Most common 1999 Buick Regal problems
Share of the 246 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Buick Regal complaints by model year
Best Regal years: 2020, 2017, 2018. Years to avoid: 2011, 1998, 1996, 1995, 1999. Compare all years →
1999 Buick Regal recalls (6)
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…
Exterior lighting › Headlights
Certain passenger vehicles do not conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." some of these vehicles do not meet the overhead sign illumination requirements.
Remedy: Dealers will install new low beam headlamp bulbs in both of the headlamp assemblies. The recall began on September 8, 2004. Owners should contact Buick at 1-866-608-8080.
Exterior lighting › Headlights
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles do not conform to the requirements of FMVSS no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the vertical head lamp adjusting device May not be calibrated properly.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with an owner's manual insert containing instructions for optically aiming the headlamps.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Some of these vehicles with the key in the "on" position, exhibit a condition in which the antilock brake system (ABS) motor shorts to its case and grounds through a flexible brake fluid pipe.
Remedy: Dealers will install a ground cable from the electronic brake control module (ebcm) to the engine compartment body rail.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 1999 Buick Regal:
Engine compartment fires
Engine compartment fire
By letter dated March 12, 2008, general motors corp. (GM) has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (identified by NHTSA recall number 08v-118) to address a defect in approximately 207,542 model year (my) 1997-2003 Buick regal gs and Pontiac grand prix gtp vehicles equipped with the l67 supercharged version of GM's 3800 series ii v6 engine.the recalled regal gs vehicles were built from August 1996…
Engine compartment fires
Ea02-030 is closed with gmea02-030 is closed with GM?s actions in 03v-473 and 04v-090 recalling approximately 529,000 my 1998-99 c- and h-body vehicles equipped with defective fuel pressure regulators.these vehicles were equipped with plastic intake manifolds that are unable to contain pressures that occur in some backfire events and defective fuel pressure regulators with leaking diaphragms that can provide a…
What 1999 Buick Regal owners say
Engine & cooling all 91 →
Engine explosion and fire vehicle was in my driveway engine off. When I attempted to start the vehicle there was a loud explosion followed by engine fire. Flames were 20 ft high. Fire dept was called but I was able to extinguish the fire with fire extinguisher and water from my garden hose. When the fire dept arrived the fire was already out. My evaluation is the following: the force of the explosion was so great that it split open/cracked the upper intake manifold (upper planum). It also lifted the fuel rail from the engine and some injectors came loose, fuel then spilled on the engine and fire immediately ensued. The plastic fuel lines also popped off the fuel injectors rail, this spilled even more fuel and fed the fire even more. I cannot believe Buick/GM use plastic intake manifolds (upper planum) and plastic fuel line into the engine compartment. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Buick Regal. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, black fumes of smoke were noticed coming from underneath the vehicle before being inform by a follow driver that the vehicle was on fire. The contact merged to the side of the road and exited the vehicle. No police/fire report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The VIN was included in the NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part for the recall was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Electrical system all 42 →
Engine explosion and fire vehicle was in my driveway engine off. When I attempted to start the vehicle there was a loud explosion followed by engine fire. Flames were 20 ft high. Fire dept was called but I was able to extinguish the fire with fire extinguisher and water from my garden hose. When the fire dept arrived the fire was already out. My evaluation is the following: the force of the explosion was so great that it split open/cracked the upper intake manifold (upper planum). It also lifted the fuel rail from the engine and some injectors came loose, fuel then spilled on the engine and fire immediately ensued. The plastic fuel lines also popped off the fuel injectors rail, this spilled even more fuel and fed the fire even more. I cannot believe Buick/GM use plastic intake manifolds (upper planum) and plastic fuel line into the engine compartment. …
Tl* the contact owned a 1999 Buick Regal. While driving approximately 20 MPH in March, smoke appeared from the front end of the vehicle without warning. The vehicle was pulled to the side of the road and the contact walked home to call her husband. When the contact stated and her husband arrived back to the vehicle, it had caught fire and burned to the ground. The police and the fire department were at the scene and reports were filed. There were no injuries. The remnant of the vehicle was towed away. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. On September 7, 2016, the contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 08V118000 (engine and engine cooling) and 99V356000 (exterior lighting). The failure mileage was unknown.
Steering all 31 →
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 damaged but suggested maybe a ball joint could be getting old enough to need replaced as it did have about 158,000 or so miles on it but they couldn't indicate if it was a ball joint specifically as there was no unusual movement or noise from one. I also checked and found no issues with any component underneath. No leaks and power steering fluid was good.then September 7, 2018', while driving around town the steering made a loud clunk steering left and really began to pull especially left. …
I am the original owner of a 1999 Buick Regal gs (3.8l super charged) with approx. 85,000 miles. On jan. 12, 2006 I lost power assist when making a left hand turn. This failure only effected the power assist in a left hand turn; right was OK. I pulled into a parking spot after a short drive to work and noticed the steering got tight. I heard a 'pop' when I lost assist. After work I drove home with no assist to the left. The problem is only when the wheel is turned clockwise from straight on position. I haven't driven a non-power steering car in about 15 years but this seemed much worse (very difficult to steer). I checked for any type of leak or belt issue, but my initial thought is if that was the problem I would have the problem regardless of steering direction. …
1999 Buick Regal engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 27 / 21 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl supercharged | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 25 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Buick Regal a good car?
Based on 246 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 Regal rates avoid: 2.1× as many complaints as a typical year of the Regal at the same age. It is one of the Regal years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Buick Regal?
The engine & cooling — 91 complaints, 37% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the electrical system (42) and steering (31).
How many recalls does the 1999 Buick Regal have?
There are 6 recalls for the 1999 Buick Regal, the most recent from October 26, 2015 (manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Buick Regal?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2017 and 2018. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2011, 1998, 1996, 1995 and 1999. See the full Buick Regal years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 Buick Regal problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 89,000 miles; 18% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.