Home · 2011 Buick Regal Eassist · Complaints

What 279 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Buick Regal Eassist

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (279)Crash / fire / injury (19)Engine (108)Electrical system (75)Transmission & drivetrain (39)Lights (38)Brakes (32)Seats (29)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (19)Fuel system (17)Steering (17)Speed control (13)

32 of 279 complaints match · Brakes · clear filters · page 2 of 2

Oct 21, 2015Brakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE BRAKE PAD WAS COMPLETELY ERODED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,300.

NHTSA ODI 10785040

Jun 17, 2015SteeringBrakesEngine

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, 78 MPH IN RUSH HOUR AND MY ENGINE DIED/NO POWER, NO BRAKES, NO STEERING. HEAVY TRAFFIC, NO CONTROL. I MADE IT TO SHOULDER, VERY DIFFICULT TO EASE THE VEHICLE OVER. NO WARNING LIGHTS. ENGINE JUST DIED. NO CONTROL. ONCE THE CAR STOPPED AFTER ROLLING AT A HIGH SPEED, I TRIED TO START MY ENGINE. ENGINE STARTED,AND ABLE TO PROCEED. NEXT DAY, SIMILAR INCIDENT HAPPENED I WAS TURNING A CORNER. THE SAME THING HAPPENED, I WAS GOING A LOWER SPEED. I HAD LESS CONTROL AFTER THE ENGINE DIED, NO WARNING LIGHTS ETC.VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. I TURNED THE KEY AND IT STARTED. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID NEEDED OIL CHANGE, AND 3 QUARTS LOW ON OIL. AND I WAS 1000 MILES OVER . THEY WERE SENDING ME HOME WITH OIL CHANGE, I PLEADED TO LOOK INTO FURTHER AS I WAS IN FEAR OF MY LIFE DRIVING. THE SERVICE SHEET INDICATED THE CAR HAD MULTIPLE CAM ACTUATOR SYSTEM FAILURE CODES. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID LOW ON OIL, AND WAS SAFE,HE WENT TO GET THE CAR. THE CAR STALLED ON HIM ...NO POWER, NO ALARMS,NO SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHTS, ETC. EVENTUALLY, I CONVINCED THEM TO GIVE ME A VEHICLE TO DRIVE AFTER INITIAL DENIAL. 1 WEEK LATER, THEY HAVE FOUND NOTHING WRONG. SAID EXHAUST CAM SHAFT ACTUATOR WAS BROKEN. THEY REPLACED THE TIMING CHAINS, THE ACTUATORS, AND SELENOIDS. STILL NO EXPLANATION WHY MY CAR DIED DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 78MPH THEY SAID SOMETIMES IT TAKES 3 FAILURES OR KEY CYCLES BEFORE AN ALARM WILL BE SET. NOT SURE IF THEY TRULY FOUND THE PROBLEM SO THEY HAVE ASKED TO DRIVE MY CAR FOR SEVERAL DAYS TO SEE IF THE DEFAULT CONTINUES TO SHOW UP. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT AN ENGINE SHOULD STOP WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS 3 TIMES BEFORE AN ALARM SYSTEM OR WARNING WOULD EVER BE GIVEN TO THE DRIVER THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM. I AM STILL VERY CONCERNED AND AM NOT SURE IF I SHOULD BE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE OR NOT FOR FEAR OF MY LIFE.

NHTSA ODI 10725869

Mar 9, 2015LightsSpeed controlBrakes

MY CRUISE CONTROL AND BRAKE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING AFTER HAVING A RECALL FIXED ON MY 2011 BUICK REGAL. THE RECALLS THAT WERE FIXED WERE AN OIL LIFE MONITOR CONTROL MODULE AND A TURN SIGNAL CONTROL MODULE. AFTER HAVING THIS FIXED, MY CRUISE CONTROL AND BRAKE LIGHTS NO LONGER ARE WORKING. I WAS PULLED OVER BY A POLICEMAN, OTHERWISE I DID NOT KNOW THEY WERE NOT WORKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE BRAKES WILL COME ON ONCE I DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR OF THE CAR, BUT NOT WHILE DRIVING IN NORMAL CONDITIONS. I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED SEVERAL TIMES, AS THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10693133

