RecallMyCar

2003 Buick Regal Recalls, Complaints & Specs

3 safety recalls list the 2003 Buick Regal, and owners have filed 101 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

3
safety recalls
101
owner complaints to NHTSA
5 / 14
complaints citing a crash / fire
19–20
MPG combined (EPA)

3 safety recalls for the 2003 Buick Regal

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (engine and engine cooling) and engine (engine and engine cooling)

    NHTSA 15V701000 Reported 1,003,556 vehicles potentially affected General Motors LLC

    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…

    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 engine’s front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are…

  2. Engine and engine cooling

    NHTSA 09V116000 Reported 1,497,516 vehicles potentially affected GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

    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…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine’s front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engine’s plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, free of charge. The…

  3. Engine and engine cooling

    NHTSA 08V118000 Reported 207,542 vehicles potentially affected GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

    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.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine’s front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engine’s plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, along with the 1-3-5…

101 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2003 Buick Regal have filed 101 complaints with NHTSA; 5 describe a crash and 14 describe a fire. Reports cite 7 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 104,383 miles. Complaints peaked in 2014 with 23 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“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 fe”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 4, 2023 · Engine

“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 c”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 3, 2020 · Engine

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 2003 Buick Regal. Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined19–20 mpg
City / Highway16–17 / 25–27
FuelPremium, Regular
EPA classMidsize Cars
Engine6 cyl, 3.8 L
TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Compare Buick Regal model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Buick Regal model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1973 Buick Regal10
1974 Buick Regal20
1975 Buick Regal20
1976 Buick Regal20
1977 Buick Regal30
1978 Buick Regal61
1979 Buick Regal43
1980 Buick Regal50
1981 Buick Regal30
1982 Buick Regal21
1983 Buick Regal14
1984 Buick Regal46
1985 Buick Regal89
1986 Buick Regal412
1987 Buick Regal225
1988 Buick Regal10123
1989 Buick Regal7106
1990 Buick Regal877
1991 Buick Regal6200
1992 Buick Regal2144
1993 Buick Regal285
1994 Buick Regal3110
1995 Buick Regal8173
1996 Buick Regal3204
1997 Buick Regal7136
1998 Buick Regal6302
1999 Buick Regal6246
2000 Buick Regal8184
2001 Buick Regal6187
2002 Buick Regal3117
2003 Buick Regal3101
2004 Buick Regal266
2005 Buick Regal04
2008 Buick Regal01
2009 Buick Regal01
2010 Buick Regal01
2011 Buick Regal4280
2012 Buick Regal792
2013 Buick Regal691
2014 Buick Regal238
2015 Buick Regal033
2016 Buick Regal141
2017 Buick Regal020
2018 Buick Regal319
2019 Buick Regal319
2020 Buick Regal22

Checking a specific 2003 Buick Regal

How do I know if my 2003 Buick Regal has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 3 campaigns currently list the 2003 Buick Regal; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Buick dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 08V118000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Buick models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.