering wheel when turned from stop to stop with the vehicle stationary. The clunk may be heard at 180° or 360° of wheel rotation in either direction.

This condition is commonly misdiagnosed as originating in the steering gear. Actually, it may be caused by inadequate lubrication of the steering intermediate shaft.

99gs · December 2001

Thanks for the info. They replaced that shaft two visits ago. Subsquently they have replaced just about every front end part including the struts and joist bearings. Still have the noise.

gweilo · December 2001

You mean it appears to be fixed at time of "repair" but comes back?

gweilo · December 2001

You mean it appears to be fixed at time of "repair" but comes back?
In the case of the Impala, There are old and new parts, the new having been redesigned to fix the problem. Of course, it might not have remedied teh problem for the long haul..i.e. it could still be the ISS

yurakm · December 2001

Strange thing, but 2000 Regal was not mentioned in the TSB. Before and after, but not 2000. Did the 2000 model have different ISS?

mrrogers · December 2001

I have a 2001 LS with 29,000 miles, and a 1998 LS with 82,000 miles. The 01 is my company car, and the 98 is my previous company car. JD Power and Associates and Consumer Reports magazine both rate the car as average, and I would agree. Neither car has ever failed me, but the 98 has had an oil leak from day one that the dealer is unable to fix. Several times all the dash lights have come on at one time while cruising only to go out a minute later. I agree with the recent Car & Driver article that placed the car last in a field of eight mid size cars. They should make the GS suspension standard on all Regals. Eibach makes progressive rate springs for some cars which offer a good ride, but a stffer suspension as the spring is loaded in a turn or during braking. GM could work with Eibach to make a better spring for the Regal. I would not buy a 2002 Regal if I were spending my own money. Car and Driver tested a 2001 Hyundai XG300, and said it was comparable it some ways to the Lexus ES300. JD Power said the reliability of the Hyundai is about average, and equal to Chevrolet. The resale value is not good, so I would probably lease a Hyundai XG350 if I was in the market for a 2002. I don't hold out much hope for Buick Motorcar Division. GM has given up on Oldsmobile, and Buick might be next.

pacinpelo · December 2001

I have to agree. American car makers have a lot to learn about quality. There is no reason for any of the challenges I or anyone has had with their Regals.

I love my Regal but like any other American car I have learned to live with this. GM altenators are number one on my list. On the other side I am sure there are the stories to be told about the Hondas, Nissans, etcs of the world you just don't hear them that much.

pacinpelo · December 2001

If Lutz's comments on the next gen Regal being postponed are true. Thank the MAN upstairs. The '03-04 Regal was ugly and uninspiring and would not even make my list of looking at when it came time to get a new car.
Lets hope the NEW Regal betters the one we have.

jackjt · December 2001

I agree that 03/04 Regal that we have seen was and is unexciting. I surely wouldn't have bought it. Let's hope that Lutz can breath some life into the Buick Division so it won't go the way of OLDS. However, dropping the Bengal doesn't bode well?

ehaase · December 2001

I agree with Lutz dropping the Bengal - the Corvette and upcoming Cadillac CLR or XLR are enough.

Frankly, most people wanting vehicles bigger than the Regal want an SUV. GM would make more money giving Buick the Olds Bravada SUV and Silhouette minivan when Oldsmobile is dropped than developing a sports coupe or luxury sedan.

The Regal and LeSabre (with an Ultra version to replace the Park Avenue) are sufficient for the sedan market. Big sedans just don't sell well anymore.

one2one · December 2001

Someone on the Intrigue forum mentioned (don't remember if there was a reference) that the Bravada will go to Buick. That would fill nicely in the lineup and give Buick a competitive advantage by offering an entry level SUV and a "real" SUV.

99gs · December 2001

Since my last post about the turning noise the problem has been past on to a Buick field engineer who may or may not appear. Most if not all front end parts have been replaced at the dealership under warranty even though there were 42K miles on the car. The dealer can't figure out where the noise is coming from. A service writer speculated that it might be a broken weld. One of the techs thought it could be the firewall. I have a case number at Buick and they promise to keep following up. If anyone has any tips at this point about how to proceed I would be very appreciative. I really like the Regal. I don't like the popping noise as I'm making turns.

tomcat630 · January 2002

I heard that the Century will be "merged" into the Regal line, such that there may be a "cheap" Regal. Anyone heard more?

ehaase · January 2002

Yes, it will happen when the Regal is redesigned for 2004 or 2005. Some spy shots of the Regal appeared in magazines several months ago, but it appears that Lutz may have sent the car back to the design studio.

teo · January 2002

I think you have even a bigger problem in your hands: A very incompetent dealer!

