1991 Buick Regal problems & reliability
200 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 Buick Regal, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
8 complaints report injuries (8 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1991 Buick Regal vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash 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 | 114 | 57% |
| Structure | 20 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 15 | 8% |
| Seat Belts | 14 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 12 | 6% |
| Steering | 12 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 4% |
| Power Train | 7 | 4% |
| Wheels | 7 | 4% |
| Parking Brake | 6 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Federal authorities are investigating whether general motors hid an ignition switch defect when it filed for bankruptcy in 2009,the justice department's investigation of the automaker includes a probe of whether gm committed bankruptcy fraud by not disclosing the ignition problem, a person briefed on the inquiry…”
Structure · filed May 21, 2014
“Abrupt, total loss of steering control: as the vehicle rolled to a stop at a traffic signal, and loud "bang" was heard and felt coming from the front end of the car. Cautiously moving off from the stop, there was a complete loss of steering control; the steering wheel just spun freely, while the vehicle tracked almost…”
Suspension · filed Mar 21, 2011
“Was traveling on a curve when in split second loss steering and ended off roadway upside down ,it was after about a year I started getting recall notices that said this same thing would happen ,these recalls started in 2000,and 2001 ,and that's when I started to think that infact the bolts failing caused my accident…”
Structure · filed Feb 23, 2010
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STRUCTURE
Investigation RP01001 · opened Nov 28, 2001 · closed Jun 13, 2002 · led to recall 00V189000
- ENGINE CRADLE SEPARATION
Engineering Analysis EA00011 · opened Apr 10, 2000 · closed Jan 12, 2001 · led to recall 00V189000
- ENGINE CRADLE SEPARATION
Recall Query RQ99002 · opened Mar 4, 1999 · open · led to recall 97V058000
- CRADLE BOLT FAILURES
Recall Query RQ97017 · opened Oct 2, 1997 · open · led to recall 97V058000
- CORRODED REAR DISK BRAKES
Preliminary Evaluation PE94063 · opened Aug 12, 1994 · closed Dec 21, 1994
- SUB-FRAME ABSORBER FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE94048 · opened Jun 21, 1994 · closed Dec 30, 1994
- FUEL LINE SEPARATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE93039 · opened Apr 27, 1993 · closed Sep 14, 1993 · led to recall 93V145000
- STICKING THROTTLE
Engineering Analysis EA92024 · opened Jun 26, 1992 · closed Jan 31, 1994
Technical service bulletins
9 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 Buick Regal.
Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
130089009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2013
Customers may complain of grinding / scraping / groaning noise from rear suspension. *tt
990309004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 1999
Some v6 engines may, on a very infrequent basis, have an oil odor condition that is generally encountered after the engine's oil has been changed.typically the odor lasts approximately 1000 miles after the change of oil…
876002A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 1998
Cold start rattle noise (diagnosis/service procedure). *tw
577106A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1997
Cold start rattle noise. *tw
577106A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1996
Cold start rattle noise. *tw
577106 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1995
Rear strut related thumping/squeaking noise. *tw
133405 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 1995
Abs warning light is on. *tw
435012A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 1995
Abs wire harness for the right front wheel may rub on the brake line causing the abs warning light to come on. *tw
435012 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1994
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1991 Buick Regal has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 1991 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.