1998 Buick Regal Steering Problems
Owners have filed 76 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 1998 Buick Regal, 25% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 78,750 miles. The words owners use most often: “rack pinion” (42% of reports).
- 76steering complaints
- 78,750median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 16%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Rack pinion: mentioned in 32 of 76 complaints (42%)
- Steering gear: mentioned in 9 of 76 complaints (12%)
- Making turns: mentioned in 6 of 76 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 42 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 76 complaints, 2 mention a crash.
Buick Regal steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Regal | 1 | 5% | 22,000 |
| 2017 Regal | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2016 Regal | 10 | 24% | 80,000 |
| 2015 Regal | 1 | 3% | 51,000 |
| 2014 Regal | 3 | 8% | 55,500 |
| 2013 Regal | 4 | 4% | 70,645 |
| 2012 Regal | 1 | 1% | 10,000 |
| 2011 Regal | 17 | 6% | 69,579 |
| 2005 Regal | 1 | 25% | 45 |
| 2004 Regal | 6 | 9% | 96,000 |
| 2003 Regal | 10 | 10% | 32,000 |
| 2002 Regal | 4 | 3% | 57,946 |
| 2001 Regal | 14 | 7% | 66,000 |
| 2000 Regal | 30 | 16% | 52,718 |
| 1999 Regal | 31 | 13% | 85,000 |
| 1998 Regal | 76 | 25% | 78,750 |
| 1997 Regal | 37 | 27% | 89,871 |
| 1996 Regal | 18 | 9% | 68,544 |
| 1995 Regal | 14 | 8% | 110,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Steering:rack and pinion
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
Risk: If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began on february 5, 2004. Owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537; or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Car has become very hard to turn, unless moving.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. While driving 10 mph and making a left turn, a loud noise emitted when turning the steering wheel and the vehicle started to shake. The vehicle was not diagnosed and repaired. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 03v527000 (steering). The…
Tl * the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. While making a right turn at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was unable to be restarted and was towed to the contact's residence. The failure recurred eighteen times over a period of three months. The vehicle was not diagnosed or…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Buick Regals have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 76 owner complaints about steering for the 1998 Buick Regal (25% 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 steering?
Yes: 1 safety recall list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 78,750 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 1998 Buick Regal?
The most frequent phrase is “rack pinion”, in 32 of 76 complaints, followed by “steering gear” (9).
Other 1998 Buick Regal problems
See all 1998 Buick Regal problems or steering problems across all Regal years.