Your vehicle report
1987 Buick Regal
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 25
- Received Jan 1995 to Jun 2014
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines6 complaints · 24% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Seat belt fails to latch or retract3 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #89V102000A small nylon bushing in the cruise control servo bail may slip out of place, causing intermittent and unexpected increases in engine speed or dieseling (engine run on with ignition off).
- Recall #87V168000Manual valve link in the transmission may have been improperly formed.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 2 crashes, 0 fires, 1 person injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 2 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Brakes
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 4 |
| 1996 | 4 |
| 1997 | 2 |
| 1998 | 1 |
| 1999 | 3 |
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2002 | 5 |
| 2003 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 25 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 6 | 24% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 12% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #89V102000June 16, 19891,755,897 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control
A small nylon bushing in the cruise control servo bail may slip out of place, causing intermittent and unexpected increases in engine speed or dieseling (engine run on with ignition off).
Servo rod assembly could catch on engine components andresult in a stuck throttle with potential for a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Install a new bushing in cruise control servo bail.
NHTSA recall #87V168000October 26, 198711,936 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift
Manual valve link in the transmission may have been improperly formed.
The valve link could separate resulting in a gearselection different from what the driver selects. Also, car could be startedwith transmission in gear allowing vehicle to move in an unanticipateddirection.
Remedy
Replace the manual valve detent lever link.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1987 Buick Regal.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN