Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Buick Regal owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The ignition switch has failed eventually it will start after about 30 minutes of trying the car will run but shuts down while driving its dangerous to drive I am not safe nor my grandkids in this vehicle I cant buy a new car nor can I afford to have this fixed myself since im on a fixed income I read several others have the same complaint my vehicle is identical to their complaints I think they should have to replace these mine just left me stranded at the doctors office with my little grand-daughter its only 23 degrees outside I eventually got it started after about 30 minutes but I could not stop anywhere before I had to come straight home.
The first time the car stalled was as I was approaching the stop sign.it stalled and the dash light all came on. I was able to re-start it after putting it in park. It then happened again the same as before I got home. The next day it drove normal for awhile then as I was starting it up again it started with a noise and the lights on the dash a lit up again. It seemed to run normal again. But a bit later as I was slowing down to make a turn into a parking lot it stalled again. I brought it into an independent automotive garage and they hooked up to their tester and could not find anything abnormal with the car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Buick Regal. While driving various speeds and while making a left or right turn, the vehicle would intermittently lose power. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle by wiggling the key in the ignition switch. The contact noticed that the failure occurred when the turn signals were activated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
All 4 power window motors do not work. They all failed within 6 months of each other. I checked on you tube and found that almost all Buick regals have this problem of power window motors breaking. There are hundreds of complaints on you tube alone for this issue. I believe this is proof that the power window motors are defective and probably made this way to force owners to make expensive repairs. I am asking you to force Buick to recall their Regal models and have the window motors repaired at Buick's expense.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Buick Regal. The contact stated that while driving down a hill at 35 MPH, the vehicle began to loose power and the engine stalled while all the warning lights illuminated. The failure occurred once. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. Updated 04/22/2016 updated 6/6/18
The driver's door window master switch became inoperative. I had to replace it. You have a notice on the 2006-07 Buick rainier but the 2004 Regal should be on the list. I think the list involves several more Buick models. This problem occurred when the car was parked or in motion. In my case the window would remain in the open position whenever the ignition switch was on. I was not able to close the window. I replaced the switch myself as I did not know about the recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Buick Regal. While driving slow speeds, all the instrument cluster warning indicators illuminated and the engine seized. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,000. Updated 06/21/17
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Buick Regal. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. After restarting, the vehicle resumed as normal. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Buick Regal. The contact stated that the engine would shut off while the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was able to restart by using the key fob, but would shut back off when the key was inserted in the ignition. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, but a failure was not found. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 97,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Buick Regal. While driving at 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle and all the lights on the instrument panel illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ignition switch and the electrical harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 61,546. Updated 6/22/15
Electrical complaints in other Regal years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2004 Buick Regal?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the electrical system of the 2004 Buick Regal, 53% of the model year's 66 complaints. The component named most often is ignition › switch (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Buick Regal electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2004 Buick Regal, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Buick Regal electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 93,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 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.