2002 Buick Regal recalls and problems

The 2002 Buick Regal has 3 safety recalls and 117 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Buick dealer.

Recalls
3
Complaints
117
Crashes / fires
2 / 23
Injuries / deaths
3 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2002 Buick Regal vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2002 Buick Regal recalls

Recall 15V-701: Engine and Engine Cooling

Reported Oct 26, 2015 · 1,003,556 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: 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. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.

Risk: Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.

Fix: 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. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1-800-442-6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.

Recall 09V-116: Engine and Engine Cooling

Reported Apr 8, 2009 · 1,497,516 vehicles affected · GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

Problem: 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. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which drops of engine oil may be deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking.

Risk: If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire.

Fix: Dealers will replace the engineâ’s front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engineâ’s plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537, and pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 or http://www.pontiac.com or http:www.gmownercenter.com.

Recall 08V-118: Engine and Engine Cooling

Reported Mar 12, 2008 · 207,542 vehicles affected · GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

Problem: 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.

Risk: Certain underhood fires may be caused by drops of engine oil, from seepage or spillage, being deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking. If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and, in some instances, the fire may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond.

Fix: Dealers will replace the engineâ’s front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engineâ’s plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, along with the 1-3-5 spark plug wire retainers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. , free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Until the remedy is completed, GM strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions (1) that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, car port, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle. The dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080 or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or through their website at <a href=http://www.gmownercenter.com>http://www.gmownercenter.com</a> .

2002 Buick Regal problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Electrical System40
Engine33
Engine and Engine Cooling17
Visibility7
Exterior Lighting6
Seats5
Service Brakes, Hydraulic4
Fuel System, Gasoline4
Steering4
Unknown or Other4
Wheels4
Power Train3

Most reported parts

  • Electrical System › Ignition — 5
  • Electrical System › Ignition › Switch — 5
  • Seats › Front Assembly › Seat Heater/Cooler — 4
  • Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Catalytic Convertor — 3
  • Wheels › Rim — 3
  • Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine — 2
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 2
  • Suspension › Front › Wheel Bearing — 2

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 85,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2002 Buick Regal complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Engine · reported Feb 14, 2020
The contact's son owned a 2002 buick regal. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, she saw smoke exiting the front of the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated she parked the vehicle on the side of the road and when she opened the hood she saw fire located in the engine compartment. The contact stated she was able to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to a tow lot. The contact stated received NHTSA campaign number: 15v701000 (Engine and engine cooling) two weeks after the failure. The contact…
Service Brakes · reported Nov 17, 2018
My car was in driving mode on the road in newark california and speed limit 35 MPH all of the sudden my car without warning without any issues prior to this just stopped locked up brakes locked up steering wheel car still running but won't let me accelerate car radios on toast on my battery just everything locked up out of nowhere no warning signs scare the heck out of me I just had to let it keep rolling to look into a stop and got it towed home now every time we turn on the car if I had the blinker on it shut off the car won't drive it doesn't have enough power almost like electrical issue…
Wheels · at 138,000 miles · reported Oct 11, 2017
Was driving on a trip back and forth from mississippi, was driving on firestone infinity tires sizep215.7015, had 2 blow outs on the car. The said tires didn't have but 23k miles on them the left front went 1st causing bout 2000 worth of damage, the 2nd one blew out coming back, these tires have a history of blow outs, would recommend against people trusting firestone tires.
Engine · at 83,100 miles · reported Oct 10, 2017
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…
Engine · at 89 miles · reported Sep 27, 2017
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…

Other Buick Regal years

Compare all Buick Regal years · All Buick models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2002 Buick Regal have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2002 Buick Regal: 15V-701 (engine and engine cooling), 09V-116 (engine and engine cooling), 08V-118 (engine and engine cooling). Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2002 Buick Regal?

Owners report electrical system problems most often (40 reports), followed by engine (33). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 85,000 miles.

Are Buick recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Buick dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.