2003 Buick Regal Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Aug 4, 2023 · 101 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Regal years
More complaints than other years 10th of 24 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 101 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Buick Regal. That ranks 10th out of 24 Regal model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (35 complaints, 35%), typically at around 97,987 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 14 fires, 7 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.

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.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2003 Buick Regal problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Electrical System35 · ~97,987 mi
Engine26 · ~142,000 mi
Engine and Engine Cooling10 · ~157,000 mi
Steering10 · ~32,000 mi
Power Train7 · ~35,000 mi
Service Brakes7 · ~105,000 mi
Wheels6 · ~89,275 mi
Exterior Lighting5 · ~68,500 mi
Unknown or Other5 · ~80,000 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic4 · ~63,850 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Electrical System3535%97,987——
Engine2626%142,000——
Engine and Engine Cooling1010%157,000——
Steering1010%32,000——
Power Train77%35,000——
Service Brakes77%105,000——
Wheels66%89,275——
Exterior Lighting55%68,500——
Unknown or Other55%80,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic44%63,850——
Visibility44%94,528——
Air Bags33%11,000——
Fuel/propulsion System22%180,000——
Latches/locks/linkages22%———
Seats22%15,000——
Vehicle Speed Control22%48,200——
Equipment11%94,528——
Fuel System, Gasoline11%97,987——
Seat Belts11%———
Structure11%———

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2014, with 23 complaints
2002: 1200212003: 332004: 3200432005: 332006: 1200612007: 662008: 4200842009: 552010: 2201022011: 552012: 2201222013: 112014: 232014232015: 992016: 222016222017: 552018: 4201842020: 112023: 120231

n = 101 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2003 Buick Regal recalls (3)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

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> .

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

I backed the car in drive and the guages were normal. When i got out i saw a small amount of smoke coming from under car but within a minute there were flames coming from under the car and within a few minutes the flames were above the car. I called 911 when i saw flames and knew i wasn't going to…

Engine · received Aug 4, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11536533

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 buick regal. The contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, the vehicle repeatedly shut off without warning after multiple attempts. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact's friend opened the vehicle's hood and discovered that the engine was engulfed in flames…

Engine · received Aug 3, 2020 · NHTSA complaint 11343064

My daughter was sitting in the passenger front seat. The seat kept heating up almost unbearable. The next day car was off all night my battery died and the heated seat was still hot never shut off all night long i found a sensor under the seat and unplugged that but am nervous of my driver seat…

Seats · received Dec 26, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11163490

While my vehicle is in motion i can smell oil burning from some where

Engine · received Nov 7, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11149982

Recall #15757 was performed by dealer on 2/24/2016. The vehicle at the time of the repair had 255,300 miles on it when i took it to the dealer (brookdale chevrolet buick.gmc on 5/30/18 when i took it back to the dealer for oil dripping on the manifold it had 258,200. There is smoke coming from…

Engine · received Jun 4, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11099493

Other Buick Regal years

← 2002 Regal · 2004 Regal →

See all Buick Regal problems by year, every Buick model, or the Buick VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2003 Buick Regal?

Owners most often report electrical system, engine, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 35 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2003 Buick Regal?

Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2003 Buick Regal a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Regal model years, the 2003 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.