On my way home from purchasing the vehicle, the car began to lose power and i noticed black smoke though the rear view mirror. Another driver signaled me down, so I pulled over and realized my car was on fire. The fire was in the engine compartment from what appeared to be the exhaust manifold. Since i was in a residential area, i grabbed a water hose and began to diffuse the fire. The fire department arrived and forced my hood open to reassure the fire was out. Luckily i was able to make it out safe. But i strongly believe my life and the lives of other drivers were definitely in danger
1998 Buick Regal engine problems
83 complaints (27% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 120,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 83
- of this car's complaints
- 27%
- typical mileage
- 120,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 3
Which part fails
- Engine: gasoline14
- Engine10
- Exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe2
- Exhaust system2
- Engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleys1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Buick Regal engine problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 1998 Buick Regal engine
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Stalling 25Loss of power 6Check engine light 5Engine failure 5
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V‑118, 09V‑116, and 15V‑201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
- Risk
- Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
- Remedy
- The remedy applied under recalls 08V‑118, 09V‑116, and 15V‑201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V‑118, 09V‑116, or 15V‑201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1‑800‑442‑6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.
Recall number 15V701000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- General motors is recalling 1,497,516 my 1997-2003 buick regal, my 1998-2003 chevrolet lumina, monte carlo and impala, my 1998-1999 oldsmobile intrigue, my 1997-2003 pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l v6 naturally aspirated engine. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which drops of engine oil may be deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking.
- Risk
- If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engines plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, oldsmobile at 1‑800‑630‑6537, and pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668 or http://www.pontiac.com or http:www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 09V116000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling 207,542 my 1997-2003 buick regal and pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l supercharged v-6 engine. These vehicles have higher front rocker cover gasket temperatures, creating the potential for earlier degradation of the front rocker cover gasket and eventual oil seepage.
- Risk
- Certain underhood fires may be caused by drops of engine oil, from seepage or spillage, being deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking. If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and, in some instances, the fire may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engines plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, along with the 1-3-5 spark plug wire retainers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. , free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Until the remedy is completed, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions (1) that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, car port, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle. The dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual. Owners may contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080 or pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668, or through their website at http://www.gmownercenter.com .
Recall number 08V118000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Engine compartment fires
PE02050
What 1998 Buick Regal owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owned a 1998 buick regal. The contact stated while her husband was idle at a guard shaft, when she saw smoke coming from the hood of the vehicle. The driver moved forward away from the guard shaft and parked the vehicle. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated her husband opened the hood and saw fire coming from the engine. The contact stated the guard provided a fire extinguisher to her husband to extinguish the fire. The fire department was contacted and a complaint was filed. The vehicle was towed to impound lot. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired as of yet. The contact stated she received recall letter the federal safety agency campaign number: 09v116000 (engine and engine cooling) after the failure. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. The contact stated that the engine warning indicator continued to randomly flash. Also, once the vehicle was started, the engine would misfire and the vehicle would overheat. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer. The vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign numbers: 09v116000 (engine and engine cooling) and 99v356000 (exterior lighting), but the contact was uncertain if the failures were related to the recalls. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. The contact stated that oil was leaking onto the rear exhaust manifold and spark plugs. There was no warning indicator illuminated. The dealer was not called. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. While the vehicle was undergoing scheduled maintenance, the mechanic noticed an oil leak emerging from the rear valve cover. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired approximately one year ago for the front valve cover per a recall, but the failure recurred. The recall details were unknown. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. While parking the vehicle in the garage, the contact noticed smoke coming from the hood. The engine caught on fire without warning. The contact extinguished the fire with a fire extinguisher. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The failure mileage was 133,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 1998 buick regal. The contact parked the vehicle and noticed smoke. She attempted to start the ignition and was informed by others that the vehicle was on fire. The failure was due to an oil leak in the engine compartment. The fire department extinguished the fire and filed a report. There were no injuries. The vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 09v116000 (engine). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 128,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact stated that there was evidence of an oil leak under the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Questions about the 1998 Buick Regal engine
Does the 1998 Buick Regal have engine problems?
Owners have filed 83 complaints about the engine of the 1998 Buick Regal, 27% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 1998 Buick Regal engine problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 120,000 miles.
Is there a recall for the 1998 Buick Regal engine?
Yes, 3 recalls: 15V701000, 09V116000, 08V118000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
Other 1998 Buick Regal problems
Steering 76Electrical 51Visibility 28Brakes 27Lights 22Transmission 12Tires 11Body 9Suspension 6Airbags 5Seat belts 5Fuel system 4Seats 4Acceleration 3
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