When turning the steering wheel towards the left steering wheel locked. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealership for inspection and repair. *ak the dealer determine that the short rack needed to be replaced.
1998 Buick Regal: steering wheel locks up
5 of the 302 complaints about the 1998 Buick Regal describe steering wheel locks up.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Steering wheel locks up by model year
- 20191
- 20163
- 20114
- 20051
- 20041
- 20011
- 20003
- 19993
- 19985
- 19972
- 19961
- 19952
- 19911
What owners say
While driving 45 MPH the steering wheel locked up. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak consumer said that buick had a recall on vehicle for the exact same problem.
This vehicle appears to have a serious electrical problem. The problem started with the left blinker going really fast when depressed (as if going out). Then every time you depress the left blinker the electrical on the dash goes off and blinks. The engine shuts off and the steering wheel locks up while driving. Luckily everytime it has happened we have not been in an accident, but this could seriously put someone in danger. I don't know if it is related but the electrical on the thermostat control dashboard has gone out as well as some of the electrical on the windows.
Consumer noticed while traveling and making a left hand turn that power steering locked up. *ak vehicle rolled after a stop and power steering locked up from then on. Hard steering and clunking noise on left turns.
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
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 1998 Buick Regal steering lock-up
Is steering wheel locks up a common problem on the 1998 Buick Regal?
5 of 302 owner complaints about the 1998 Buick Regal (2%) mention steering wheel locks up. The model year with the most reports is 1998.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1998 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 1998 Buick Regal
Fire or smoke 31Stalling 25Headlights 14Power steering loss 9ABS 8Wipers 8Loss of power 6Power windows 6Check engine light 5Engine failure 5Fuel pump 5Premature wear 5Tire blowout 5
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