Bushwack · January 2002

As expceted, Buick didn't have much on display. Sure, the entire Buick car/suv line was open and available to the masses. The Rendevous was the focus of the Buick line. But look at the competition and you can see how tired the Buick models are. Take the Maxima, Acura TL - even the Ford Taurus. These cars looked much fresher then the Regal or Century yet they only had minor face lifts (I'm talking cosmetically). Buick needs to put some competitive accessories in the Regal (HomeLink, eye glass holder). I'm talking items that add little dollar$ to the bottom line.

Anyway, looks like the manufacturers are either going cutting edge (CTS) with creased corners or for a more rounded but aggressive look (Chrysler, MB, Nissan). I think the latter will prevail. If ya'll have an auto show coming to your area,... enjoy!

armtdm · January 2002

Has anyone repalced these by themself?

Air filter looks simple enough but what about the passenger air filter?

2000 Buick GSE

obyone · January 2002

accessed through the engine compartment where the a/c vent is near the wipers. Your owner's manual should have more detail on this.

nels1 · January 2002

to change the interior air filter, I lie down until the feeling passes. I think someone holds it up and they build the car around it.

yurakm · January 2002

there is a very good description on the following site:

http://home.hawaii.rr.com/impala/Cabin_airfilter.html

obyone · January 2002

air filter on a regal....cause that impala is a nightmare....took all of 15 minutes from beginning to end to change the cabin air filter on my '97.5 regal GS.

grssrac · January 2002

This may be helpful...I did a "cut and paste" from this discussion about six months ago on the cabin filter replacement, but I still have not actually changed the cabin filter yet :-) Here it is:

1. Turn on wipers, then turn off when they are in the up position.

2. Remove windshield washer pump hose from the fender rail and air inlet grille. (The hose slides towards rear from under brackets. Lift over fender rail on far right side).

3. Reposition hood weatherstrip from passenger's side of vehicle. (Lift up end on far right side and pull up slowly, but stop when you get half way across).

4. Disconnect air inlet grille retainers. (Again, just need to do the passenger side. There are 3 retainers: one large round one that simply unscrews by hand; and two smaller ones that you gently pop up with a screw driver. The pop ups are in two pieces. Pop up the plug from inside the outer retainer, then grip the outer retainer with your fingers and remove. Careful. Don't drop these parts behind the engine).

5. Disconnect the air inlet grille. (I used a screw driver to gently pry under the grille closest to engine. Also, you'll need to carefully pull up the section of grille under the far right side from under the top of the right fender. Again you just need to pry up the passenger half of the grille.

6. Remove the passenger compartment air filter. (There's a loop you can grab and pull on. Won't come straight out. Must kind of maneuver it to one side and pull out the long way. I think I got the passenger side end started first, then turned it so it came out length-wise. It was filthy!!!).

7. Install new air filter. (The "fun" part. It won't go straight in, and if you force it the element will just bend or compress itself out of shape. Use a good light and look inside where it is supposed to go and you'll see brackets in the very back on both the left and right sides. The trick is to get the rear corners of filter into those brackets. I think I slid driver's side of filter in first, then gently started passenger side, then used a 10" magnetic pickup - or anything that's long and skinny that won't tear the filter - to gently push the driver and passenger sides into their rear brackets. Probably won't work the first time, but be patient with it and it try again. When done be sure foam gasket around front of filter is pushed down into housing before replacing air inlet grille).

8. (Put it all back together. Line the retainer holes of air inlet grille up with the holes in the body beneath - you may need to pull the grille slightly to the passenger side. The retainers you removed with a screw driver go in next. Push in outer part first, then note how inner plugs are shaped and line them up to fit the shape of the hole of the outer part. Push in with your thumb. Screw on larger round retainer, then put weatherstrip and windshield washer pump hose back. Done).

ruski · January 2002

they reminded me of the Skylark and that was not a very pretty car.

stepank · January 2002

I am renting now Chevy Monte Carlo. Good chance to compare two cars. Buick Regal LS and Monte Carlo. (Monte Carlo uses the same platform as the current Chevy Impala sedan and the Pontiac Grand Prix and the Buick regal). I was impressed quality of Chevys ride. Ride itself is firm, but very isolated. Suspension absorbs bumps very well. I couldnt say the same about Buick. Buicks suspension resonates on every big bump, and it leaves unpleasant feeling. Both of the cars are relatively new (10K and 20K). I am trying to figure out, is it problem with my Buick or it should be this way. Any ideas.

pacinpelo · January 2002

A couple months back my Regal was taken off the road because a body seam was leaking water in the car. Allegedly fixed with all new inside carpet I am back to the dealer again to address the problem. A puddle of water in the passenger side front floorboard under the carpet.

one2one · January 2002

I had the same problem with my Intrigue except it wasn't related to any body seam. Do you live on a street with a lot of trees? And do you see this problem only during/after it rains? My problem was that leaves built up in the area below the wiper and clogged something causing water to build up in the passenger's floorboard when it rained. It was a very inexpensive fix and the problem went away.

