Your vehicle report
1993 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
- 85
- Received Jan 1995 to May 2016
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Front brake rotors warp and wear early15 complaints · 18% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Seat belt fails to latch or retract9 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up7 complaints · 8.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #95V152000Incorrect clear front side marker bulbs were installed rather than amber bulbs. This does not conform to the requirements of FMVSS no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
- Recall #93V035000The driver and passenger front seat manual reclining mechanisms do not comply with the requirements of FMVSS 207, "seating systems." the seat back mechanisms will not latch under certain conditions.
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: 7 crashes, 3 fires, 13 people injured, 2 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 10 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
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
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 | 17 |
| 1996 | 15 |
| 1997 | 10 |
| 1998 | 9 |
| 1999 | 4 |
| 2000 | 11 |
| 2001 | 8 |
| 2002 | 4 |
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2004 | 2 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 85 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 15 | 18% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 9 | 11% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 7 | 8.2% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 7 | 8.2% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 5 | 5.9% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 4 | 4.7% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 3 | 3.5% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 3.5% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 3.5% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 3 | 3.5% | – |
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 #95V152000August 8, 199583,247 vehicles affected
exterior lighting
Incorrect clear front side marker bulbs were installed rather than amber bulbs. This does not conform to the requirements of FMVSS no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Consequence of non-compliance: during illumination, the bulbs will show clear rather than amber and could momentarily confuse other drivers.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the clear bulbs with the correct amber bulbs.
NHTSA recall #93V035000March 9, 19935,574 vehicles affected
seats
The driver and passenger front seat manual reclining mechanisms do not comply with the requirements of FMVSS 207, "seating systems." the seat back mechanisms will not latch under certain conditions.
The seats may recline without prior warning, resultingin a hazard to seat occupants and possible loss of vehicle control.
Remedy
Replace the manual seat recliner mechanism with a mechanism that complies with FMVSS 207.
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 1993 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