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2018 Buick Regal

Gas
Large Cars
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
C
Safety Signal
76 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns3
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA33
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA26 mpg
20202019201820172016

The 2018 Buick Regal is sold in the U.S. as a gas large car with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Regal, is EPA-rated at 26 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 33 complaints, most often about the service brakes.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
RegalGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo223226$3,000
Regal AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo212924$3,250
Regal TourX AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo212924$3,250
Regal AWDGasAWD3.6L 6-cyl192722$2,850

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39506, 39507, 39508, 39593.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 Buick Regal is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

N222370090
23,734 vehicles
ProblemGeneral 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. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 135, "Light vehicle brake systems."RiskA loss of power brake assist can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers will update the EBCM software, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters advising owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 19, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Buick's customer service at 1-800-521-7300.
NHTSA campaign 22V465000reported Jun 30, 2022General Motors, LLC
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

18279
210,628 vehicles
ProblemGeneral 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 reducing rear brake performance.RiskA reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.FixGM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.
NHTSA campaign 18V576000reported Aug 30, 2018General Motors LLC
▲high

Seat Belts

18117
8,738 vehicles
ProblemGeneral 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.RiskIf the seat belt fails to adequately restrain the passengers in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.FixGM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear outboard seat belts, correcting the routing of the seat belts as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 14, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is 18117.
NHTSA campaign 18V230000reported Apr 12, 2018General Motors LLC

NHTSA defect investigations

Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module — Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture open

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa

Opened Sep 17, 2021 · action EA21002

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
33complaints filed

5 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 4 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2018: 3 · 2019: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 7 · 2023: 4 · 2024: 5 · 2025: 3

Most-cited components

Service Brakes9
Engine9
Unspecified8
Electrical System6
Back Over Prevention3
Vehicle Speed Control2

What owners describe

“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 C02…”Oct 11, 2025 · Service Brakes · NHTSA owner report
“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.…”Mar 26, 2025 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“Check engine light came on, reads reduced power and is causing problems accelerating”Dec 30, 2024 · Engine · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Other Regal model years

B

2020 Buick Regal

2 recalls · 5 complaints

C

2019 Buick Regal

3 recalls · 18 complaints

A

2017 Buick Regal

0 recalls · 20 complaints

A

2016 Buick Regal

1 recalls · 41 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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