Hope that helps.

pacinpelo · January 2002

Not really (trees). What did they do to fix the Intrigue for you? I thought it was related at first to the evaporator housing or the run off from the air not escaping out of the car but the dealer said all that was fine.

Who knows. I will have Buick on the phone again to document the details just in case it is a LEM.. only two letters left to spell LEMON.

one2one · January 2002

I honestly don't remember. I went into my records to see if there was anything I could find to help you. After the car got totalled (got another one after that) I shreaded the old service records since I no longer needed them. But what you say about the run off sounds familiar. I do remember, in my case, the leaves contributing to the problem. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

dfritz1 · January 2002

My 01 LS does not bottom out (resonate) at all. If you have touring supension,my guess is you have less than 30 psi in your tires. (worth a try).

wkb4447 · January 2002

I've posted about this before. I have a '98 LS and while I love the tight and responsive steering, I feel every bump in the road. It rides the worst on concrete interstate, and best on new asphalt. One person here suggested that changing the original tires to something other than Goodyear might help. I've heard that Michelins drive better on this car, but don't know. Still have too many miles to go on my current tires to change them out. Another poster suggested that the "gran touring" suspension is just hard and that it takes getting used to. I've driven other Regals - earlier years - and did not experience the roughness of this one. Any other suggestions?

one2one · January 2002

Try installing a rear strut tower brace (it's actually the same as the one on the front strut towers but can be used on the rear). We over on the Intrigue forum (including myslef) have installed them and the ride is incredibly improved. Although the suspension is tuned differently on the Regal vs. the Intrigue, they are still both W-body cars. The STB (strut tower brace) subject has been a hot topic over there for a few weeks now (start around post 5716 on the Oldmobile Intrigue thread), so you will get a good idea of how it will change the ride.

Here's the part number: 12456148. Just go to any GM dealer's parts dept, give them this number and for $12 (give or take depending on taxes) you'll have the part in one day. To install it on the rear, you'll have to file the holes so that they fit over the bolt. After that, unscrew the screw on the bolt on the strut tower in the trunk, drop the STB on, tighten the screw back on the bolt then drive!

On the Intrigue, the bumps are more noticable but more comfortable. Every last one of us has described the ride this way but it's actually a compliment. None of us can really nail down a description of how it feels. Kind of like The Matrix :-) If nothing else, handling will improve tremendously. For $12, you won't find a performance/ride upgrade this noticable for this price.

mwdream · January 2002

Sometimes my car wont start, wont even crank. When it does start all the lights on the dash come on, sometimes the speedo goes crazy.

I'll use the turn signal and the car will die. Radio and AC don't seem to effect the car from shutting down. Only the turn signals?

Sometimes when car starts, the shift is frozen in park and won't come out.

Anyone else have similar problems please contact me ASAP at mwdream@aol.com

Thank you...

one2one · January 2002

Sounds like an alternator problem may be part of the problem.

nels1 · January 2002

yurakm · January 2002

The big complicated electrical switch in the steering wheel column, operated by the "universal stalk" often is a weak point. Given the turn signals also are operated through the switch, possibly the problem is here.

My 2000 Regal used to disengage cruise control when using turn signals when I bought it. After replacing the switch the problem disappear.

However, it is not cheap. The switch itself costs about $300, if I remember it right.

mwdream · January 2002

The dealer did mention something about the instrument cluster... I was thinking something behind the dash???

Maybe they were referring to this switch in the steering column your referring to...

Figures it's not as simple as a fuse...

I am also needing a new Belt Tensioner... makes rattling noises, like it has come loose... anyone having this problem? Car is at 45,000 miles. I am starting to wonder if I should have bought the Accord.

garypc · January 2002

Thanks for calling me, Mark. I had forgotten some of the other problems your post mentions... locked shifter, directionals stalling the car, but I had those also. It has been over 8 months now since those problems 'just stopped' happening. Very strange. I still think manufactures set these things to happen at certain miles! :-)

As I mentioned, about a month after they stopped, another phantom actually started lowering my power driver window upon starting the car. I could put it up, but then not put it down again. This happened maybe 4 times, then also went away.

QUESTION for everyone: How do you RESET the "Low Tire" light on the dash? It worked great to let me know my tire was going flat, but won't reset per the owners manual instructions. Is there another way to calibrate it? Thanks!

pinetted · January 2002

Garypc, you have to open the fuse panel cover, its on the passenger side of the dash. Open the passenger door and you will see it. Pull the cover off and hold the reset button down for about ten seconds and it will reset the warning light. I beleave the car has to be running when you do this.

mwdream · January 2002

Stalled again this morning while driving. Had to turn on headlights to start ??? If you live in Clearwater FL and see a Regal GS with its lights on all day its me.

I'll keep the board posted as to the progress and/or solution to this....

saile · January 2002

Has anyone experimented with Other Guy Headers???
I'm seriously considering headers...I'd like to know of any difficulties???

Buick Regal

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