Selling a Buick Regal that no longer runs

If your Regal is past saving, you don't have to fix it first. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and you can sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

Which Regal do you have?

The trouble spots change completely from one generation to the next, so start with the year. These Regal complaints are what owners sent NHTSA up to October 10, 2026. A recall's vehicle number is its whole campaign, and a few of the large Regal ones also list Chevrolet, Oldsmobile and Pontiac models.

1984-1987 (rear-drive G-body). Wikipedia lists a 3.2 V6, 3.8 V6 or turbocharged 3.8 V6. Just 52 complaints across four years. The 1985 alone had 8 recall campaigns. Recall 89V102000 targets the cruise control servo on 1984-1987 cars, where a loose bushing could raise engine speed or keep the engine running after shutoff.

1988-1996 (front-drive W-body, built in Oshawa). Engines were a 2.8, 3.1 or 3.8 V6 with a 4-speed automatic. This generation has 1,222 complaints.

1997-2004 (second W-body). Also built in Oshawa, and the source of 1,339 complaints, the most of any Regal generation.

2011-2017. Wikipedia gives 2010-2020 for the Regal's return to North American production. These years have 595 complaints. A few stray complaints are filed under 2005 and 2008-2010.

2018-2020. The last generation sold here. Only 57 complaints, and these late cars simply haven't been around as long to gather reports.

1988-1996: brake complaints and seat belt recalls

Hydraulic brakes lead the list on every year from 1988 through 1993: 63 of 123 on the 1988, 47 of 106 on the 1989, 40 of 77 on the 1990, 107 of 200 on the 1991, 50 of 144 on the 1992 and 38 of 85 on the 1993.

Seat belts are the recall theme. Recall 90V054000 says a front shoulder belt guide loop fastener could pull through the door anchor plate on 1988-1990 cars. Recall 91V005000 covers belt webbing that could separate at the upper guide loops on 1990-1991 cars.

Two structural recalls follow. Recalls 97V058000 and 00V189000 replaced rear and then front-and-rear cradle bolts on 1988-1991 cars first sold, or later registered, in states such as Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts and Michigan. Both campaigns covered passenger vehicles beyond the Regal. If your early W-body Regal spent time in one of those states, ask a dealer whether either was done.

On the 1995, air bags lead with 48 of 173 complaints. Recall 00V171000 replaced driver air bag inflators on 1995 cars because corroded internal wiring could set the bag off unexpectedly.

1997-2004: steering, fires and the 3.8 V6 valve cover

The 1998 has the most complaints of any Regal, 302, and steering leads with 73. Recall 03V527000 covers lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion on 1996-1998 cars, where retainer tabs were not crimped properly and the ball bearings could escape. NHTSA lists 750,283 vehicles for that campaign as a whole, and other GM cars may be among them.

Fire shows up more in this generation than anywhere else. Owners report fires in 41 complaints on the 1998, 44 on the 1999, 30 on the 2000 and 48 on the 2001.

Recall 09V116000 covers 1997-2003 Regals with the 3.8 V6. GM's own notice also names the Chevrolet Impala, Lumina and Monte Carlo, the Oldsmobile Intrigue and the Pontiac Grand Prix, so its 1,497,516 vehicles are not all Regals. The fix replaced the front valve cover and gasket. A 2004 follow-up, 15V201000, did the same for 2004 Regals built April 9 to June 1, 2003. Then 15V701000 said the remedies under 08V-118, 09V-116 and 15V-201 had not fully removed the risk and added an improved remedy for 1997-2004 cars.

2011-2020: a quieter Regal

The 2011 is the loud year here: 280 complaints, with the engine named in 76 and the electrical system in 52. Exterior lighting leads on the 2012 (28) and 2013 (29). Recall 14V447000 swapped the shoulder bolts in the power seat height adjuster on 2011-2012 Regals; LaCrosse, Camaro, SRX, Equinox and Terrain owners got the same notice. Under 20V764000, 2012-2013 Regals from a list of states had their rear toe links and fasteners renewed.

Regal complaints by model year

Owner complaints per NHTSA, October 10, 2026. Recall numbers are per model year, and a campaign covering five years is tallied five times, so don't sum them toward 74.

The 2005-2010 row holds 4 complaints on the 2005 and 1 each on the 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Repair it or let it go?

• Check open recalls first at NHTSA's lookup. The Regal's 74 campaigns span 1984-2020, so only a VIN search shows which ones apply to your car and whether they were done.
• Brakes gone on an early car? Price the brake job on paper and set it against the car's running value. Our bad brakes guide covers what to ask.
• Engine bay fire or smoke on a 3.8 V6? Ask a dealer about the valve cover recalls before anything else.
• Quote bigger than the car? See what a junk car is worth for what moves an offer on a non-running car.

How to sell a Regal whole

1. Note the VIN from the dash, the odometer reading and the symptom.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Tell us where the Regal sits and if its wheels roll, so we send the right truck. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Leave the parts where they are, and list anything that's gone.
5. Keep the Regal's title and your ID nearby. Missing the title? Begin at selling with no title.

Also on this site: the Century, LaCrosse and LeSabre.