There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2011 Buick Regalin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
The engine shuts off when I slow down to make a left turn,this has happened twice. It does start again. I am afraid to drive it know.
ENGINE TIMING FAILURE DUE TO FAULTY CHAIN TENSIONER AT 81000 MILES (2/15/2020) ENGINE CONSUMES EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF OIL BETWEEN CHANGES
BURNING OIL ON A 2.4L EQUINOX ENGINE
VEHICLE HAS SERIOUS OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUES. WILL BURN AS MUCH AS 3 OR MORE QUARTS IN 1000 MILES OR LESS. WAS NOTIFIED BY CHEVROLET MECHANIC THAT SOME OIL CONSUMPTION WAS NORMAL, BUT THAT IF THE CONSUMPTION WAS EXCESSIVE THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY UP TO $3500 OR MORE TO FIX THE CAR. THERE ISN'T A RECALL OUT ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL, BUT ALL CARS EQUIPPED WITH THIS 2.4L ECOTECH ENGINE HAD THE SAME ISSUES FROM THE RESEARCH I CONDUCTED. THE MECHANIC I TALKED TO SAID THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE PISTON RINGS ALLOWING OIL TO REACH THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. SOMETIMES EVEN THE FUMES COME INTO THE CAR AND THEY ARE PRETTY HARSH TO BREATHE IN.
DRIVING MY CAR AT AROUND 30MPH, THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THERE IS NO SHUTTER OR SOUND. IT IS JUST SUDDENLY COMPLETELY TURNED OFF. NO BRAKES. NO POWER STEERING. NO GAS. YOU MUST PULL THE CAR OVER. COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. PUT THE CAR IN PARK. TURN THE KEY COMPLETELY OFF, AND THEN THE CAR WILL RESTART ALMOST EVERY TIME. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME 5 TIMES IN THE 9 YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED IT. BUT IT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 DAYS. NO MECHANIC NOR THE DEALER CAN IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. I HAVE REPLACED THE SERPENTINE BELT TWICE, AND THE THROTTLE BODY/THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR.
TIMING CHAIN DAMAGED ENGINE
TIMING CHAIN LOOSENED DUE TO TENSIONER BREAKING DUE TO THE BOLT HOLDING IT IN PLACE WIDENING THE HOLE IT WAS IN OVER TIME CAUSING THE CAR TO JUMP TIME AND POSSIBLY BENDING ALL THE VALVES IN THE MOTOR. CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN IT STALLED AND SHUT OFF. WE HAD JUST MADE A TURN SO LUCKILY WE WERE NOT GOING FAST WHEN THIS HAPPENED. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. NO CODES CAME UP ON THE COMPUTER EITHER WHEN CHECKED.
UPON BRINGING MY CAR IN FOR A P10011 CODE (THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON), THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN ON MY CAR WAS STRETCHED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IT COST OVER $1900 TO FIX.
TIMING BELT TENSIONER BROKE WHICH CAUSE TIMING CHAIN REPLACEMENT AT 125K
MY 2011 BUICK REGAL WITH THE 2.4L 4CYL HAS BEEN EXCESSIVELY CONSUMING OIL. THE TIMING CHAIN WAS REPLACED AROUND 60K MILES, AND SHORTLY AFTER THE COMPLETE ENGINE WAS REPLACED (SEE CARFAX IMAGE ATTACHED, CONFIRMED WITH DEALER). THOSE REPAIRS HAVE HAPPENED BEFORE I OWNED THIS VEHICLE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A FAILURE WITHIN MY ENGINE AND THE REPAIRS WOULD BE COSTLY TO ME. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO AS IT'S BEEN A COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE ENGINES. THE VEHICLE IS NOW AT 159K MILES AND I'VE BEEN ADDING A QUART OR MORE OF OIL BETWEEN CHANGES.
113,000 MILES, THE CAR SAID REDUCED ENGINE POWER, SERVICE STABILLITRACK AND THEN DIED. WOULDN'T START. TOOK TO REPAIR SHOP AND THEY PULLED THE SOLENOID FROM THE ENGINE AND SAID IT WAS COVERED WITH METAL SHAVINGS. CAR WAS WITHIN OIL CHANGE RANGE BUT NO OIL PRESENT. NOW HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AND THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH ALL THESE 2.4 ENGINES.
