1987 Buick Regal problems & reliability
25 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1987 Buick Regal. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1987 Buick Regal vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 16 | 64% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 12% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 8% |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 4% |
| Steering | 1 | 4% |
| Suspension | 1 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 1 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 4% |
| Wheels | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Brakes at times take excessive effort to stop car. Has happened several times without any warning and will then work normal again. This is a turbo regal equipped with a power master brake system unique to these cars. This is a common problem on these cars and should be looked into as it is very unsafe to have a brake…”
Service Brakes · filed Jun 1, 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 1987 buick regal. While driving approximately 40 mph, the brake warning light illuminated as the brakes became extremely resistant and difficult to depress. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing where the mechanic advised the contact that the master brake system…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed May 9, 2012
“Hi, there was no incident, but I did called gm about the following and their responses, there was no "u.s. Powermaster recall" on my vehicle. Can you please research this link (http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/brakes/usrecall.html) and see if my vin # I added is included in the powermaster recall? Thank you *tr”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Oct 13, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SUB-FRAME ABSORBER FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE94048 · opened Jun 21, 1994 · closed Dec 30, 1994
- STICKING THROTTLE
Engineering Analysis EA92024 · opened Jun 26, 1992 · closed Jan 31, 1994
- STEERING WHEEL SEPARATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE91072 · opened May 1, 1991 · closed Jul 8, 1991
- CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE90014 · opened Oct 31, 1989 · closed Feb 28, 1990
- PARKING BRAKE CABLE
Preliminary Evaluation PE89145 · opened Jul 21, 1989 · closed Sep 22, 1989
- THROTTLE NON-RETURN
Compliance Investigation C89001 · opened Mar 6, 1989 · closed Jan 16, 1990
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1987 Buick Regal in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1987 Buick Regal?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.