2012 Buick Regal: Problems & Reliability
AVOID2012 Buick Regal: AVOID — 91 owner complaints, 2.4× the Regal median year by raw count.
CarWhere's verdict score for the 2012 is 2.69, where 1.00 is a typical Regal year once complaints are weighted for severity and spread over time on the road; the avoid line is 1.60, so this year clears it by 1.09. 44% of its complaints are severe — a crash, fire, injury or a safety-critical system.
Sources: NHTSA owner complaints (ODI), recall campaigns and manufacturer service bulletins, CarWhere verified buyer prices · Model years 2009–2020 compared · Updated 2026-11-07 · By CarWhere Research · Methodology
91
NHTSA complaints
2.4×
vs. median Regal year
1,749
Service bulletins
7
Recall campaigns
2012 Buick Regal recalls
7 recall campaigns on federal record for the 2012; the campaign list is on NHTSA's record for the 2012 Buick Regal.
2012 Buick Regal service bulletins
The manufacturer has filed 1,749 technical service bulletins with NHTSA for the 2012 — more than the 1,131 of the median Regal year from 2009 to 2020. Coded bulletins most often cover electrical system (508), engine & cooling (177), powertrain / transmission (136). Bulletins are repair instructions for dealer technicians, not recalls.
The 2012 vs. the year before and after
From the 2011 to the 2012, owner complaints fell by more than half (279 → 91) — an improvement. The 2013 that followed held roughly level (91 → 91).
| Model year | Verdict | Complaints | Bulletins | Recalls | Avg. buyer-paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 Regal | AVOID | 279 | 1,525 | 4 | — |
| 2012 (this page) | AVOID | 91 | 1,749 | 7 | — |
| 2013 Regal | AVOID | 91 | 1,882 | 6 | — |
Prices are averages of CarWhere verified buyer transactions (shown when 3+ deals exist for the year). Full year-by-year table: Buick Regal years to avoid.
Nearby Regal years with a better rating: 2015.
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FAQ
Is the 2012 Buick Regal reliable?
2012 Buick Regal: AVOID — 91 owner complaints, 2.4× the Regal median year by raw count. CarWhere's verdict score for the 2012 is 2.69, where 1.00 is a typical Regal year once complaints are weighted for severity and spread over time on the road; the avoid line is 1.60, so this year clears it by 1.09.
What are the most common 2012 Buick Regal problems?
The 2012 Buick Regal has 91 NHTSA owner complaints and 1,749 manufacturer service bulletins on file; the component breakdown is on NHTSA's record for this model year.
How many recalls does the 2012 Buick Regal have?
7 recall campaigns on federal record for the 2012 Buick Regal. Recall completion is VIN-specific, so check the exact car.
How do I check a specific 2012 Buick Regal before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report for the exact VIN — recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for this model year, the original window sticker where the manufacturer publishes one, and a market price check from verified buyers. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Sources & method
Complaint, recall and service-bulletin counts for the 2012 Buick Regal come from NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation; the verdict is CarWhere’s severity-weighted, time-on-road-adjusted score compared with the model’s own median year. The live complaint feed was unavailable at render, so the complaint count is the verdict engine’s stored count. Complaints are owner allegations, not verified defects. Full methodology.