BACK ON FEBRUARY 9TH, 2019 I HAD AN OIL CHANGE AND RECEIVED WHATEVER PREMIUM-ULTRA SYNTHETIC OIL THEY HAD. THIS OIL WAS RATED UP TO 9,000 MILES I BELIEVE. AS I WAS HEADING IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 2ND, 2019 THE CAR SUDDENLY LOCKED WITH BRAKES AND STEERING BECOMING EXTREMELY STIFF. I WAS DRIVING WHEN THIS OCCURRED BUT HAD BEEN COMING TO A STOP WITH NOBODY IN FRONT OF ME LUCKILY. HAD THIS HAPPENED 15 SECONDS BEFORE AS I WAS GOING 55MPH AROUND A CURVE, I WOULD HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY KILLED MYSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE. THERE WAS NO ABILITY TO STEER THE CAR OR BRAKE. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME THE ENGINE WOULD REQUIRE A COMPLETE REBUILD, COSTING SEVEN-THOUSAND-DOLLARS. THEY CLAIM IT WAS CAUSED BY A "LACK OF MAINTENANCE (IE. NOT KEEPING UP ON OIL CHANGES)". THE LACK OF OIL THEN CAUSED THE TIMING CHAIN TO BREAK, WHICH THEN FURTHER DAMAGED INTAKE VALVES, HEAD GASKETS, BALANCE CHAIN, ETC. NOW I KNOW FEBRUARY 9TH AND JUNE 2ND IS NEARLY FOUR MONTHS APART, HOWEVER, IN THAT TIME I HAD PUT LESS THAN 2,000 MILES ON THE CAR. HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT MY ULTRA SYNTHETIC OIL WHICH IS RATED FOR FOUR TIMES LONGER, IN A CAR THAT IN THAT TIME HAD BEEN REPORTED TO BURN OIL, AND DOESN'T HAVE AN OIL LEVEL SENSOR, WOULD BURN OIL? IN MY MIND THIS ISN'T A LACK OF MAINTENANCE, IT IS GM'S LACK OF COMMUNICATION. GM NEVER INFORMED ME OF ANY ISSUES REGARDING OIL BURN, YET THEY SUPPOSEDLY REQUIRE TECHNICIANS TO ROLL BACK THE SENSOR BECAUSE OF THIS VERY ISSUE. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT MIRACULOUSLY THE CAR WASN'T GIVING ANY OUTWARD SIGNS OF DISTRESS INCLUDING EXTRA NOISE, LOUD IDLE, HANDLING DIFFERENCES OR ANYTHING. WHILE MY SITUATION ENDED WITH NO INJURIES, AFTER READING ABOUT THIS ISSUE I AM ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES. THIS ISSUE IS NOT ONLY UNJUSTLY DRAINING BANK ACCOUNTS BUT ALSO COSTING LIVES.
TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILED AT JUST LESS THAN 75,000 MILES. I'VE BEEN TOLD BY 2 DIFFERENT MECHANICS THAT IT WOULD BE EASIER TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE THAN GET THE PIECES OUT OF THE ENGINE.
THE CAR WAS VERY NOISY AT START UP. HAD THE OIL CHANGED, THE NOISE WAS BETTER FOR A WHILE BUT CAME BACK IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS AND NOW IT IS CONSTANT. THE CAR WILL STALL OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. I WILL LOSE EVERYTHING, ELECTRICAL AND POWER STEERING. THIS WOULD HAPPEN WHETHER OR NOT ON A HIGHWAY OR DURING CITY DRIVING. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC. MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS IN REDUCE POWER MODE. CAMSHAFT CORALATION CODE.
ENGINE OF MY CAR ACTS WEIRD AND I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC SHOP AND THEY SAY THERES NOTHING WRONG
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO GO INTO LIMP MODE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE MORE THAN 1 MPH. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE RESTARTED IN ORDER TO OPERATE. THE CONTACT CALLED VISION BUICK GMC (800 PANORAMA TRAIL S, ROCHESTER, NY 14625, (585) 200-3905) AND INFORMED THEM OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.
THE OIL CONSUMPTION IN THE CAR IS HORRIBLE, I HAVE TO ATLEAT ADD OIL IN MY CAR ABOUT 5 TIME IN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES, AND MY OIL CHANGES ARE DONE REGULARLY, IVE ALSO HAVE THE ISSUE OF MY OIL AND GAS MIXING, I DID TAKE IT TO THE SHOP ONCE AND THEY FIXED A RECALL THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP, BUT IM GUESSING THEY DIDNT FIX THE ISSUE ONCE THAT REPAIR WAS DONE LIKE THEY SAID IT WOULD.
HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE BECAUSE OF DETERGENT IN RECOMMENDED ENGINE OIL. WITH THE YEARLY OIL CHANGE AND HIGH DETERGENT LEVELS IT EATS AWAY AT SEALS AND GASKET.
2.4 L 4CYL ENGINE BURNING EXCESSIVE OIL BETWEEN OIL CHANGES
Showing 1–20 of 50 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