NHTSA — Electrical System Problems

2011 Buick Regal (Page 3 of 4)

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 7
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
49,639 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2011 Buick Regal electrical problems

electrical problem

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2011 Buick Regal Owner Comments (Page 3 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #28

Sep 152016

Regal 4-cyl

  • 50,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. The contact stated that the front driver side seat warmer failed to operate. The dealer stated that the vehicle was unable to be repaired until it was serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 16V517000 (electrical system, seats). The part was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available. Updated 03/03/17 the consumer stated the dealer advised a solution has not been determined yet. Updated 08/17/2017

- Kenosha, WI, USA

problem #27

Aug 122016

Regal

  • miles
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V517000 (electrical system, seats); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Fort Walton Beach, FL, USA

problem #26

Mar 122016

Regal

  • 94,000 miles
I have the recall on the power seat wiring and my heated seats heat to a level then shut off continuously. I have a friend had the same issue in a camaro and had chafed wires to the heated seat. I refuse to pay for this repair and now in Michigan it is very cold and I bought this car to have heated seats for a reason. The copied information is below on the recall. The dealer keeps telling me no parts are available but here I am stuck with a potential fire hazard with no repair. Manufacturer: General Motors llc summary: General Motors llc (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011 Buick Regal vehicles manufactured November 3, 2009, to March 25, 2011, equipped with 8-way power adjustable front seats. The power seat wiring harness may contact the seat frame, causing the wires to chafe. Consequence: Chafed harness wires may cause a short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire. Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and secure the wiring harness, and repair any chafed wires as necessary, free of charge. Remedy parts are currently unavailable. Interim notices were mailed to owners on August 18, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is 30710.

- Adrian, MI, USA

problem #25

Dec 012016

Regal

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2011 Buick Regal. Consumer writes in regards to replacement parts not available to repair recall notice 16V-517.

- Athens, AL, USA

problem #24

Nov 212016

Regal 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V517000 (electrical system, seats). The part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Updated 01/06/2017

- Santa Rosa, CA, USA

problem #23

Jun 072016

Regal

  • miles
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V517000 (electrical system, seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Romulus, MI, USA

problem #22

Sep 202016

Regal 4-cyl

  • 40,105 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My daughter drives our 2011 Buick Regal cxl that we purchased in February 2016. In the last several month the vehicle has stalled, steering locks up, brakes go completely out, it doesn't have an electrical and because it has an electric emergency brake there is no way for her to stop. The first two times she was driving around town and the last time it happened was last week at 70 mph on the highway. She almost hit the car in front of her. Once it coasted to a stop she was able to start it and continue on. This GM vehicle 2011 Buick Regal is a death trap waiting to happen. Don't buy a Buick!!! I picked it up from the local Buick dealer yesterday and they can't do anything. Once the vehicle is restarted after one of these incidents the computers automatically resets and wiped clean of codes without any trace of a problem or issue. All the errors completely disappear. The service person at the dealership asked me if I had a decoder I could plug in right after it happens. This problem is all over the internet and Buick does nothing. You can bet that a GM executive would decline an offer for one of his/her family members to drive it for a while. Make no mistake these cars shut down completely without any warning and absolutely nothing works at the moment. No steering, no brakes, stalled engine, and no electrical. Absolutely nothing!!! all Buick says base on online comments is sorry. Sorry for what" killing people? not giving a [xxx] about my family or yours" if they were sorry they'd step up and do the right thing before its too late and someone dies. Insurance companies are probably paying out lots of money to their insured and the people they hit, injure or kill. I bet they would love to hear more about this issue. Be carefully what you buy because you might be surprised by your car right before you crash. I've always likes GM and Buick but not anymore. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Saint Cloud, MN, USA

problem #21

Jul 012016

Regal

  • miles
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. The contact stated that the manufacturer sent notification of an unknown electrical system recall. It was unknown when the remedy and parts would be supplied to the dealer. The contact was unable to determine when the vehicle would be repaired. In addition, the driver's side electrical functions failed and the contact was unable to adjust the seat, which was stuck in an upright position. Various warning indicators and gauges flickered on the instrument panel. The vehicle was unable to be driven safely due to the multiple failures. The VIN and failure mileage were not available.

- Wedgefield, SC, USA

problem #20

Sep 122016

Regal

  • miles
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V517000 (electrical system, seats); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

- Plymouth, IN, USA

problem #19

Aug 302016

Regal

  • 112,000 miles
Vehicle cut off while I was driving. Loss all control while turning a corner in town

- Cape Girardeau, MO, USA

problem #18

Apr 132015

Regal 4-cyl

  • 12,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. The contact stated that the stability control warning indicator randomly flashed. In addition, upon making a right turn, the vehicle hesitated, shook, and vibrated as if it would stall. The vehicle was taken to two different dealers several times, but the failure was unable to be replicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 12,000. The consumer stated the vehicle was repaired, but it still experienced a slight vibrations.

