Menu

2001 Buick RegalProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 187 owner complaints about the 2001 Buick Regal, most often about the engine. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-701 the manufacturer reports only 26% of affected cars repaired.

2001 Buick Regal
34
CarFlaw IndexUse caution2.0× the Regal median · #4 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Lowest repair rate 26%Owner complaints18759 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage123kEngine, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 1, 2024. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2001 Buick Regal has problems

187 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine5225
Engine and engine cooling3417
Electrical system326
Steering140
Vehicle speed control130
Power train110
Service brakes, hydraulic91
Air bags84
Structure73
15 other systems394

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

6 recalls

2001 Buick Regal recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

26%repaired · 2017 Q3

Engine and engine cooling: engine

Recall 15V-701 · Oct 26, 2015 · 1,003,556 vehicles · 265,197 repaired

Risk. Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Engine and engine cooling

Recall 09V-116 · Apr 8, 2009 · 1,497,516 vehicles

Risk. IF THE MANIFOLD IS HOT ENOUGH AND THE OIL RUNS BELOW THE HEAT SHIELD, IT MAY IGNITE INTO A SMALL FLAME AND MAY SPREAD TO THE PLASTIC SPARK PLUG WIRE CHANNEL…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Engine and engine cooling

Recall 08V-118 · Mar 12, 2008 · 207,542 vehicles

Risk. CERTAIN UNDERHOOD FIRES MAY BE CAUSED BY DROPS OF ENGINE OIL, FROM SEEPAGE OR SPILLAGE, BEING DEPOSITED ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD THROUGH HARD BRAKING.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls
–no report yet

Air bags: side/window

Recall 00V-371 · Nov 13, 2000 · 12 vehicles

Risk. IF THE INFLATOR SEPARATES, THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY PROPERLY DURING A CRASH AND OCCUPANT PROTECTION WOULD BE REDUCED.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Buick.

Mileage at failure

When do engine problems start?

123kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 28 engine complaints. 21% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
0under 30k miles6under 100k miles22100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2001 vs. every other Regal year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Regal median. How we score

'73'74'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2001 Buick Regal safety ratings

2001 Buick Regal 4-DR w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2001 Buick Regal, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA02030 · closed Mar 9, 2004
    Led to recall 04V-090
  2. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIREEA07008 · closed May 1, 2008
    Led to recall 08V-118
In owners' words

What Regal owners report

Recent engine complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

On [XXX], my son drove the car to Wendy’s to get lunch around 12:30 pm. He returned, parked the car in the driveway. My son entered the house and while we were eating lunch the doorbell rang, it was the police informing us that my car was on fire in the driveway. The fire department was called and…
Complaint 11569322 · Feb 1, 2024
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 BUICK REGAL. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING FLAMES APPEARED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE CAUSE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED WITH THE ENGINE ON FLAMES WERE SUDDENLY PRESENT COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE…
Complaint 11322853 · Apr 30, 2020 · 100,000 miles
RECALL FIXED THE FRONT VALVE COVER AND THE REAR ONE SHOULD OF BEEN DONE ALSO DUE TO THE LEAKING OF OIL THAT COULD POTENTIALLY START A FIRE FROM LEAKING ON THE BLOCK AND POSSIBLY BURN ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD.
Complaint 11316888 · Mar 8, 2020 · 175,000 miles

Own a 2001 Regal?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.