Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 41 safety complaints
about the 2016 Buick Regal with the US government. Of those, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the steering.
The most complained-about system is the steering,
named in 10 complaints, 24% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 27,000 miles,
the median across the 21
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers April 2016 to June 2025 · How this is counted
What is on file
41 complaints on file
41
Complaints
0
Describe a crash
0
Mention fire
1
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
STEERING 10 · 24%
10 24%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6 · 15%
6 15%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 6 · 15%
6 15%
ENGINE 5 · 12%
5 12%
POWER TRAIN 5 · 12%
5 12%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 · 12%
5 12%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 5 · 12%
5 12%
SERVICE BRAKES 3 · 7%
3 7%
STRUCTURE 3 · 7%
3 7%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 3 · 7%
3 7%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 · 5%
2 5%
WHEELS 2 · 5%
2 5%
0815
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 41.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2021 at 9.
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2016 to 2025.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2016 Buick REGAL, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
4 DR AWD
4 DR FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
10.9%
10.9%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed.
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Recall campaigns
1 on file
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
16V108000 · February 24, 2016
The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Buick Regal Vehicles manufactured August 30, 2015, to February 12, 2016. The affected vehicles have a power-steering assist system that may fail.
The risk
A loss of power steering assist may increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electric belt drive rack and pinion steering gear assembly, free of charge. The recall began on March 21, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is 21510.
General Motors LLC · up to 74 vehicles across all model years covered
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
STRUCTURE:BODY
1 injured
Interior Chrome Driver Door Handle: The chrome film splits which caused a sharp edge on the edge of the chrome film of the door handle. I cut the edge of my finger on this sharp edge. When I took my vehicle in to have this handle replaced, I had to purchase the entire Driver's Side Door Panel just to get the handle. When speaking to my Service Rep, he informed me of another elderly customer that also cut their finger on their door handle.
NHTSA complaint 11449516. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
My Buick stops when driving unknown when it’s a surprise lights and dash go off almost got hit took to mechanics it’s the 2016-17 “throw away motor” ad they call it does not last and gets”metal pieces” to ruin motor and turbo as I have noticed speed issues and dying unexpectedly it’s the regal turbo 2.0 v-6 motor a should be recall I’ve seen online since at mechanic and a large issue why no recall and I’m reporting this ty
NHTSA complaint 11667836. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STEERING
My steering failed and started pulling left into traffic. It was hard to keep it in my lane. Had to have it towed by AAA. Took to my mechanic and he said it was the electric belt drive rack &pinion steering. He told me there was a recall on it. When I checked I was told that my vin # was not included. I think it should have been because its the same problem.it is not safe to drive.
NHTSA complaint 11642262. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
TIRES
My tires were Black when I bought them at Wittlins in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin in 2020. They have been continualy turning brown on the outside of tire. Now they are a beige color on the outside of tire. It seems the tires are aging terribly. I complained to Wittlins a few times about tires discoloration and the manager keeps telling me the tires are wearing fine and said discoloration is normal. Maybe a little discoloration but not like this and I do not even live in a warm climate. 235/50R18/SL (Tires)
NHTSA complaint 11616371. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I purchased the 2016 Buick Regal used in 2021 with 40,000 miles., it now has close to 70,000 miles. It’s still in well cared for mint condition, except for the driver side headlight. Condensation appeared and has been getting worse, dealership says the only option is buying another complete headlight assembly for $1200.00. The LED part of that headlight has stopped working., it’s inevitable that the bulbs themselves with fail also. This is a safety issue. It’s absurdly cost prohibitive for me and most everybody else to spend that kind of money to fix a headlight.., and $1200.00 is the cost of the part alone, we’d be adding labor to that. This is a manufacturer defect that so many people are …
NHTSA complaint 11589503, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STEERING
43,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Buick Regal. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the vehicle became difficult to steer. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.
NHTSA complaint 11589081. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
85,900 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Buick Regal. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started sputtering. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle for 5-10 minutes. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the failure was no longer present. The contact drove to the residence. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cylinder #1 coil pack and spark plug needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where all the coil packs and sparks plugs were replaced; however, the failure recurred …
NHTSA complaint 11585149, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed February 24, 2016.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst