2011 Buick Regal: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
279 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 279 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 18.6
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
While driving on the highway at 60 mph, warning on dash came on saying “engine power reduced” and drop down speed to around 25 mph and I could not accelerate more than 25 mph on the highway which could have caused an accident because of the traffic flow behind me. I put a code scanner under the dash and it read code P2138, Throttle pedal position sensor switch.
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Regal. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
The cars mileage was altered due to car being wrecked prior and the other car that was used to replace wrecked parts was hidden and vin number was altered. Copart Inc and ICT Sharp Rides are party's involved, I bought car on 12/28/2023 mileage was listed as 132525
Recalls: 4 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 12V484000 | Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Buick Regal and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with two turn signal bulbs in each front turn signal. |
| 16V502000 | Electrical System:Ignition | 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… |
| 16V517000 | Electrical System:Wiring | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011 Buick Regal vehicles manufactured November 3, 2009, to March 25, 2011, equipped with 8-way power adjustable front seats. The power seat wiring harness may contact the seat frame, causing the wires to chafe. |
| 14V447000 | Seats:Front Assembly:Power Adjust | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 23 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,650
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine108 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System75 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Power Train39 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Exterior Lighting38 complaints · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$1,380
- Service Brakes32 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Seats29 complaints · typical job: Seat frame, track or occupancy-sensor repair (2.5 h labour + parts)$500–$1,200
Other Buick Regal years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Buick Regal?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (108 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2011 Buick Regal a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 42/100, computed from 279 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2011 Buick Regal's most common problem?
108 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2011 Buick Regal sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2011 Buick Regal cost to run per year?
About $5,493 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $27,465 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2011 Buick Regal have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2011 Buick Regal, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 04/10/2012. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2011 Buick Regal really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 279 complaints, 4 recalls on record
- 279 NHTSA complaints on record (18.6/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (3.1/yr)
- 4 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems