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 2002 Buick Regal owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Second time around my Buick Regal caught on fire as it sat in driveway my car has been a VIN that fit the saftey recall since 2007 3rd or 4th one since I bought my car from dealership my car has 5 recalls which 3 are recall campaign so dealer fixed only part of the recall in feb 18 2016 I was sent another safety recall letter asking me to go back to get extra work done or newer parts dealer said no so now it's September 25/26 2017 and fire happens again this time was a bigger issue had firedepartment called out all the flames came from under the beauty cover and valve cover leak which was a recall for several years they fixed with better parts but still have a fire dealership said no get my car out there shop and agm tells me sorry can't do anything for u because my car 2002 old no warranties but it's a saftey recall almost every year since my car was bought no parts available not sure …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Buick Regal. While stationary, the vehicle caught fire under the beauty cover where oil had leaked onto the intake manifold. A police report was not filed. The contact extinguished the fire the first time. The fire occurred a second time within the same day and the fire department extinguished the fire. There were no injuries. Fremont Buick GMC in fremont, california was made aware of the fires and requested that the contact pay for a vehicle inspection. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and stated that the vehicle would be fully inspected. Upon inspection, it was determined that the retainers on the vehicle were installed improperly. The failure mileage was 83,100. Updated 7/26/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Buick Regal. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 5 MPH, smoke emitted from underneath the hood. There was no flames visible. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed that engine oil leaked onto the exhaust manifold and other areas in the engine. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part needed to perform the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The VIN was unavailable. Updated 03/15/16
Tl* the contact owned a 2002 Buick Regal. The contact stated that as soon as the vehicle was parked, it immediately caught on fire. A police and a fire report were filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the parts for the recall repair were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was 141,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Buick Regal. The contact stated that after the vehicle was parked, smoke emitted from the engine compartment without warning. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the engine was engulfed in flames. The contact extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was inspected and repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and failed to provide any assistance under NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling) due to the vehicle being previously repaired by an independent mechanic. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Buick Regal. The contact stated that the battery failed and had to be jumpstarted. After driving the vehicle, smoke appeared under the hood and an abnormal gurgling noise was heard. Flames appeared and the contact, bystanders, and fire department extinguished the fire. There were no injuries. The contact was unsure if a police report was filed and if the vehicle was towed and salvaged. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Buick Regal. While driving various speeds, smoke emitted from under the hood of the vehicle. While the vehicle was parked, the contact witnessed engine oil dripping onto the exhaust manifold. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 136,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Buick Regal. While refueling the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the engine compartment caught fire. The contact extinguished the fire. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure mileage was 226,000.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Buick Regal. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 MPH, a strong burning smell emitted in and around the vehicle. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that a fire had started on the engine compartment which spread and engulfed the vehicle. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A police and fire department reports were filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2002 Buick Regal. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle caught on fire near the engine. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. No police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling). The approximate failure mileage was 149,000.
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 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 complaints in other Regal years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2002 Buick Regal?
NHTSA has 49 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2002 Buick Regal, 42% of the model year's 117 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › emission control › catalytic convertor (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 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 2002 Buick Regal engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 19 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.