1998 Buick Regal Engine and Engine Cooling Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Mar 10, 2022 · 55 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 55 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Buick Regal, 18% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 100,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “caught fire” (20% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Caught fire: mentioned in 11 of 55 complaints (20%)

How much does it cost to fix?

Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 1998 Buick Regal at $1,150, and half of them between $1,050 and $1,300.

Based on 5 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2003–2008), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.

At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?

Based on 29 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles1 · 3%
10k–25k miles0 · 0%
25k–50k miles2 · 7%
50k–75k miles3 · 10%
75k–100k miles7 · 24%
100k–150k miles11 · 38%
150k+ miles5 · 17%

How serious are the reports?

Of 55 complaints, 23 a fire.

Buick Regal engine and engine cooling complaints by model year

Peak: 1998, with 55 complaints
1995: 191995191996: 361996361997: 301997301998: 551998551999: 431999432000: 352000352001: 342001342002: 172002172003: 102003102004: 8200482011: 4201142013: 1201312016: 120161

n = 293 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearEngine and Engine Cooling complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2016 Regal12%85,900
2013 Regal11%100,000
2011 Regal41%31,031
2004 Regal812%83,207
2003 Regal1010%157,000
2002 Regal1715%85,486
2001 Regal3418%81,331
2000 Regal3519%100,000
1999 Regal4317%90,739
1998 Regal5518%100,000
1997 Regal3022%119,274
1996 Regal3618%82,559
1995 Regal1911%88,988

When owners reported it

Peak: 1999, with 10 complaints
1998: 1199811999: 101999102000: 2200022002: 2200222003: 4200342004: 3200432005: 2200522006: 4200642008: 8200882009: 8200982010: 3201032011: 5201152012: 1201212015: 220152

n = 55 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (3)

Engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe; engine and engine cooling:engineOct 26, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V701000 · 1,003,556 vehicles

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.

Engine and engine coolingApr 8, 2009 · NHTSA campaign 09V116000 · 1,497,516 vehicles

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.

Engine and engine coolingMar 12, 2008 · NHTSA campaign 08V118000 · 207,542 vehicles

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> .

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

Tl* the contact owned a 1998 buick regal. The contact stated that while driving into the driveway at about 5 mph, there was smoke emitting from underneath the hood, without any warning. The contact lifted the hood and the engine immediately burst into flames. The fire department attempted to…

Received Dec 14, 2015 · NHTSA complaint 10810085

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. The contact smelled an odor of burning rubber. The vehicle was completely engulfed in flames within 15 minutes. The driver and passengers were able to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the…

Received Jan 12, 2015 · NHTSA complaint 10671841

I rec'd a recall notice on my vehicle in nov. 2011 and have been trying to make arrangements to get it in to a dealer to have the recall fixed when this fire started in the engine compartment while i was on my way home from picking up my son, and my daughter was in the vehicle as well, i have no…

Received Apr 4, 2012 · NHTSA complaint 10454075
Buick Regal
BUICK REGAL SIXTH GENERATION (OPEL INSIGNIA B) China. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently asked questions

Do all 1998 Buick Regals have engine and engine cooling problems?

No. NHTSA has 55 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Buick Regal (18% of the 302 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.

Was there a recall on the 1998 Buick Regal engine and engine cooling?

Yes: 3 safety recalls list engine and engine cooling. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.

At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?

The median reported mileage is 100,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Buick Regal?

Owners report a typical cost of $1,150 (half paid between $1,050 and $1,300), from 5 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.

What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Buick Regal?

The most frequent phrase is “caught fire”, in 11 of 55 complaints.

Other 1998 Buick Regal problems

See all 1998 Buick Regal problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Regal years.