On [XXX], my son drove the car to Wendy’s to get lunch around 12:30 pm. He returned, parked the car in the driveway. My son entered the house and while we were eating lunch the doorbell rang, it was the police informing us that my car was on fire in the driveway. The fire department was called and they eventually extinguished the fire which started under the hood of the car. The jaws of life were used to cut the hood of the car loose to fully extinguish the fire. The car is destroyed. There is no fixing it. Marion, Virginia Fire Department extinguished the fire and stated that a report could be obtained but they were positive the fire started in the engine. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Buick Regal fire or smoke problems
230 of the 2,973 owner complaints about the Buick Regal describe fire, smoke or burning smell, most of them for the 2001 model year.
- owner complaints
- 230
- worst model year
- 2001
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,100
- typical mileage
- 122,000
By model year
Often reported together
Check engine light 6Overheating 5Loss of power 5Stalling 3Jerking 3Fuel smell 3Won't start 2Oil consumption 2
Trouble codes mentioned
P0440 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2000 Buick Regal. The contact stated that after he parked and shut off the vehicle, he walked to the bank. Bystanders then alerted the contact that the vehicle had caught fire. The contact stated that the fire had completely burned the engine. When the police and fire department arrived, the fire department extinguished the fire. Police and fire department reports were filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard but was not deemed totaled by the insurance company. The contact stated that prior to the fire, the vehicle was leaking oil onto the ground and lost motive power while driving uphill. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 187,000.
As my daily drive to a shopping location i parked my car at a curb, i turned OFF engine, and i removed the key, i open and exit the car out the driver side door, as i walk a few feet away from my parked car, i then was alerted by people from a nearby business that smoke was coming from the bottom area on my car, i turned and saw dark smoke, and fire began slowly rising from below the bottom front center area of the car, UNKNOWN to me why the car was smoking, and now on fire, this was a fast burning fire, i did not know what to do as more people including a nearby off duty police officer joined in to help, then the fire Department engine truck and crew pulled up in seconds just at the nearby traffic light , as my wife and i stood there and my car was now burning up from the hood area, a blast of foam did not put the fire out, the fire captain, and his crew cut open the hood to put out, in the (Captain words) an electrical fire, they began to cut wires from battery, within the engine area . I've never believed this was happening, so unreal, as i thought about how my wife, and I were just sec. from getting back into the car to continue our day shopping, we thank all who helped. We just drove a short distance away from our home. There were no warning lamps, fire started as people were eating at a outdoor food service business, it was an uncontrolled car fire, my wife and don't know what to do at this point, humiliation towards the car dealer and repair update by (GM Recall )
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.
On my way home from purchasing the vehicle, the car began to lose power and i noticed black smoke though the rear view mirror. Another driver signaled me down, so I pulled over and realized my car was on fire. The fire was in the engine compartment from what appeared to be the exhaust manifold. Since i was in a residential area, i grabbed a water hose and began to diffuse the fire. The fire department arrived and forced my hood open to reassure the fire was out. Luckily i was able to make it out safe. But i strongly believe my life and the lives of other drivers were definitely in danger
My car lit on fire under the hood
While the vehicle was driving, there was a loss of power, at that moment sparks was seen emanating from under the hood, then the vehicle completely stopped running. Once pulled over smoke was bellowing out from the hood and subsequently ignited into flames. Fire department was dispatched and fire was extinguished. The vehicle was towed away and is still at the tow yard. The tow operator, based on visual inspection stated the fire did start in the engine compartment and spread to the fire wall, totaling the vehicle.
ISSUE: BRAKE PEDAL WILL STIFFEN AND SLOW THE CAR DOWN. THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN WILL VIOLENTLY SHAKE, AS IF THE CALIPERS ARE STUCK. ONCE PARKED, WHEELS ARE HOT AND OMITS A BURNING SMELL. NARRATIVE: After the car is sitting in the sun, while driving in slow traffic the car is running rough, steering wheel starts shaking back and forth, the brakes start making noise when you stop. When accelerated there is grinding noise and dash light comes on. I pulled to the side of the road and turned off the car for five minutes, I start the car and it runs as normal. This was happening for a few weeks. I had the brakes replaced on 05/19/21 (I paid $737.66 for the brake job). I drove the car for a couple of weeks and brakes seized. I had to have the car towed back to shop (costing me $135.63) and the shop quoted brake pedal replacement. At that point I took the car to the Everett, WA, Clyde Revord Buick Dealership and they replaced the modular for the brake (part # 22997391) and it was expenive because it required removing the dash board and a lot of labor time (costing me another $1347.31). I feel this is a safety hazaard as my brakes could have seized or a fire could have broke out while I was driving on the freeway. Fortunately, the brakes seized in a parking lot. I did some research on this topic and see that it is a common flaw for this make and model and should be covered by the manufacturer as a recall before someone gets killed.
During periods of high heat (and only high heat) after being parked in the sun, when the vehicle is being driven at highway speeds, the brake pedal will stiffen and slow the car down. The steering wheel column will violently shake, as if the calipers are stuck. Once parked, all four wheels are hot and omits a burning smell. I have replaced two tires, 2 front calipers, front brake pads, all hoses and front rotors to no avail. Brake booster and master cylinder have been checked and are not the issue. All possible issues have been addressed within the last 8 weeks. Friday (05/14/21) the same issue happened again. I am at my wits end trying to resolve this issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 buick regal. The contact was driving at 45 MPH, when he detected a burning odor and saw smoke coming from under the hood. The check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as a false sensor, oil leak, and brake fluid leak. The vehicle was repaired however the failure recurred. The contact received the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was taken to william buick gmc (8201 south blvd, charlotte, nc 28273) but was informed the recall repair could not be done because of rust under the hood and liability issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Related recalls
Electrical system: ignition
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
- Risk
- If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, Buick 1‑800‑521‑7300, and GMC 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.
Recall number 16V502000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Buick LaCrosse and Regal, and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco vehicles equipped with eAssist. These vehicles may have a condition in which the Generator Control Module (GCM) may not function properly. This could cause a gradual loss of battery charge and the illumination of the malfunction indicator light.
- Risk
- If the vehicle is continued to be driven, the engine may stall and/or the vehicle may not start. In addition, there may be a burning or melting odor, smoke, and possibly a fire in the trunk.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners and dealers will test the GCM and replace it, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 11, 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1‑800‑521‑7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13136.
Recall number 13V173000 · Recall details
Questions about the Buick Regal fire or smoke
Which Buick Regal years have fire, smoke or burning smell problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2001 (43 complaints), 1999 (39 complaints) and 1998 (31 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix fire, smoke or burning smell on the Buick Regal?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,100 (median of 12 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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