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: sudden loss of power
6 of the 302 complaints about the 1998 Buick Regal describe sudden loss of power.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical mileage
- 53,313
- recalls
- 3
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls and 10 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Sudden loss of power by model year
What owners say
Dt*: the contact stated while driving low speeds on a street, there was a loss of all power steering without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop, who determined the serpentine belt fractured and needed to be replaced. After the replacement, the mechanic performed a test drive, and while attempting to make a sharp left hand turn at low speeds, the steering rack and pinion fractured. The vehicle was towed to the independent repair shop where the steering rack and pinion as well as the bushings was replaced. The manufacturer was alerted.
Car completely lost power on 3 separate left-hand turns. Had to have the vehicle towed to my mechanic.
While driving at 25 MPH the vehicle stalled when the left turn signal was engaged. The vehicle was restarted, but lost power brakes and steering within 5 seconds. The consumer was able to pull to the side of the road and engage the emergency brakes. Following this, the consumer restarted the vehicle and drove home. The vehicle stalled again while the consumer was pulling into the driveway. The vehicle was then towed to a dealership, who indicated that this failure was caused by a bad ignition switch. The ignition switch was replaced. *ak *sc
My wife was driving this car. When she was making a left turn the steering locked or appear to lose power. She thought the car shut off, so she stepped on the acceleator and the car went into a mis-directed direction. She was able to recover by trying to turn the steering wheel back and forth
Power steering rack. Intermittent loss of power assist while turning to the left. Dealer diagnosed as bad power steering rack.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
- L67 engine oil smell or odor, leak at left or front valve cover (replace valve cover gasket, gromments and...
- Engine coolant consumption or coolant leak (inspect for material degradation/replace intake manifolds) tt...
- New upper intake manifold and gasket kits
- New rear main seal and special tool for installation
- Intermittent malfunction indicator lamp / service engine soon indicator illumination; anti-lock brake...
- Some owners may comment on a repeat engine oil pan leak
- Subject regarding various driveability symptoms, malfunction indicator lamp illuminates intermittently,...
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
Questions about the 1998 Buick Regal loss of power
Is sudden loss of power a common problem on the 1998 Buick Regal?
6 of 302 owner complaints about the 1998 Buick Regal (2%) mention sudden loss of power. The model year with the most reports is 2011.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1998 Buick Regal?
There are 3 recalls and 10 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1998 Buick Regal
Fire or smoke 31Stalling 25Headlights 14Power steering loss 9ABS 8Wipers 8Power windows 6Check engine light 5Engine failure 5Fuel pump 5Premature wear 5Steering lock-up 5Tire blowout 5
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