I backed the car in drive and the guages were normal. When I got out I saw a small amount of smoke coming from under car but within a minute there were flames coming from under the car and within a few minutes the flames were above the car. I called 911 when I saw flames and knew I wasn't going to be able to put the fire out myself. The fire dept arrived, it took them at least 30 minutes to put the fire out. A county deputy arrived and there is a police report (I tried to upload it and it failed each time). The damage has been inspected by an insurance representative from the owner of the house (upload failed.
The worst 2003 Buick Regal problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical35
- Engine35
- Brakes10
- Steering10
- Transmission7
- Wheels6
- Lights5
- Visibility4
- Airbags3
- Fuel system3
- Acceleration2
- Locks2
- Seats2
- Body1
- Seat belts1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Buick Regal
Recalls 3
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
Technical service bulletins for the 2003 Buick Regal 426
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have...
- This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating...
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the...
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire...
- Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles
- GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities
- This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves...
- This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as...
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS)...
2003 Buick Regal fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8L 6‑cyl | FWD | 16-17 | 25-27 | 19-20 |
What 2003 Buick Regal owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 buick regal. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle repeatedly shut off without warning after multiple attempts. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact's friend opened the vehicle's hood and discovered that the engine was engulfed in flames. The police and fire department were called to the scene and the fire was extinguished. Police and fire reports were filed at the scene, no injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. Two months later, the contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency recall number: 09v116(engine and engine cooling) which he linked to the failure. The manufacturer nor the dealer were notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
My daughter was sitting in the passenger front seat. The seat kept heating up almost unbearable. The next day car was off all night my battery died and the heated seat was still hot never shut off all night long I found a sensor under the seat and unplugged that but am nervous of my driver seat also she has newborn baby was with us and the seat definitely could have started on fire very disturbing also very dangerous.
While my vehicle is in motion I can smell oil burning from some where
Recall #15757 was performed by dealer on 2/24/2016. The vehicle at the time of the repair had 255,300 miles on it when I took it to the dealer (brookdale chevrolet buick.gmc on 5/30/18 when I took it back to the dealer for oil dripping on the manifold it had 258,200. There is smoke coming from under the hood. We had it in storage after the repair and took it out this spring. The wife said it smoked and then I drove it and I had a lot of smoke coming from under the hood. Since the repair we only put 2,900 miles on the vehicle. Surely if the repair was done correctly we shouldn't be worrying about our safety. The car can't be driven as is. The dealer flatly said they were no longer responsible for any more repairs unless I pay them $1,100 to replace the valve cover and valve cover gasket. The car is registered at the dealer under nl companies because I have a rental. They can't seem to put it under my name. I can appreciate their reluctance to redo the repairs but there is no way oil should be leaking again on the manifold after 2.900 miles. They wrote down the wrong mileage on their 5/30/18 invoice. There should be 4 documents attached if I did it correctly.
The bright /dim headlight controller hits the back of the steering wheel if the steering wheel is in a position during a right direction curve in the road. This has caused the switch to catch in between settings and the headlights turn off. An example of that use would be going around a curve and need to turn bright lights off due to oncoming traffic. To get the headlights back on, the bright / dim switch has to be activated again. This vehicle was purchased new by myself in 2003 and has been a problem for as long as I can remember since owning the car. I forget about the problem when I get home so now I finally report it in 2018. The problem appears to be a factory defect because the switch and steering wheel are not damaged. The information about when the incident happened is only the last incident.
Passenger seat belt light stays on
All window components motors and regulators have been defective in all 4 doors brake shaking transmission slippage
2003 buick regal. Consumer writes in regards to no parts available to repair recall notice - vehicle vandalized at dealership - refuses to be held responsible for damages. *smd the consumer did not reference a recall.
Unannounced to purchasers, the buick regal has a redundant and defective security ignition system that prevents the vehicle from being able to start with the key after the battery is disconnected. It must now be taken to a dealership to be diagnosed and for a costly repair. It was stationary, and the battery drained down with a phone charger hooked up. Even following the factory key sequence, the battery runs down before the code can be cleared and re-established.
Compare the 2003 Buick Regal
Other model years
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Questions about the 2003 Buick Regal
Is the 2003 Buick Regal reliable?
Owners have filed 101 complaints about the 2003 Buick Regal, 2.7 times a typical Regal model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2003 Buick Regal year score?
The 2003 Buick Regal scores 36 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Buick Regal: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Buick Regal?
Electrical system, with 35 complaints, typically around 97,987 miles. Next is engine (35).
How many recalls does the 2003 Buick Regal have?
3 recalls, covering engine and engine cooling.
What gas mileage does the 2003 Buick Regal get?
Official estimates for the 2003 Buick Regal range from 19 to 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.8L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 16-17 city and 25-27 highway.
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