1999 Buick Regal problems & reliability
246 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Buick Regal, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. 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.
7 complaints report injuries (7 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Buick Regal vehicles were involved in 8 fatal crashes with 7 occupant deaths. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 49 | 20% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 43 | 17% |
| Electrical System | 42 | 17% |
| Steering | 31 | 13% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 23 | 9% |
| Visibility | 20 | 8% |
| Power Train | 10 | 4% |
| Seat Belts | 10 | 4% |
| Equipment | 8 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 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.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 89,000 miles (middle 50% between 65,000 and 119,000 miles), based on 115 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“07/25/2021 started the motor, in stationary in personal driveway, in idle it began to puff thick white smoke from the tail pipe and exhaust manifold in the engine compartment. Turned engine off within 15 seconds of starting the engine. Left vehicle off for 24 hrs, and tried to turn the motor back on and the engine…”
Visibility/wiper · filed Jan 10, 2021
“Weird engine noise , when switching the ignition switch sometimes delay, also dash lights and headlights also ac doesn't work and low oil , low air , and low coolant lights turn on even if all of them are full at the right level .”
Unknown OR Other · filed Dec 17, 2019
“August 2017', the steering began to pull very slightly left and right at all speeds but more noticeable at low speeds or when turning the wheels at a stop with a very slight clunk noise that got louder over the year. Visible inspection at my repair shop during a flat rear tire repair did not find anything worn out or…”
Steering · filed Sep 11, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
Engineering Analysis EA07008 · opened Jun 12, 2007 · closed May 1, 2008 · led to recall 09V116000
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA02030 · opened Oct 22, 2002 · closed Mar 9, 2004 · led to recall 04V090000
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE02050 · opened Jun 13, 2002 · closed Oct 22, 2002
Technical service bulletins
101 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Buick Regal. The 10 most recent:
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17-NA-073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 21, 2023
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2022
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 31, 2020
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 5, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco Theft Lock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2018
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2017
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2017
This informational bulletin provides information on wheel bearing P/N 13582664 being received new with visible rust and no action is needed as this does not affect the part performance.
17-NA-016 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 3, 2017
This informational bulletin provides information on wheel bearing P/N 13582664 being received new with visible rust and no action is needed as this does not affect the part performance.
17-NA-016 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 25, 2017
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 1999 Buick Regal has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 1999 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 89,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.