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.
2003 Buick Regal engine problems
35 complaints (35% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 150,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 35
- of this car's complaints
- 35%
- typical mileage
- 150,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 3
Which part fails
- Engine3
- Exhaust system: emission control: catalytic convertor1
- Cooling system1
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 2003 Buick Regal engine
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
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
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.
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.
All window components motors and regulators have been defective in all 4 doors brake shaking transmission slippage
Serpentine belt came off as I was driving down 65 s heading toward brandon from springfield, can't get belt on, and it won't even turn over without a jump.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 buick regal. After parking the vehicle, smoke appeared under the hood. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. A fire report was not filed. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was 188,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 buick regal. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part for 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 had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
2003 buick regal. Consumer writes in regards to replacement parts not available to repair recall notice 15v‑701.
General motors sent letter saying parts were available to repair engines for recall # 15757, but my dealer has been unable to obtain part numbers 12590366 (cover) and 25532619 (gasket) since early march. Despite letter from general motors, parts needed for this recall remain on back order. In repeated calls to general motors customer service line, I've been told they could not provide any information on timelines to resolve the parts backorder.
Questions about the 2003 Buick Regal engine
Does the 2003 Buick Regal have engine problems?
Owners have filed 35 complaints about the engine of the 2003 Buick Regal, 35% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2003 Buick Regal engine problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 150,000 miles.
Is there a recall for the 2003 Buick Regal engine?
Yes, 3 recalls: 15V701000, 09V116000, 08V118000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
Other 2003 Buick Regal problems
Electrical 35Brakes 10Steering 10Transmission 7Wheels 6Lights 5Visibility 4Airbags 3Fuel system 3Acceleration 2Locks 2Seats 2Body 1Seat belts 1
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