"How reliable is the 2003 Buick Regal?"

"Based on 139 NHTSA complaints, the 2003 Buick Regal has a median complaint mileage of 97987 miles. The most common issue is ENGINE."

"What are common problems with the 2003 Buick Regal?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2003 Buick Regal is ENGINE, accounting for a significant portion of the 139 total complaints filed."

2003 Buick Regal: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 139 complaints

139

Total Complaints

97,987mi

Median Mileage

ENGINE

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

51,500 25th Percentile

97,987 Median Mileage

150,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ENGINE

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

STEERING

SERVICE BRAKES

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

WHEELS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"THE REAR DOOR CHILD SAFETY LOCKS HAVE BEEN REMOVED ON THE 2003 MODEL MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR A CHILD AS YOUNG AS FOUR YEARS OLD WHO IS RESTRAINED IN A CHILD SEAT TO MANUALY UNLOCK THE REAR DOOR, PULL THE DOOR HANDLE AND OPEN THE DOOR. THESE DOOR LOCKS WERE STANDARD ON THE REGAL PRIOR TO THE 2003 MODE..."

"THE VEHICLE STALLED.*JB"

"I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF A THROTTLE PROBLEM. THEY SPRAYED SOMETHING ON IT (ALUMINUM TYPE SPRAY) AND SENT US ON OUR WAY UNTIL THEY ORDERED A NEW PART. IT WAS THE WRONG PART AND A MONTH WENT BY WITHOUT A FURTHER CALL REGARDING ANY NEW PART COMING IN. ON SEPTEMBER 13TH I HEADE..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28