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2002 Buick RegalProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 117 owner complaints about the 2002 Buick Regal, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 3 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-701 the manufacturer reports only 26% of affected cars repaired.

2002 Buick Regal
47
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.1× the Regal median · #11 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls3Lowest repair rate 26%Owner complaints11728 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage88kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 11, 2024. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2002 Buick Regal has problems

117 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
Electrical system362
Engine3316
Engine and engine cooling175
Visibility70
Exterior lighting60
Seats51
Wheels40
Fuel system, gasoline41
Service brakes, hydraulic40
13 other systems264

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

3 recalls

2002 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 →

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 electrical system problems start?

88kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 28 electrical system complaints. 68% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
2under 30k miles19under 100k miles9100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2002 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

2002 Buick Regal safety ratings

2002 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 2002 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 electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

SINCE THE RECALL ON THE VALVE COVER(S) BEEN HAVING IGNITION PROBLEMS. THE CAR 'S ENGINE STOPS RUNNING PROBABLY DUE TO ELECTRICAL PROBLEM OR SOME OTHER PROBLEM, EG IGNITION SWITCH. THEN IT IS DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO START THE CAR. AFTER A START, HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING THE CAR HOME. RIGHT MOW…
Complaint 10939299 · Jan 3, 2017 · 148,000 miles
I HAVE 2002 BUICK REGAL,HAD FIXED FOR LOW COOLANT LIGHT SIGN PROBLEM SEVERAL TIME BY DEALER, LAST REPAIR WAS DONE 1-26-2016 BY DEALER AND DO NOT SHOW ANY MORE LOW COOLANT SIGN OF LIGHT, 20 DAYS LATER MY CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF ROAD, I TOWED IT TO SAME DEALER, DEALER TOLD ME THAT TRANSMISSION…
Complaint 10874799 · Jun 17, 2016 · 68,300 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF…
Complaint 10725904 · Jun 18, 2015 · 166,000 miles

Own a 2002 Regal?

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