- The problem
- Certain replacement fuel filters, fram brand name p/n g3727, with date codes x52911 through x60801 sequentially or x600141 and a mexico country or origin marking on the fuel filter housing manufactured from october 18, 2005, through march 21, 2006, sold for use on the vehicles listed above and on certain school buses. (To see the school bus engine sizes, click on "document search" and then "bus applications"). The connector on the fuel filter was not manufactured to honeywell's specification. As a result, the o-ring may not seat correctly on the fuel line.
- The risk
- This condition may cause an inadequate seal at the connection, potentially leading to a fuel leak. In the presence of an ignition source, a fire could occur.
- The fix
- Honeywell will notify owners and replace the fuel filters free of charge. The recall began on october 18, 2006. Owners may contact fram customer service at 1-800-890-2075 (option 1).
Vehicle safety record
1989 Buick Regal Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 107 complaints about the 1989 Buick Regal with NHTSA, most often about the brakes (51) and the body, doors & structure (16). Those complaints describe 9 crashes, 3 fires and 3 injuries. It is covered by 8 recalls, the latest in May 2006 for the fuel system, gasoline. For comparison, the 1988 has 125 and the 1990 has 80.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Regal year, for its age
#10 most complained-about 1989 vehicle
- Complaints
- 107
- Recalls
- 8
- Crashes
- 9
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 3
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 1989 Buick Regal problems
Share of all 107 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
1989 Buick Regal recalls 8
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, where road salt use is heavy. A condition where one or both front engine cradle bolts can pull through the retainers due to corrosion of the retainers.
- The risk
- If both bolts pull through, the front of the cradle would no longer be supported at the mounting locations and the steering intermediate shaft could separate from the steering gear.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the front and rear frame/cradle bolts and retainers.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles and mini vans originally sold or currently registered in the following states: connecticut, illinois, indiana, maine, massachusetts, michigan, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont and wisconsin. The rear cradle bolts pull through the retainers due to corrosion of the retainer. If both bolts pull through, the rear cradle would not longer be supported at these mounting locations and the steering intermediate shaft can separate from the steering gear.
- The risk
- If this were to occur while the vehicle was in motion, a vehicle crash could result.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the rear cradle bolts and retainers.
- The problem
- Cracks develop in the wheel mounting surface. If these cracks become severe enough, the wheel will completely separate from the vehicle.
- The risk
- If wheel separation occurs while the vehicle is in motion, loss of steering and brake control of the vehicle occurs, and a vehicle crash could result without prior warning.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the manufacturing date codes stamped on each wheel of the vehicle and if a wheel falls within the specified date code range, the dealer will replace that wheel assembly.
- The problem
- Cracks develop in the wheel mounting surface. If these cracks become severe enough, the wheel will completely separate from the vehicle.
- The risk
- If wheel separation occurs while the vehicle is in motion, loss of steering and brake control of the vehicle occurs, and a vehicle crash could result without prior warning.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the manufacturing codes stamped on each wheel of the vehicle and if a wheel falls within the specified date code range, the dealer will replace that wheel assembly.
- The problem
- Brake stoplamps may not illuminate or, in some cases, stoplamps will not stay illuminated all the time when brakes are applied due to a faulty stoplamp switch. Also in vehicles equipped with cruise control, a faulty stoplamp switch can result in resumption of the cruise control function upon release of the brake pedal.
- The risk
- A trailing vehicle may not recognize a braking actionin time to respond appropriately. Also, cruise control will reengage uponrelease of the brake pedal and resume the set speed. In either case, it couldresult in a crash without prior warning.
- The fix
- INSTALL AN IMPROVED DESIGN STOPLAMP SWITCH.
- The problem
- Front shoulder belt guide loop attachment fastener may pull through door mounted anchor plate.
- The risk
- Seat belt may not sustain loads required by fmvss 210, and in a vehicle accident, the seat belt may not properly restrain a passenger, resulting in increased risk of greater injury to an occupant.
- The fix
- Replace front shoulder belt guide loop attachment nuts and install new guide cover.
- The problem
- Fuel return lines could fracture and allow fuel to leak in the area of the fuel tank.
- The risk
- In presence of an ignition source, this condition couldresult in a fire.
- The fix
- INSTALL NEW FUEL RETURN PIPE ASSEMBLY.
What owners say
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107 complaints about the 1989 Buick Regal
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 5.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving under 10 mph, the engine fell out from under the vehicle. This occurred in front of the contact's residence and the contact determined the rear cradle bolt broke and repaired the vehicle. There is a nhtsa recall, # 97v058000, regarding the structure. The vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however, it is not included in the recall due to the vin.
Vehicle smelled of gas, there was gas on the ground all the time. The gas tank was defective as stated in recall 88v188000. *Ak
Consumer states while traveling 35 mph without any indication vehicle engine fail from under vehicle. Vehicle was service technician notice cradle mounts need to be replaced. Please provide further information. Ts
While driving engine lost power causing a crash. Cause unknown. Dealer notified.*Ak
The consumer was involved in an accident. No other information was given.
