2018 Buick Regal: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
19 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 19 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 2.38
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
My car was part of recall number 22V465, which was supposed to fix a problem with the electronic brake assist system. The recall repair was done in 2023, but after my battery recently died, the same problem has come back — my brakes are very firm, and I have to press hard to stop. The car is showing trouble codes C028F:04, C1586:04, and V0420:71, all related to the electronic brake control module.
This issue is related to the gear shifter on the vehicle. When stopping the car and putting it into park the dashboard shows the message "Shift to Park." this vehicle has only 50,000 miles on it and this issue cause safety issues as the battery on the vehicle will drain as the car can't be turned off with this message. This issue has been reported for this vehicle in NHTSA Bulletin #10252775. However, the manufacture…
Was driving home from work and my brakes suddenly stopped working, if I press all the way down on the brakes they somewhat work. Checked brake fluid and brake lines and everything seems fine. Could this be from vacuum power brake assist fail?
Recalls: 3 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 18V230000 | Seat Belts:Rear/Other | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Buick Regal vehicles. During the manufacturing process, the rear seat belts may have been improperly routed around the bolster bracket on the rear outboard seats, which can cause inadequate restraint of the passengers. |
| 22V465000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Buick Regal vehicles. In the event of a vacuum-power brake assist failure, a software error in the electronic brake control module (EBCM) may result in a loss of power brake assist. |
| 18V576000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Caliper | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially… |
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 26 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,000
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.
- Service Brakes8 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Engine5 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other4 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System3 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Air Bags2 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Power Train2 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
Other Buick Regal years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Buick Regal?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Service Brakes (8 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2018 Buick Regal a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 83/100, computed from 19 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2018 Buick Regal's most common problem?
8 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2018 Buick Regal sit in the Service Brakes group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $580–$1,140 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 2018 Buick Regal cost to run per year?
About $4,834 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $24,172 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 2018 Buick Regal have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Buick Regal, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 12/04/2018. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2018 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.
Thin evidence — 19 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 19 NHTSA complaints on record (2.4/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (3.1/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality