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#BS-1988-BUIREG-3BA1

1988 Buick Regal

Based on reports from 181 owners and 11 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
181
Crashes
13
Fires
1
Recalls
11
TSBs
1
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 181 complaints, 13 crashes, 1 fires, and 11 recalls. Complaint rate is 3.7x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

engine stalls

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
2

wont accelerate very fast

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliperHIGH

29 owners reported service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper issues — failures commonly reported around 156K miles.

!Inspect the Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:discMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

0–30K
1
30–60K
3
60–90K
90–120K
120–150K
7
150K+

Peak failure range: 150K+ miles (7 reports) • Median: 156K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper (29 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper29 (16%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc19 (10%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor13 (7%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:drum11 (6%)
Structure:frame And Members9 (5%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:pads8 (4%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine7 (4%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission6 (3%)

1988 Buick Regal: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper complaints account for 16% of all reports filed for the 1988 Buick Regal, with 29 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 155,925 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 156K-mile mark.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 1988 Buick Regal, with 19 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1988 Buick Regal, with 13 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:drum Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:drum complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1988 Buick Regal, with 11 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:drum-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

10
00
7
01
8
02
6
03
2
04
5
07
1
08
1
09

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1988 Buick Regal. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (11 recalls)

00V189000Sep 2000

STRUCTURE

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.

06E043000Oct 2006

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE AND ON CERTAIN SCHOOL BUSES. (TO SEE THE SCHOOL BUS ENGINE SIZES, CLICK ON "DOCUMENT SEARCH" AND THEN "BUS APPLICATIONS"). THE CONNECTOR ON THE FUEL FILTER WAS NOT MANUFACTURED TO HONEYWELL'S SPECIFICATION. AS A RESULT, THE O-RING MAY NOT SEAT CORRECTLY ON THE FUEL LINE.

88V040000Apr 1988

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

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.

88V045000Apr 1988

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:COLUMN SHIFT ASSEMBLY

AN INTERFERENCE BETWEEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE AND THE BELLCRANK CLIP IN THE STEERING COLUMN CAN RESULT IN DISENGAGEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION CABLE.

88V065000Apr 1988

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH MAY NOT PROPERLY ENGAGE.

+ 6 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Buick Regal is the 2012 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

1988 Buick Regal vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)

This vehicle

181

Class avg

49

3.7x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical midsize cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 181 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 11 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Buick Regal Model Years

202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997199619951994199319921991199019891988198719861985198419831982198119801979197819771976197519741973
View all Buick Regal years →

1988 Buick Regal: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1988 Buick Regal?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1988 Buick Regal is related to the service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper, with 29 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1988 Buick Regal reliable?
The 1988 Buick Regal has 181 complaints, 13 crash reports, and 1 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 3.7x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1988 Buick Regal problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1988 Buick Regal have any recalls?
Yes, the 1988 Buick Regal has 11 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Buick Regal problems start?
Based on 11 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 155,925 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 150K+ mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 181 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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