Recall Register

1988 Buick Regal: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 1988 Buick Regal. The newest campaign is 00V189000. NHTSA received the report on 11 Jul 2000. The NHTSA record gives the component Structure. NHTSA has 123 complaints on file for this model year. 11 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 00V189000, in the NHTSA record

Dealers will replace the front and rear frame/cradle bolts and retainers.
NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.

NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on . Complaint file through . Recall file through .

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

10 campaigns, newest first. 2,334,906 units in total.

  • 00V189000Structure
  • 97V058000Structure
  • 95V115000Wheels
  • 94V041000Wheels
  • 90V054000Seat Belts
  • 88V109000Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
  • 88V066000Suspension / Front / Control Arm / Lower Ball Joint
  • 88V065000Latches/Locks/Linkages / Hood / Latch
  • 88V045000Power Train / Manual Transmission / Column Shift Assembly
  • 88V040000Exterior Lighting / Brake Lights / Switch

  1. 00V189000Received . 713,435 units.

    Structure

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    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.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    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.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Dealers will replace the front and rear frame/cradle bolts and retainers.

    Report filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP.. Manufacturer campaign number 00061/00065. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  2. 97V058000Received . 676,535 units.

    Structure

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    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.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    If this were to occur while the vehicle was in motion, a vehicle crash could result.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Dealers will replace the rear cradle bolts and retainers.

    Report filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP.. Manufacturer campaign number 97016. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  3. 95V115000Received . 22,361 units.

    Wheels

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Cracks develop in the wheel mounting surface. If these cracks become severe enough, the wheel will completely separate from the vehicle.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    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.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    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.

    Report filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  4. 94V041000Received . 198,163 units.

    Wheels

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Cracks develop in the wheel mounting surface. If these cracks become severe enough, the wheel will completely separate from the vehicle.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    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.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    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.

    Report filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP..

  5. 90V054000Received . 673,000 units.

    Seat Belts

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Front shoulder belt guide loop attachment fastener may pull through door mounted anchor plate.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    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.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Replace front shoulder belt guide loop attachment nuts and install new guide cover.

    Report filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  6. 88V109000Received . 8,328 units.

    Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Twisted components could allow the left front brake hose to contact the fender lining/rail area; over time the brake hose could wear through.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    This could result in a loss of brake fluid and a partialloss of braking capability which could result in an accident.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Inspect left front brake hose for proper installation and replace, as necessary.

    Report filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  7. 88V066000Received . 3,221 units.

    Suspension / Front / Control Arm / Lower Ball Joint

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Lower control arm to ball joint attachment can become loose. Also, certain cars could have tie rod ball stud nuts that were not properly torqued and could loosen.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    Continued operation of car with either condition couldresult in separation of that joint and possible loss of steering control and anaccident.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Replace both lower control arms; also, check tie rod ball stud nut torque.

    Report filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  8. 88V065000Received . 12,457 units.

    Latches/Locks/Linkages / Hood / Latch

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    The secondary hood latch may not properly engage.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    If primary latch disengages, hood could unexpectedlyopen. If car was in motion, hood could contact the windshield, reduce thedrivers forward vision area, and could result in an accident.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Replace secondary latch with a new latch.

    Report filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  9. 88V045000Received . 17,745 units.

    Power Train / Manual Transmission / Column Shift Assembly

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    An interference between the transmission shift cable and the bellcrank clip in the steering column can result in disengagement of the transmission cable.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    This condition could allow the transmission to be in agear other than that displayed by the shift indicator. The vehicle could movein an unexpected direction and cause a vehicle crash without prior warning.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    A newly designed bellcrank clip will be installed.

    Report filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  10. 88V040000Received . 9,661 units.

    Exterior Lighting / Brake Lights / Switch

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    The stop lamp switch may have a loose electrical contact. The loose contact can overheat and melt the surrounding plastic causing the contact to stick open.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    An open contact would render the brake lights inoperativewhen the brake pedal is depressed. Also, the transmission clutch control andcruise control contacts would remain closed. This condition would result incruise resume upon brake pedal release if the cruise control is in the onposition. Either an unexpected cruise resume or inoperative brake lights couldresult in a vehicle crash without prior warning.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    The rotary soplamp switch will be replaced on all involved vehicles.

