Buick Regal Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 635 NHTSA complaints, the Buick Regal years to avoid are 2011, 2012 and 2013 — the worst logged up to 8.7× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by engine failures. Updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
No standout best year
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | N/A |
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | 0 | N/A |
| 2011 | 279 | 181 | 4 | AVOID |
| 2012 | 91 | 40 | 7 | AVOID |
| 2013 | 91 | 30 | 6 | AVOID |
| 2014 | 38 | 20 | 2 | CAUTION |
| 2015 | 33 | 16 | 0 | SOLID |
| 2016 | 41 | 22 | 1 | CAUTION |
| 2017 | 20 | 14 | 0 | SOLID |
| 2018 | 19 | 15 | 3 | SOLID |
| 2019 | 18 | 11 | 3 | SOLID |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | 2 | N/A |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Buick Regal. Full methodology.
Common Buick Regal problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Buick Regal are electrical, engine, body. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Limp mode and engine stalling
· Buick Regal 2011–2018Corroborated by 5 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 126 engine complaints across 2011–2018, typically 140,000 miles.
Headlight moisture and improper beam alignment
· Buick Regal 2011–2017Corroborated by 20 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 89 electrical complaints across 2011–2017. Owner-reported repair cost $104–$2,300.
Headlight condensation and failure
· Buick Regal 2013–2015Corroborated by 15 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 54 body complaints across 2013–2015, typically 34,500–137,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $1,200–$3,000.
Headlight condensation and failure
· Buick Regal 2013Corroborated by 2 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 36 electrical complaints across 2013, typically 42,000 miles.
Why these years stand out
2011 Buick Regal: 279 owner complaints on federal record, 181 of them severe, plus 4 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Buick Regal.
2012 Buick Regal: 91 owner complaints on federal record, 40 of them severe, plus 7 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Buick Regal.
2013 Buick Regal: 91 owner complaints on federal record, 30 of them severe, plus 6 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Buick Regal.
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FAQ
What years of the Buick Regal should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Buick Regal years to avoid are 2011, 2012 and 2013 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by engine issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Buick Regal?
No single Buick Regal year stands out as a clear "best" in the federal data yet; the year-by-year table shows the full spread of verdicts.
How is the Buick Regal verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Buick Regal's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Buick Regal before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Buick Regal reliable?
The Buick Regal's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 635 NHTSA owner complaints, 2011, 2012 and 2013 rate "avoid" — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Buick Regal?
The most-reported problem area for the Buick Regal is engine, followed by electrical and body. Confirmed failures include limp mode and engine stalling, headlight moisture and improper beam alignment, headlight condensation and failure. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Buick Regal across every model year on record. Retrieved August 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Buick Regal, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verify the flagged years in NHTSA's public database:
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.