Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Buick Regal owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On my way home from purchasing the vehicle, the car began to lose power and i noticed black smoke though the rear view mirror. Another driver signaled me down, so I pulled over and realized my car was on fire. The fire was in the engine compartment from what appeared to be the exhaust manifold. Since i was in a residential area, i grabbed a water hose and began to diffuse the fire. The fire department arrived and forced my hood open to reassure the fire was out. Luckily i was able to make it out safe. But i strongly believe my life and the lives of other drivers were definitely in danger
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Buick Regal. While driving 15 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle. The contact sustained neck injuries that required medical attention. The front passenger also sustained chest injuries that required medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. Prior to the crash, the contact's vehicle was leaking oil. After the crash, the lights on the instrument panel failed to illuminate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Buick Regal. The contact smelled an odor of burning rubber. The vehicle was completely engulfed in flames within 15 minutes. The driver and passengers were able to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000. The consumer stated the vehicle was recalled in November 2011 for a possible engine fire. Shortly after receiving the notice, the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer to have the potential problem fixed. Updated 07/06/15.
Tl* the contact owned a 1998 Buick Regal. The contact stated that the vehicle caught fire while parked with the engine off. The contact had driven the vehicle for approximately one hour prior to the failure. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire and a fire report was filed. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 1998 Buick Regal. The contact parked the vehicle and noticed smoke. She attempted to start the ignition and was informed by others that the vehicle was on fire. The failure was due to an oil leak in the engine compartment. The fire department extinguished the fire and filed a report. There were no injuries. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 09V116000 (engine). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 128,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 1998 Buick Regal. The contact stated that while the vehicle parked and unoccupied, the vehicle ignited into flames. The fire department extinguished the flames and informed that the fire originated in the engine compartment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was deemed as destroyed and towed to a savage facility. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 122,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 1998 Buick Regal. While the contact's daughter was driving approximately 45 MPH, she smelled a strong burning odor. The vehicle was pulled over and caught fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine). The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Buick Regal. While parking the vehicle in the garage, the contact noticed smoke coming from the hood. The engine caught on fire without warning. The contact extinguished the fire with a fire extinguisher. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The failure mileage was 133,000.
My vehicle caught fire in November 2007, the fire was started in the engine on the manifold. The fire dept responded to the fire and called the vehicle a total loss. A fire report was written at that time as to the events leading to the fire etc. The vehicle was towed to a local salvage yard and scraped for metal. I only had liability insurance so the vehicle was not covered. The vehicle was burnt so badly that I had to get it off the street directly after that,March 2008 I received a safety recall stating if I had 98 Buick Regal gs that it wasn't safe to drive because the engines were catching fire due to faulty gaskets on the manifold. I called GM and told them that had happened to my vehicle and asked if they would be responsible? GM told me to send them the fire report and a letter stating who towed the burnt car and where it went so I did what they asked. …
My sister bought new the 1998 Buick Regal; in 2002 she died and willed her car to me. It has been a great car except: in sept. 2007, after a short drive, I parked the car in open driveway, and walked to house; minutes later my husband, nearby, saw smoke coming from under the hood. He opened it and poured water to extinguish the visible fire on the manifold. It took over a month for the nearest mechanic - we live in a rural area an hour from the nearest reputable Buick dealer - to repair. He had to try everything because it was not apparent why the fire started (replaced spark plugs and wires that were burned, changed coolant just in case, checked everything, etc). Then in April I received the recall notice from Buick stating exactly this problem. I did what they said: sent in all receipts for reimbursement, asking for the cost of repairs only totaling $677. …
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles.
Remedy: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engine's front valve cover and gasket.
Engine and engine cooling
General motors is recalling 1,497,516 my 1997-2003 Buick regal, my 1998-2003 Chevrolet lumina, monte carlo and impala, my 1998-1999 Oldsmobile intrigue, my 1997-2003 Pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l v6 naturally aspirated engine.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine's front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engine's plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, free of charge.
Engine and engine cooling
GM is recalling 207,542 my 1997-2003 Buick regal and Pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l supercharged v-6 engine. These vehicles have higher front rocker cover gasket temperatures, creating the potential for earlier degradation of the front rocker cover gasket and eventual oil seepage.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine's front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engine's plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, along with the 1-3-5 spark…
NHTSA investigations
Engine compartment fires
Engine complaints in other Regal years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1998 Buick Regal?
NHTSA has 83 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1998 Buick Regal, 27% of the model year's 302 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Buick Regal engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-701 (manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe, Oct 26, 2015); NHTSA recall 09V-116 (engine and engine cooling, Apr 8, 2009); NHTSA recall 08V-118 (engine and engine cooling, Mar 12, 2008). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1998 Buick Regal engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 120,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 33 fires and 2 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.