2012 Buick Regal: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
92 NHTSA owner complaints · 7 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
92 NHTSA owner complaints · 7 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 6.57
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a Safety 1st Car Seat, Model Name: Disney Baby Jive 2-in-1 Convertible, Model Number: CC286-GAD, Manufactured Date: August 17, 2022. The contact stated that the forward-facing safety seat head detached from the seat with the screws still attached. The contact attempted to tighten the screws; however, the screws required a special bit. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The car seat was…
[XXX] my car failed to let me use the brake, i was going about 45mph and when i went to apply brake pressure the pedal was so stiff i couldnt use the brake. Causing from end collision, when i made a trip to springdale to have my car inspected it didnt make it, started backfiring and dying around 65 mph then the motor blew, it had some issues starting but nothing like what happened within that few seconds. Im out of a…
The contact owns a 2012 Buick Regal. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, he became aware that the electrical system was not functioning properly. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the body control module. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Num…
What the community is saying right now.
| 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… |
| 13V173000 | Electrical System | General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Buick LaCrosse and Regal, and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco vehicle… |
| 12V093000 | Exterior Lighting | GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 BUICK REGAL VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 22, 2011, THROUGH FEBRUARY 22, 2012… |
| 20V764000 | Suspension:Rear | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Buick Regal, 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2010-2013 Buick Lacrosse vehicles sold or ev… |
| 21V00F000 | Suspension:Rear | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Buick Lacrosse, 2012-2013 Buick Regal, and 2013 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles sold or ev… |
| 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 C… |
| 26V113000 | Suspension:Rear | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012–2013 Buick Regal Turbo and GS trim-level vehicles that were sold or ever registered, in C… |
EPA combined 22 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,800 · EPA range 298 mi
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Exterior Lighting (33 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 76/100, computed from 92 NHTSA complaints and 7 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for the 2012 Buick Regal, 1 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.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & 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: 2026-08-20.