2004 Buick Regal Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Dec 8, 2020 · 66 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Regal years
Fewer complaints than other years 13th of 24 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Buick Regal. That ranks 13th out of 24 Regal model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (35 complaints, 53%), typically at around 93,000 miles. Complaints mention 2 fires. There are 2 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 2004 Buick Regal problems

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

Electrical System35 · ~93,000 mi
Engine18 · ~97,650 mi
Engine and Engine Cooling8 · ~83,207 mi
Steering6 · ~96,000 mi
Electronic Stability Control (esc)5 · ~96,000 mi
Power Train3 · ~73,000 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic3 · ~23,000 mi
Unknown or Other3 · ~110,000 mi
Suspension2
Vehicle Speed Control2 · ~120,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Electrical System3553%93,000——
Engine1827%97,650——
Engine and Engine Cooling812%83,207——
Steering69%96,000——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)58%96,000——
Power Train35%73,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic35%23,000——
Unknown or Other35%110,000——
Suspension23%———
Vehicle Speed Control23%120,000——
Visibility23%———
Air Bags12%———
Exterior Lighting12%114,000——
Fuel System, Other12%———
Service Brakes12%129,500——
Tires12%———
Wheels12%———

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

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2016, with 20 complaints
2004: 1200412005: 4200542006: 1200612008: 1200812009: 3200932011: 1201112012: 1201212014: 142014142015: 102015102016: 202016202017: 3201732018: 3201832019: 2201922020: 220202

n = 66 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2004 Buick Regal recalls (2)

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 cooling:engineApr 6, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V201000 · 330,742 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 2, 2015, that they are is recalling certain model year 2004 Buick Regal vehicles manufactured April 9, 2003, to June 1, 2003, 2004 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 8, 2003, to June 23, 2003, and 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles manufactured April 7, 2003, to June 23, 2003. On May 18, 2015, GM expanded the recall to cover an additional 49,751 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles manufactured January 6, 2003, to June 25, 2004. In the affected vehicles, the valve cover gasket may leak.

Risk: The leaking engine oil can drip onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the plastic cover and plastic oil fill tube extension and replace the front valve cover and gasket. These repairs will be done free of charge. The recall began on April 24, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14574.

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.

All 4 power window motors do not work. They all failed within 6 months of each other. I checked on you tube and found that almost all buick regals have this problem of power window motors breaking. There are hundreds of complaints on you tube alone for this issue. I believe this is proof that the…

Electrical System · received Dec 8, 2020 · NHTSA complaint 11378434

The first time the car stalled was as i was approaching the stop sign.it stalled and the dash light all came on. I was able to re-start it after putting it in park. It then happened again the same as before i got home. The next day it drove normal for awhile then as i was starting it up again it…

Electrical System · received Dec 1, 2020 · NHTSA complaint 11377289

From a dead stop, when you accelerate the car has a hard shudder, trans slip...believe it to be a transmission problem and a problem gm has known for sometime with their g4t60-e transmission, most likely a pressure control solenoid problem or clutch assembly.

Power Train · received Jun 10, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11218905

Power windows on this car burn out, 4 mechanics said this is a very common problem, and repairs of the power windows is expensive

Electrical System · received Feb 25, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11182256

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick regal. The contact stated that the engine would shut off while the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was able to restart by using the key fob, but would shut back off when the key was inserted in the ignition. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to…

Electrical System · received Dec 18, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11162188

Other Buick Regal years

← 2003 Regal · 2005 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 2004 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 2004 Buick Regal?

Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2004 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 2004 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.