2011 Buick Regal problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (71) · Exterior Lighting (32) · Power Train (30)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Buick Regal model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
205 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (4)
Seats:front Assembly:power Adjust 2016-07-07 · campaign 16V517000 · 42,984 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011 Buick Regal vehicles manufactured November 3, 2009, to March 25, 2011, equipped with 8-way power adjustable front seats. The power seat wiring harness may contact the seat frame, causing the wires to chafe.
Risk: Chafed harness wires may cause a short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and secure the wiring harness, and repair any chafed wires as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 13, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is 30710.
Electrical System:ignition 2016-07-05 · campaign 16V502000 · 8,367 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock lever
Risk: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.
Seats:front Assembly:power Adjust 2014-07-23 · campaign 14V447000 · 414,333 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat height adjuster may fall out causing the seat to drop suddenly to the lowest vertical position.
Risk: If the driver's seat unexpectedly drops, the distraction and altered seat position may affect the drivers' control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14271.
Exterior Lighting:turn Signal 2012-10-04 · campaign 12V484000 · 120,426 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Buick Regal and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with two turn signal bulbs in each front turn signal. If one of the two front turn signal bulbs burn out in either front turn signal lamp, there is no indication to the driver. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: If the driver is not aware that a turn signal is not functioning properly, the driver may continue to drive the vehicle. If half of a front turn signal is not illuminating, other driver's may not be aware that the affected vehicle is turning, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Buick at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 12212.
Service bulletins (1,527)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-04 · PIP4902W · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Unknown Or Other 2026-05-19 · PIP6113 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this document provides the technician with a diagnostic tip if the vehicle stalls and set diagnostic trouble code p0191 and may also set p0172. the diagnostic tip has the technician inspect the high pressure fuel pump body markings to confirm it is an original manufacture part. if it is not an origi
Unknown Or Other 2026-04-01 · PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-09 · PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a gds2 session log and upload to a technical assistance case in cx connect.
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-09 · PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Unknown Or Other 2026-01-08 · PIP4902U · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Showing the 6 most recent of 1,527 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-28 · Suspension · 125,000 mi“the contact owns a 2011 buick regal. while the contact's daughter was driving 55 mph, the vehicle jerked and was uncontrollable. the vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. the contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the rear driver's side toe link was fractured. the contact stated that the rear drive…”
2026-05-13 · Power Train“while driving on the highway at 60 mph, warning on dash came on saying “engine power reduced” and drop down speed to around 25 mph and i could not accelerate more than 25 mph on the highway which could have caused an accident because of the traffic flow behind me. i put a code scanner under the dash and it read code p2138, throttle pedal position s…”
2025-10-08 · Engine · 140,000 mi“the contact owns a 2011 buick regal. the contact stated that while driving at 30 mph, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was able to be restarted. the dealer was not contacted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was …”
2024-04-16 · Structure:body“the cars mileage was altered due to car being wrecked prior and the other car that was used to replace wrecked parts was hidden and vin number was altered. copart inc and ict sharp rides are party's involved, i bought car on 12/28/2023 mileage was listed as 132525…”
2024-02-02 · Air Bags · 💥 crash“i hit a deer going 60 mph and the airbag didn’t deploy, the service airbag light came on after i hit it. i’d assume that means the airbag tried to deploy but ran into an issue …”
2023-12-28 · Exterior Lighting“driver side headlamp draws moisture, keeps blowing bulbs at 104.99 a pop. water gets in the headlight assembly and shorts out the ballast. this happens even when driving down the road at random. it could be pitch black and suddenly you have no headlights and are forced to drive with only fog lamps…”
2023-10-28 · Power Train“when pulling into parking space the car rapidly accelerated on its' own and crashed into the car in the next parking space. i did not have my foot on the gas, the car was simply idling. the acceleration was so rapid that applying the brake was useless.…”
2023-10-28 · Power Train · 💥 crash“preparing to park into a parking space in an off street parking lot the vehicle forcefully and rapidly accelerated on its' own and crashed into a fence. i was not accelerating. i attempted to stop the car using the brakes but they did not engage quickly enough to stop the rapid, forceful, and without warning acceleration. buick has been contacte…”
2023-10-28 · Power Train · 💥 crash“i was parking in marked space. i had turned into space, my foot was off the gas pedal. the car was 3/4 into the space when it malfunctioned and rapidly accelerated into a hardened snow bank. i instantly braked but there was not enough space to avoid collision.…”
2023-10-24 · Suspension“the subframe rotted into rusted into…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.