MODELYEARINDEX

Which Buick Regal years to avoid

Across 8 scored model years, the 2011 and 2013 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Buick Regal Full report
F
Grade 2011–2019
2011 vs model median 4.2×
Model median3× median
Engine 22
Electrical 15
Brakes 7
Avoid

2011 · 2013

Best

2016 · 2019

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2011
4.20× 85 F
2012
0.96× 26 C
2013
1.38× 25 D
2014
1.01× 22 C
2015
1.03× 25 B
2016
0.76× 21 B
2018
0.99× 20 C
2019
0.47× 15 B

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2011 F 85 reports · median 35,015 mi

  1. Engine 22

    I experience intermittent noise from the right/passenger side of the engine compartment. I drove vehicle to suburban buick gmc and was unable to duplicate noise and no action was taken. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Electrical 15

    We have experienced starter mishaps off and on since we bought this vehicle eg: when we turned the engine off, it would continue to run until key was removed. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Brakes 7

    The contact owns a 2011 buick regal. The contact stated that the electric parking brake was in what the contact believed to be an unsafe position on the console. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

5 crash · 2 injuries

2013 D 25 reports · median 28,300 mi

  1. Electrical 5

    I purchased a new 2013 buick regal e-assist vehicle from the gm dealership in st. Catharines. When I attempted to start my new car and drive it for the first time, to my surprise and dismay, the emergency lights went… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Lights & Visibility 3

    I was driving down the freeway and the moon roof exploded all over my kids in the back seat as well as my self, I had glass stuck in my scalp. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Speed Control 3

    The contact owns a 2013 buick regal. While driving in a parking area to approach and enter a parking space at 5 MPH, the contact's vehicle independently surged with a high rate of speed above 60 MPH and crashed into… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

4 crash · 1 fire · 5 injuries

The best year for the Regal

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2019 is the best-scoring Regal model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 80.9 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2019 0.47× 15 B
2016 0.76× 21 B
2015 1.03× 25 B

Recalls

17 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
14V447000 SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST 2011, 2012 414,333
20V764000 SUSPENSION:REAR 2012, 2013 220,006
18V576000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER 2018, 2019 210,628
12V484000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL 2011–2013 120,426
16V517000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING 2011 42,984
13V173000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2012, 2013 42,904
21V633000 SUSPENSION:REAR 2013 32,894
22V465000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM 2018, 2019 23,734
26V113000 SUSPENSION:REAR 2012, 2013 17,050
18V230000 SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER 2018 8,738
16V502000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION 2011 8,367
21V00F000 SUSPENSION:REAR 2012, 2013 4,271

+ 5 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2011 were reported at a median of 35,015 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Buick Regal years should you avoid?
2011, 2013 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Buick Regal model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Buick Regal?
2019 is the best-scoring Buick Regal model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 80.9 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Buick Regal have?
17 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Buick Regal model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2011 Regal
Complaints in window
85
Severity-weighted
149
Model median (weighted)
36
vs model median
4.20×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
4
Open investigations
0
Score 15 F