There are 29 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2004 Buick Regalin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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 STARTED WITH A NOISE AND THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH A LIT UP AGAIN. IT SEEMED TO RUN NORMAL AGAIN. BUT A BIT LATER AS I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A TURN INTO A PARKING LOT IT STALLED AGAIN. I BROUGHT IT INTO AN INDEPENDENT AUTOMOTIVE GARAGE AND THEY HOOKED UP TO THEIR TESTER AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING ABNORMAL WITH THE CAR.
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 POWER WINDOW MOTORS ARE DEFECTIVE AND PROBABLY MADE THIS WAY TO FORCE OWNERS TO MAKE EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. I AM ASKING YOU TO FORCE BUICK TO RECALL THEIR REGAL MODELS AND HAVE THE WINDOW MOTORS REPAIRED AT BUICK'S EXPENSE.
POWER WINDOWS ON THIS CAR BURN OUT, 4 MECHANICS SAID THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, AND REPAIRS OF THE POWER WINDOWS IS EXPENSIVE
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 BE DIAGNOSED, BUT A FAILURE WAS NOT FOUND. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AND WHILE MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY LOSE POWER. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BY WIGGLING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN THE TURN SIGNALS WERE ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING SLOW SPEEDS, ALL THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE SEIZED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000. UPDATED 06/21/17*LJ *AS
CAR DIED WHILE IN MOTION; EVERYTHING SHUT OFF INCLUDING POWER STEERING WHICH CAUSED ME TO SIT IN MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION. ANOTHER VEHICLE CAME CLOSE TO RUNNING INTO ME. MECHANIC CHECKED EVERYTHING AND SAID IT'S A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,329.
I WAS LEAVING WORK ONE EVENING AND USED MY TURN SIGNALS TO PULL OUT OF THE PARKING LOT WHEN THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE CAR STARTED BACK UP IMMEDIATELY, BUT ONCE I USED THE TURN SIGNAL AGAIN, THE CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. EACH TIME I USED A TURN SIGNAL, THE CAR SHUT OFF, THOUGH IT WAS ABLE TO START BACK UP IMMEDIATELY. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND THIS: HTTP://WWW.NPR.ORG/SECTIONS/THETWO-WAY/2014/06/16/322607434/GM-RECALLS-3-2-MILLION-MORE-CARS-FOR-FAULTY-IGNITION-SWITCHES I SEARCHED MY VIN NUMBER AND THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR MY SPECIFIC CAR. I CALLED GM AND THEY TOLD ME IF THERE WAS NO RECALL THEY WOULD CONDUCT A DIAGNOSTIC AND WOULD GO FROM THERE. RIGHT OR WRONG, I WAS FULLY CONVINCED THE PROBLEM WOULD BE THE IGNITION SWITCH. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC IN PHILADELPHIA BECAUSE I TRUSTED HIM AND FELT COMFORTABLE WITH HIM LOOKING AT IT. HE HAD NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE. AFTER DOING HIS OWN DIAGNOSTIC, HE FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH. I EMAILED GM ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND ASKED THEM TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE $387.00 WORTH OF REPAIRS, BUT THEY REFUSED, SAYING THE CAR WAS TOO OLD AND IT WAS NOT BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE PART: "...OUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT A DEFECT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURING AND ASSEMBLY PROCESS GENERALLY MAKES ITSELF APPARENT QUITE EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER A VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, MANY FACTORS (USAGE, OWNER MAINTENANCE, AGE AND WEAR, ETC.) CAN CONTRIBUTE TO DIFFICULTIES THAT ARE BEYOND THE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE'S MANUFACTURER. A POINT IS EVENTUALLY REACHED WHERE THE MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSIBILITY CEASES AND ANY ADDITIONAL REPAIRS OR EXPENSES BECOME THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OWNER. BECAUSE YOUR 2004 BUICK REGAL HAS BEEN IN SERVICE FOR APPROXIMATELY 12 YEARS AND HAS ACCUMULATED 132,344 MILES ON IT, WE ARE UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE ON YOUR REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. "
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION KEY WOULD GET JAMMED. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER SHIFTING MULTIPLE TIMES, THE KEY WAS ABLE TO BE REMOVED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.
THE DRIVER'S DOOR WINDOW MASTER SWITCH BECAME INOPERATIVE. I HAD TO REPLACE IT. YOU HAVE A NOTICE ON THE 2006-07 BUICK RAINIER BUT THE 2004 REGAL SHOULD BE ON THE LIST. I THINK THE LIST INVOLVES SEVERAL MORE BUICK MODELS. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED OR IN MOTION. IN MY CASE THE WINDOW WOULD REMAIN IN THE OPEN POSITION WHENEVER THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS ON. I WAS NOT ABLE TO CLOSE THE WINDOW. I REPLACED THE SWITCH MYSELF AS I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE RECALL.
