My wife is complaining of a hard left steer on her 1997 buick regal. The problem does not occur on each turn at this time, but could result in loss of steering. Buick's customer hot line is refusing to make the repair on her car. They claim that this car is not involved with the recall # 03062. Yet the recall shows this recall covers the buick regal model built between 08-01-96 through 07-31-97. This car was built in this time frame. This could cause my wife to have an accident with the potential of fatal injuries.
1997 Buick Regal: loss of power steering
5 of the 136 complaints about the 1997 Buick Regal describe loss of power steering.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Loss of power steering by model year
What owners say
Consumer stated when turning the steering wheel in either direction power steering failed due to rack and pinion malfunctioning.
While driving on the highway vehicle stalled without warning. When this occurred vehicle lost power steering/brakes, and the automatic door locks engaged. Dealership indicated this was caused by wiring failure in the ignition switch. The ignition switch was replaced. This was a common problem with this model vehicle. *ak 1997 buick regal engine stalled when turn signal was used. Dealer told consumer that the engine stalled as a result of ignition switch circuit overload. Consumer feels that this is a very dangerous problem.
Loss of power steering assist when turning to the left. Dealer says power steering rack is binding when turned to the left. Will have to replace, my cost. I see a number of similar complaints on this site. Gm had a recall (11/15/2002) for this problem on same model year for cavalier, sunfire, lumina/venture, silhouette, transport, and grand prix (regal's sibling). What about regal?
On-off loss of power steering during turns. Sometimes a strange shake in steering wheel at low speed when first starting to drive.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Steering: rack and pinion
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
- Risk
- If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began on february 5, 2004. Owners should contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080; chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438; oldsmobile at 1‑800‑630‑6537; or pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668.
Recall number 03V527000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1997 Buick Regal power steering loss
Is loss of power steering a common problem on the 1997 Buick Regal?
5 of 136 owner complaints about the 1997 Buick Regal (4%) mention loss of power steering. The model year with the most reports is 1998.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Buick Regal?
There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Buick Regal
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1997 Buick Regal?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history