- Madison Height, VA, USA

problem #17

May 302016

Regal

  • 93,200 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. While driving 35 mph, the front driver's seat adjusted independently. The contact stated that there was an abnormal smoke odor coming from the front driver's seat. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed and repaired. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V517000 (electrical system, seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was concerned that the dealer had not returned the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,200.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #16

Mar 202016

Regal

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owned a 2011 Buick Regal. While the vehicle was parked with the engine turned off, the engine compartment caught fire. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. No injuries were sustained. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center where it was diagnosed that the wiring harness caught fire and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V517000 (electrical system, seats). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.

- Buffalo, NY, USA

problem #15

Jun 112016

Regal

  • 21,200 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. While driving 20 mph, the vehicle stalled and the steering wheel seized without warning. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,200.

- Greeley, CO, USA

problem #14

Feb 062016

Regal

  • 75,900 miles
While driving the car, it stalled and cut off while in the midst of making a right hand turn. All power was on temporarily but the engine was unable to turn over after cutting out. The dealership is unable to diagnose the issue, and apparently the issue has occurred before to the previous owner. The car is still under a 5 year 100,000 powertrain warranty. It appears no proper diagnosis has occurred and this issue has been occurring on the car since approx. 52,000 miles current millage is 75,900. I have referenced previous tsb NHTSA id 10037218 to the dealership and have received no response as of yet as to the underlying issue. I have discovered other owners having similar issues on websites such as carcomplaints.com and various Buick Regal forums. This appears to me as a major safety issue as when the car shuts off it does not power back on, and it cuts seemingly randomly.

- Murrietta, CA, USA

problem #13

Sep 232015

Regal

  • 95,000 miles
The driver side light bulb & connector melted. Bulb can not be replaced because housing is damaged. Contacted the dealer and I was told this is not covered by any recalls. I would be responsible for any parts. This is definitely a factory defect and car is not safe to drive. The only way to fix this per the dealer is to replace complete headlamp assembly.

- Dartmouth, MA, USA

problem #12

Jun 022015

Regal

  • 88,750 miles
The check/service engine light comes on. After a few days it goes away. I have had the codes read and the issue cannot be determined. Sometimes the acceleration from stop does not respond timely. It makes it difficult when merging on freeways. I was almost involved in a car accident when the first incident occurred due to slow response of acceleration. Maf has been clean. The a new maf was installed. Nothing has changed. Also I am not sure if this is related but I cannot run my air conditioner until the car has been running for a few miles. If I do the compressor will make an awful noise. An odor has started to come from the vents when the air is not running.

- Arlington, TX, USA

problem #11

Aug 192015

Regal

  • 59,374 miles
The car stalled today after reversing out of my parking spot and shifting into drive. This is the 3rd time in my 14 months of owning the car that this has happened. It only happens right after turning the car on. The steering goes out and the engine stalls, but the electronics remain on, it's a lot like what happens when you run out of fuel but my tank is full. The dealer cannot replicate the issue and will not do anything. They claim they've never heard of this issue before.

- Mesa, AZ, USA

problem #10

Apr 162015

Regal

  • 95,115 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. The contact stated that the front driver side turn signal, brake, and hazard lighting failed to illuminate sporadically. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the technician was unable to find a failure. The light bulbs were changed, but the failures persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 95,115.

- Bear , DE, USA

problem #9

Oct 152014

Regal

  • 53,000 miles
I bought this 2011 Buick Regal with about 53000 miles on it from a private seller. From the day I got it the stereo, clock, navigation have been a problem. The clock doesn't hold the time, stereo turns off my itself or sometimes makes a loud pop noise and doesn't work. The navigation is in the state of Washington, I live in N.Y. the drivers heated seat doesn't work. The bumper to bumper warranty was up 3000 mile ago, at this point. Later, the timing chain needed to be replaced. The motor made a loud knock and would surge, hesitate and stall. With the timing being off, the transmission wouldn't downshift and was hard to stop the car. Two months later the same symptoms re-occurred. The dealer charged me to diagnose and told me it was down 2 quarts of oil. They changed the oil 2 months prior. Now, I noticed the rear brakes are dragging and don't release sometimes. GM, Buick and two dealer won't do anything about any of this. An expensive car that is barely years old with all these problems. I've seen the service bulletins on all off these problems. No help from GM, just index card readers from the philippines who apologize every thirty seconds and make excuses!

- Amherst, NY, USA

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