BOUGHT THE VEHICLE 1 YEAR AGO ONE DAY I WAS DRIVING AND THE CAR NEVER STARTED AGAIN MY DASH BOARD CLICK AND FLICK LIGHTS ALL THE LIGHT ON DASHBOARD THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START AND THE BATTERY DRAINS OUT. I GO ON GM WEBSITE PUT IN MY VIN AND THERE ARE NOT OPEN RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE I CANT GET THE HISTORY OF WHEN IT WAS PUT IN OR WERE OR BY WHO I CAN CALL THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM AND IT WILL TELL ME THAT THERE IS AN OPEN ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE BUT WHEN I CALL GM THEY SAY THERE NO ISSUE BUT MY IGNITION IS ACTING UP I CANT DRIVE MY VEHICLE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,546. UPDATED 6/22/15*CN
IGNITION SWITCH SHUT OFF AND ENGINE SHUT OFF. LOST POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES, ELECTRICAL POWER, ABS, AND AIRBAGS. ATTEMPTED RESTART AFTER PULLING OFF HIGHWAY, WHICH CAUSED FLASHING OF ALL DASH LIGHTS AND ENGINE TO RUN ERRATICALLY. CHANGED TO 2ND IGNITION KEY AND CAR STARTED, RAN ACCEPTABLY, AND DROVE HOME. *TR
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. ALL ALARMS ON INSTRUMENT PANEL LIT UP AND THE ENGINE DIED WITH NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS FOUND TO BE FAULTY AND WAS REPLACED. ALTHOUGH I FOUND INFORMATION ON THE WEB PAGE INDICATING THAT GM HAD IDENTIFIED THE 2004 - 2005 BUICK REGAL LS AND GS AS HAVING IGNITION SWITCH DEFAULTS THE LOCAL DEALER ADVISED THAT A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ANNOUNCED AS OF NOW. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED AS NORMAL. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
ON AUG 13 I NOTICED THAT I WAS HAVING ISSUES STARTING MY 2004 BUICK REGAL. ON AUG 25 I HAD MY 2004 BUICK REGAL TOWED TO GATEWAY BUICK GMC AT 11438 LBJ FWY, DALLAS, TX DUE TO THE CAR IMMEDIATELY SHUTTING OFF AFTER STARTING IT AND SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE MECHANICS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS DUE TO WIRING IN THE ENGINE HARNESS THAT SHORTED OUT THE BATTERY AND ALSO DAMAGED THE CAMSHAFT AND THE CRANKSHAFT SENSORS. THE BATTERY, WIRES, AND SENSORS WERE ALL REPLACED. ON AUG 27 I WENT AND PICKED UP THE CAR AND LATER ON THAT DAY I TRIED TO START THE CAR AND RAN INTO THE SAME ISSUE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ON AUG 28 AND THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS DUE TO A DEAD BATTERY. THAT NIGHT AUG 27 WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR I NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS NEVER SHUTOFF THUS KILLING THE BATTERY (WIRING DONE BY THE MECHANIC). WE GOT THE BATTERY REPLACED AND ON SEP 4 WE WENT TO PICK UP THE CAR. ON OUR WAY HOME THE CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DOING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. LATER ON THAT NIGHT THE SAME ISSUE RETURNED. ON SEP 4 WE HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP.THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT WE HAD AN IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM AND THEY WANTED $303. UNFORTUNATELY, MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS OFFICIAL RECALL. I CALLED GM AND SPOKE WITH [XXX] (1-866-790-5700 EX. 41026, CASE #: 71-1361100546) WHO WASN'T HELPFUL. I KNOW THAT MY VIN WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, BUT I??M HAVING THE SAME ISSUES AS THE OTHER GM BRANDS AND MODELS. THE ONLY REMEDY HE OFFERED WAS THAT I PAY FOR THE REPAIR. I WOULD LIKE GM TO LOOK INTO MY VEHICLE BEING INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE REPAIR FOR MY IGNITION SWITCH TOTALING $303 SINCE I BELIEVE IT??S THE SAME ISSUE THAT ITS OTHER MODELS ARE HAVING. FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE 3 RENTAL CAR COSTS. I INCURRED A COST OF $42.05 FROM AVIS, $343.39 FROM BUDGET, AND $89.21 FROM ENTERPRISE TOTALING $474.65. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
I WAS DRIVING HOME AND THE ENGINE TURNED OFF AND I HAD NO POWER STEERING AND NO POWER BRAKES; I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO SLOW DOWN AND PULL CAR OFF THE STREET. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. *TR
WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN MY 2004 BUICK REGAL COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. WHEN I PUT IT IN PARK AND TRIED TO RESTART IT ALL OF THE LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING AND LUCKILY IT STARTED BACK UP AFTER A COUPLE MINUTES. I DROVE TO WORK AND THEN HOME AND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. THE NEXT MORNING I WENT TO THE STORE AND AT A STOP LIGHT IT SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AGAIN. THIS TIME IT BARELY STARTED AND I IMMEDIATELY DROVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. A THAT POINT MY CAR WOULDN'T EVEN START UP AGAIN AND I WAS WITHOUT MY CAR FOR OVER A WEEK. 460 DOLLARS LATER MY CAR IS FINALLY SAFE AGAIN. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE ENGINE, STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DIED ON DECELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATIONS HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED FIVE MINUTES LATER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY AND IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,600. UPDATED 8/28/14*CN UPDATED 11/25/2014 *JS
Showing 1–20 of 29 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026