    Report filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

123 complaints, 181 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

  • 1988 Buick Regal
  • All 1988 vehicles
1988 Buick Regal: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component1988 RegalAll 1988 vehiclesRegal, all yearsMentions
Service Brakes, Hydraulic497.296.1166.290
Structure99.451.833.418
Power Train60.864.747.111
Engine and Engine Cooling55.2118.186.810
Seat Belts33.1117.927.66
Electrical System33.1158.7132.86
Tires33.132.1176
Fuel System, Gasoline27.667.115.55
Suspension27.62923.15
Exterior Lighting27.623.253.25

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 18.

Complaints that report a crash
10
Complaints that report a fire
1
Injuries in the complaints
7
Deaths in the complaints
1
Date of the newest complaint
22 Jan 2009

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 1988 Buick Regal, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 1995, with 50 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 1988 Buick Regal
NumberTypeSubjectComponentOpenedClosedCampaign
RP01001Recall petitionSTRUCTUREStructure28 Nov 200113 Jun 200200V189000
RQ97017Recall queryCRADLE BOLT FAILURESStructure2 Oct 1997Open97V058000
PE94063Preliminary evaluationCORRODED REAR DISK BRAKESService Brakes, Hydraulic12 Aug 199421 Dec 1994
PE94048Preliminary evaluationSUB-FRAME ABSORBER FAILUREEngine and Engine Cooling21 Jun 199430 Dec 1994
EA92024Engineering analysisSTICKING THROTTLEVehicle Speed Control / Linkages26 Jun 199231 Jan 1994
EA91055Engineering analysisW-CAR HINGE PIN FAILUREStructure5 Dec 199117 Aug 1992
PE91133Preliminary evaluationW-CAR HINGE PIN FAILUREStructure1 Oct 19915 Dec 1991
PE91072Preliminary evaluationSTEERING WHEEL SEPARATIONSteering1 May 19918 Jul 1991
EA91005Engineering analysisREAR WHEEL BEARINGS FAILSuspension31 Oct 199031 Dec 1991
PE90088Preliminary evaluationFAILURE STOP LAMP SWITCHExterior Lighting11 Jun 199031 Oct 199090V185000
PE89145Preliminary evaluationPARKING BRAKE CABLEParking Brake21 Jul 198922 Sep 1989

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

  1. 19731
  2. 19742
  3. 19752
  4. 19762
  5. 19773
  6. 19786
  7. 19794
  8. 19805
  9. 19813
  10. 19822
  11. 19831
  12. 19844
  13. 19858
  14. 19864
  15. 19872
  16. 198810
  17. 19897
  18. 19908
  19. 19916
  20. 19922
  21. 19932
  22. 19943
  23. 19958
  24. 19963
  25. 19977
  26. 19986
  27. 19996
  28. 20008
  29. 20016
  30. 20023
  31. 20033
  32. 20042
  33. 20050
  34. 20080
  35. 20090
  36. 20100
  37. 20114
  38. 20126
  39. 20135
  40. 20142
  41. 20150
  42. 20161
  43. 20170
  44. 20183
  45. 20193
  46. 20202

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

Official channels

Cite this page

Recall Register. 1988 Buick Regal: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/buick/regal/1988/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through .

Sources

Source
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence
US government work, public domain
Recall file through
30 Sep 2026
Complaint file through
30 Sep 2026
First complaint in the file
1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 1988 Buick Regal?
2,334,906 units in 10 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Buick Regal have for all model years?
NHTSA lists 98 recall campaigns for the Buick Regal, model years 1973 to 2020. 10 of them name the 1988 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 1988 Buick Regal name most often?
Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 90 of 181 component mentions, or 497.2 per 1,000. For all 1988 vehicles the figure is 96.1 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1988 Buick Regal open?
1 investigation has no closing date in the NHTSA file, of 11 that name this model year.