I thought there was some recall on the rear calipers but the local dealer said no... I checked the site and cant find any info was I just mis informed? Nlm
Cradle has rotted out because the cradle bolts have rusted. Gmc has issued a recall 00 v 189 000. Dealer : neal buick, medford, ny 631-289-7800 refused to perform recall repairs due to engine cradle rotting. Please provide additional information.*Ak
While driving 55 mph, consumer heard a noise. Pulled over and saw subframe hanging down in front of vehicle, motor was leaning into cooling fans and radiators. *Jg *ak
After traveling 35 miles, on freeway, stalled out going down off ramp,on ramp, aprox 20 mph.Was to towed to garage. Started right up afer cooled down for 1hour. Daughters 1989 olds does same thing.Is there a recall of some kind I should know about? Cruise control doesnt work. *Ak
Consumer took vehicle into dealer to have recall 00v189000 repairs concerning rear cradle bolts. Dealer denied recall repairs due to vehicle being damaged/ rusted and had too many miles. Dealer offered to buy back vehicle. *Ak consumer was driving vehicle at time of bolt retainer failure, vehicle went into a ditch. *Jb
Rear disc brakes failed to work properly. When applying brakes calipers would not move freely, and pads would rub on rotors. Brakes were rusty. Not able to turn due to rubbing. Was replaced 3 years ago. *Ak
The rear crable bolts sheared off the vehicle while driving causing the frame of the vehicle to fall to the ground which also damaged the oil pan and separated the steering shaft, the driver lost the ability to steer and brake, the cradle bolts were previously recalled and replaced in 1997 (97v-058).
First tire developed a oblong bubble approx ten inches long under the tire tread, wobbled real good. Second tire you could tell was out of round by going real slow, steel treads showing through. These tires were a 4 yrs old and had 25000 miles on them. All four tires replaced.*Ak (tiresize: p205/70r14)( dot number: tire size: p205/70r14 )
Consumer is not able to receive recall repair (00v-189) due to lack of parts, vehicle is experiencing problems due to component failure. *Mjs
NO SUMMARY
NO SUMMARY
Consumer was driving when the motor suddenly dropped to the street along with the transmission. Nlm
While traveling and without indication vehicle engine dropped, and consumer lost all steering and brake power. *Ak transmission also dropped to the ground causing loss of steering and brake power, muffler breaking and water pump leak. *Yh
When pulling out of a station welds for the housing of front bushings broke. Consumer had to have vehicle towed. *Ak
2 Occurrences of sudden acceleration. First reported to gm dealer 2/13/92. Dealer stated defective ecm and replaced ecm. No problems till recently. When shifting from park to reverse car accelerated with full rpm. Car crashed into row of tress, totalled vehicle and injuring driver. Would now like to know recourse with gm.*Ak
Consumer was denied recall repair 00v-189 due to the missing upper bushings and unacceptable lower bushings, dealer refused repair until the bushings were repaired. Nlm
While driving to work heard a loud noise. Pulled into a local store and steering wheel was hard to move. Looked up under the frame, and saw that frame separated from the body of the car. Consumer lost control due to the cradle bolts pulling through the rusted out frame. *Ak
The speedometer is led display which for the most part doesn't work, however, when the temp. Drops it comes on for a brief amount of time.
WHILE DRIVING CAR CUTS OFF. *AK
WHILE DRIVING CAR CUTS OFF. *AK
Buick Regal: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 88 | 2 | F |
| 1992 | 147 | 2 | F |
| 1991 | 201 | 7 | F |
| 1990 | 80 | 9 | F |
| 1989 | 107 | 8 | F |
| 1988 | 125 | 11 | F |
| 1987 | 25 | 3 | C |
| 1986 | 13 | 5 | C |
| 1985 | 12 | 9 | C |
1989 Buick Regal vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 Buick Regal | 107 | 8 | F | |
| 1989 Buick Century | 41 | 1 | F | Compare |
| 1989 Buick Lesabre | 29 | 3 | C | Compare |
| 1989 Buick Park Avenue | 21 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 1989 Buick Reatta | 11 | 2 | D | Compare |
| 1989 Buick Riviera | 9 | 3 | D | Compare |
| 1989 Buick Skylark | 4 | 3 | C | Compare |
| 1989 Buick Skyhawk | 3 | 2 | D | Compare |
| 1989 Buick Electra | 2 | 1 | C | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 1989 Buick Regal
Does the 1989 Buick Regal have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 8 recalls for the 1989 Buick Regal: fuel system, gasoline (May 2006); structure (July 2000); structure (April 1997); wheels (June 1995) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Buick Regal?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the brakes (51), body, doors & structure (16), electrical system (11).
How many complaints has the 1989 Buick Regal had?
107 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on May 24, 1994 and the latest on April 5, 2006. Of these, 9 describe a crash and 3 a fire, and together they report 3 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 1989 Buick Regal a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 13 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Buick Regal year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Buick Regal years have the most complaints?
1998 (312), 2011 (280), 1999 (252). See every Buick Regal year compared.
What should I do if my 1989 Buick Regal has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data