Jul 8, 2014Brakes

VEHICLE DROVE FINE NIGHT BEFORE, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE AWAY THE NEXT MORNING IT FELT LIKE THE BRAKES WERE DRAGGING, PARTIALLY ON, NOTED BRAKE PEDAL IN DEPRESSED POSITION. CHECKED PARKING BRAKE TO ENSURE IT WAS NOT ENGAGED, JACKED UP EACH TIRE ONE AT A TIME AND NOTED DRAG ON ALL THE WHEELS. LEFT THE VEHICLE AS IS FOR A COUPLE HOURS THEN IT WOULD NOT START, ACTED LIKE A DEAD BATTERY. CHARGED BATTERY AND HAD IT CHECKED UNDER LOAD AT O'RIELLY'S AUTO PARTS UNDER LOAD..BATTERY TESTED GOOD. REINSTALLED BATTERY AND CAR STARTED, NO WARNING LIGHTS OR MESSAGES. BRAKE PEDAL HAD RETURNED TO UPRIGHT POSITION, TEST DROVE THE CAR AND IT DROVE AND BRAKED FINE. GOOD PEDAL, NO DRAG. ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER ON JULY 2,2014 BRAKE PEDAL HAD DROPPED AGAIN ON IT'S OWN AND BRAKES WERE AGAIN DRAGGING. BATTERY AND ELECTRICS WERE NO ISSUE THIS TIME. LET CAR SIT FOR 4 DAYS WHILE OUT OF TOWN AND WHEN RETURNED BRAKES AND PEDAL OK. DROVE IMMEDIATELY TO BUICK DEALER AND PROVIDED THEM WITH SERVICE BULLETIN 338152 AND NHTSA ACTION NUMBER 10045319 WHICH APPEARS TO COVER THE EXACT SITUATION. I AM WAITING FOR A RESPONSE. *JS

NHTSA ODI 10608967

Jun 21, 2014SteeringBrakes

SIX MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THIS USED VEHICLE (WITH 29,000 MILES ON IT) IT COMPLETELY STALLED ON THE INTERSTATE WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH. IT STARTED BRAKING BY ITSELF MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO GET TO AN EMERGENCY PULL OFF AREA. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT CONSIDERING IT WAS RUSH HOUR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT THE "THROTTLE BODY" NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER GETTING IT REPAIRED THE CAR DROVE FINE UNTIL THIS YEAR. AT ABOUT 55,000 MILES MY CAR WOULD START SHAKING VERY HARD, BRAKE PEDAL WAS ALMOST TO THE FLOOR, AND IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE ACCELERATE. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND RESTART THE CAR. THIS HAPPENED ATLEAST 4 TIMES. EVENTUALLY MY CAR STALLED OUT ON ME AGAIN WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. ONCE AGAIN THIS FEBRUARY THE DEALERSHIP BLAMED IT ON THE "THROTTLE BODY" AND A POWERLINE THAT WAS "COMPLETELY CORRODED". AFTER HAVING THEM REPLACED, IT DROVE OK FOR ONLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IN JUNE MY CAR STARTED SHAKING VERY BADLY WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND I NOTICED THAT MY BRAKE WAS STUCK I PUT MY FOOT UNDER THE BRAKE PEDAL TO POP IT OUT AND THE CAR THEN DROVE OK. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND GO FIGURE THE "THROTTLE BODY" NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER HAD TO BE REPLACED, BRAKE VACUUM BOOSTER NEEDED SERVICE, BRAKE FLUID SYSTEM HAD TO BE FLUSHED, AND THE ENGINE AIR FILTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WALKED AWAY WITH A $300 BILL BECAUSE THE WARRANTY ONLY COVERED SOME OF THE PROBLEMS. ONE WEEK LATER WHILE IT WAS POURING RAIN I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND MY CAR COMPLETELY STALLED FOR THE 3RD TIME. A TRACTOR TRAILOR ALMOST LOST CONTROL TRYING TO PREVENT HITTING ME AS I SLID OFF THE INTERSTATE. ONCE I WAS SAFE I TRIED TO RESTART IT AND THE KEY BROKE OFF IN THE IGNITION. NOW THE IMMOBILIZER MODULE HAS TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE NOTE THAT I KEEP THE MAINTENANCE UP ON THIS VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10604966

May 6, 2014Brakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK REGAL CXL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT CALIPERS OVERHEATED AND GRABBED, CAUSING THE BRAKE NOT TO RELEASE AND THE STEERING WHEEL TO SHAKE. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES HOWEVER, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,210 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,382.

NHTSA ODI 10586730

Apr 9, 2014Brakes

THE BRAKES ON MY 2011 BUICK REGAL NEVER FELT RIGHT. THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD GO DOWN ALMOST TO THE FLOOR. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER, THEY TESTED IT AND SAID THAT WAS THE WAY THE BRAKES ARE ON ALL THE REGALS. THEN IN THE VERY HOT SUMMER OF 2012 THE BRAKE PEDAL STARTED TO STICK TO FLOOR WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE. I HAD TO USE MY FOOT TO GET UNDER THE PEDAL TO POP IT UP. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM, AND AT FIRST, THEY TOLD ME THEY NEVER HEARD OF ANY RECALL OR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER REGALS OR OTHER VEHICLES. I TOLD THEM THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM AND AFTER I STARTED TO ASK OTHERS IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE DID HAVE OTHER REGALS WITH THAT PROBLEM AS WELL AS OTHER BUICK MODELS. THEY GAVE ME A LOANER AND ORDERED A NEW BRAKE ASSEMBLE. FOLLOWING THE REPAIR TWO WEEKS LATER I NOTICED ON THE RECEIPT "PIC#5692A ADDRESSING CONCERN, REPLACED BRAKE PEDAL AND RETAINERS PER PIC#5692A." THIS PROBLEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10578747

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Working with the data? Download all 279 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 27, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Buick Regal Eassist verdict →