Driver side headlamp draws moisture, keeps blowing bulbs at 104.99 a pop. Water gets in the headlight assembly and shorts out the ballast. This happens even when driving down the road at random. It could be pitch black and suddenly you have no headlights and are forced to drive with only fog lamps
2011 Buick Regal lights problems
38 complaints (14% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 85,000.
- owner complaints
- 38
- of this car's complaints
- 14%
- typical mileage
- 85,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Tail lights1
- Headlights1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Buick Regal lights problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2011 Buick Regal lights
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Exterior lighting: turn signal
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Buick Regal and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with two turn signal bulbs in each front turn signal. If one of the two front turn signal bulbs burn out in either front turn signal lamp, there is no indication to the driver. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Risk
- If the driver is not aware that a turn signal is not functioning properly, the driver may continue to drive the vehicle. If half of a front turn signal is not illuminating, other driver's may not be aware that the affected vehicle is turning, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Buick at 1‑800‑521‑7300 or Chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is 12212.
Recall number 12V484000 · Recall details
What 2011 Buick Regal owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Condensation gets into headlight assembly and shorts out HID headlight. Issue occurred with drivers and passenger headlights. Car will not have headlights because of short. Thus causing a safety issue.
Moisture has been collecting in both headlight assemblies for the past 3 years, whenever the car is outside or driven in the rain. Recently, this caused both high/low beam headlights to burn out. Replacing the bulbs is not enough, as the bulbs immediately burn out/smoke and blow out because of the water accumulation. On the driver side headlight, there was actually standing water in the headlight assembly that came pouring out when the cover was removed to replace the bulb. Dealership says both headlight assemblies must be replaced entirely to resolve the issue, due to corrosion. The vehicle has never been in an accident (there are NO cracks from collision, etc.). This appears to be a manufacturing defect or an issue with seal. This is a crazy expensive repair, to have to have the entire headlights replaced on the vehicle, on both sides, because they are not properly sealed/allow condensation and accumulation of water to take place. Can GM please cover the cost of this? Otherwise, this might be the last GM car I ever buy... This is also a major safety issue, as one must have working headlamps. Without an entirely new headlight assembly on each side, the lightbulbs, when replaced, burn out unexpectedly almost immediately, within weeks of replacement.
After heavy rain in mid-September 2022, both headlights just stopped working. The dashboard will usually display a warning or pop up symbol that something is not working, but I had no warning and got pulled over driving at dusk with no headlights. There has been been other issues with this vehicle too! The other issues include: Bluetooth connection not working at all, the transmission has “jerking” issues while changing gears and the engine revving too high while only going 30mph while driving in suburban Massachusetts. The car has less than 70k miles, these issues should not be happening. The main issue is the headlights, considering they cost around $200/ea and just stopped working with no notice.
I was driving on a back road when my car started smoking and blazed up on passenger side headlights an I see were people have been saying this was seriously fire issue now I'm out of work no car and I was only owner fa 5 months
Headlight assembly case on both passenger and driver side fills with condensation and then causes headlight bulb and/or ballast to burnout ,this also could cause a fire
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions the headlights became inoperable. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the wiring in the bumper was hot at the base. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where the engine was diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was unknown.
Drivers side lightbulb has been changed multiple times. Noticeable condensation in light itself. Driving at night and lights went out completely. Had to drive with only fog lights on. Issue happens sporadically and without warning so it is hard to address.
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. The contact stated that after a rainstorm, moisture entered the driver’s side headlight housing causing the bulb to blow. The contact discovered the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 12V484000 (Exterior Lighting) which he linked to the failure however, the Vin was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Front headlamp burned out due to moisture in the assembly. There is an issue with the ballast in the headlamp assembly for the turbo model. The seal may be faulty due to the headlamp shorting out except for the daytime running lights. I realized that it had malfunctioned and there was moisture in the assembly itself. My repair shop quoted $1500.00 for the repair/replacement as the whole assebly needs to be replaced. This is definitely a safety hazard and a common one for this make and model. This should be a recall due to the faulty headlamp assembly.
Questions about the 2011 Buick Regal lights
Does the 2011 Buick Regal have lights problems?
Owners have filed 38 complaints about the lights of the 2011 Buick Regal, 14% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2011 Buick Regal lights problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 85,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Buick Regal lights?
Yes, 1 recall: 12V484000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Buick Regal have the most lights problems?
The Buick Regal model years with the most lights complaints are 2011 (38 complaints), 2013 (37 complaints) and 2012 (34 complaints).
Other 2011 Buick Regal problems
Engine 111Electrical 75Transmission 39Brakes 34Seats 29Driver assistance 20Fuel system 17Steering 17Acceleration 13Airbags 8Suspension 7Body 4Tires 3Seat belts 2Locks 1Visibility 1Wheels 1
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