Car has become very hard to turn, unless moving.
1998 Buick Regal steering problems
76 complaints (25% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 80,000. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 76
- of this car's complaints
- 25%
- typical mileage
- 80,000
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Rack and pinion36
- Rack and pinion: rack5
- Hydraulic power assist system4
- Column locking: anti-theft device4
- Gear box (other than rack and pinion)2
- Steering wheel/handle bar1
- Linkages1
- Hydraulic power assist: pump1
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 steering problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 1998 Buick Regal steering
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
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
Related investigations
Power rack and pinion steering failure
Gm's letter to the federal safety agency dated december 11, 2003, expands its original recall (the federal safety agency 02v286) to include certain w-body vehicles: 96-97 olds cutlass supreme; 98 olds intrigue; 97-98 olds cutlass; 97-98 chevy lumina, monte carlo and malibu; 96 pontiac grand prix; and 96-98 buick regal.the number of vehicles recalled is 750,283.gm determined that failure of the rack and pinion is related to damage of the lower pinion bearing and the level of the pinion bearing pre-load spring force.gm states, higher rack pre-load spring force (133 lb.) is the design characteristic most closely associated with higher bearing damage rates in most of the vehicle applications that used the general bearing company (gbc) bearing.all of the vehicles covered in the expanded recall have the 133 lb spring force.the 96 lumina/monte carlo and 97-98 century w-body vehicles included in this investigation utilize a lower spring force and are not included in the recall.
EA03019
Power rack and pinion steering failure
Gm conducted a safety recall (the federal safety agency # 02v286) to address a steering defect pertaining to a lower pinion bearing (lpb) within the rack and pinion steering gear (r&p). The recall covered 1,159,156 model year 1997-1998 pontiac grand prix vehicles built between march 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, 1996-1998 pontiac trans sport, chevrolet lumina apv, chevrolet venture, oldsmobile silhouette minivans, and chevrolet cavalier and pontiac sunfire sedans built between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997.odi opened this rq after receiving reports that other vehicles were exhibiting the same symptoms as the recalled vehicles.based on odi's review of technical and complaint data collected during the rq, the w-cars are associated with either a higher steering complaint rate or a higher lpb failure rate than the other vehicles investigated under the rq and are above or near the rates for the recalled vehicles.thus, odi will further examine the w-cars (1996-1997 oldsmobile cutlass supreme, 1996-1998 buick regal, chevrolet lumina, chevrolet monte carlo, 1997-1998 buick century, and 1998 oldsmobile intrigue) under a new investigation, engineering analysis (ea)03-019.
RQ03001
What 1998 Buick Regal owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. While driving 10 MPH and making a left turn, a loud noise emitted when turning the steering wheel and the vehicle started to shake. The vehicle was not diagnosed and repaired. The vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 03v527000 (steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,013.
Tl * the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. While making a right turn at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was unable to be restarted and was towed to the contact's residence. The failure recurred eighteen times over a period of three months. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 177,000. Updated 09/02/14*lj the consumer stated when the brakes would stall, the steering and brakes would fail as well. Updated 09/16/2014
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH, the power steering failed. The contact mentioned that he attempted to make a left turn but had difficulty maneuvering the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 160,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH in a parking lot, a loud noise emitted when turning the steering wheel. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who stated that the rack and pinion would need to be replaced. The lower bearing assembly was replaced, but did not correct the failure. There was a recall related to the defect associated with the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v527000 (steering:rack and pinion). The VIN was ineligible under the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 108,330.
1998 buick regal gs. Rack and pinion problems at 96k miles. Nothing noticable leading up to problem. One day it has hard to steer to the left. Now it is effecting turning to the right. *tr other '98 regals were under recall for this issue but for some reason my regal isn't. Spoke to buick at 8666088080 and was told by a manager there was nothing they could do since it wasn't part of recall. Kept refering to car age even though the car has under 100k miles. Taking to buick dealer this weekend to see if fixing is worth it. Dealer says full rack and pinion overhaul will run $1500 to $2000. Car is only worth $2500. Sad to see a car die before it hits 100k miles but I guess there is a reason gm was in such bad shape.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. When attempting to drive, the steering column locked without warning. This condition, would not allow the vehicle to be driven. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility, and the rack and pinion was replaced. However, after the repair the failure resurfaced. The failure and current mileages were unavailable.
Steering will not turn to left steering turns back to right violently.
When turning to the left I loose power steering control and when I turn to the right it works most of the time but not all the time leaving it very hard to turn. Mechanic checked the power steering and said that it was alright and that their was a recall on the lower pinion gear and to check it out. O a couple of occasion my steering was out of whack while driving and I almost went in the ditch.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 buick regal. While driving approximately 15 MPH on normal road conditions, the power steering failed when proceeding to make a turn. The contact exerted more effort to turn the steering wheel. The failure occurred intermittently. There were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The authorized dealer was notified. Through research, the technician discovered the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v527000 (steering;rack and pinion). The contact experienced failures identical to the ones mentioned in the recall. The failure and current mileages were 62,000. The ABS motor failed which prevented the rear brakes from working and also the ignition switch was faulty which caused the vehicle to stall when using the left turn signal. Updated 03/04/09.
Questions about the 1998 Buick Regal steering
Does the 1998 Buick Regal have steering problems?
Owners have filed 76 complaints about the steering of the 1998 Buick Regal, 25% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 1998 Buick Regal steering problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 80,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Buick Regal steering?
Yes, 1 recall: 03V527000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Buick Regal have bad steering?
The Buick Regal model years with the most steering complaints are 1998 (76 complaints), 1997 (37 complaints) and 1999 (31 complaints).
Other 1998 Buick Regal problems
Engine 83Electrical 51Visibility 28Brakes 27Lights 22Transmission 12Tires 11Body 9Suspension 6Airbags 5Seat belts 5Fuel system 4Seats 4Acceleration 3
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