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#BS-2012-BUIREG-3BA1

2012 Buick Regal

Based on reports from 137 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
137
Crashes
5
Fires
4
Recalls
6
TSBs
1,743
🟑

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 137 complaints, 5 crashes, 4 fires, and 6 recalls. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.

Top reported problems

1

brakes failed to engage

1 complaints β€’ Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

engine failure

1 complaints β€’ Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

timing chain broke

1 complaints β€’ Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the LightsHIGH

33 owners reported lights issues β€” failures commonly reported around 60K miles.

!Inspect the EngineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

23
0–30K
27
30–60K
27
60–90K
10
90–120K
7
120–150K
6
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (27 reports) β€’ Median: 60K 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: Lights (33 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

Lights33 (24%)
Engine21 (15%)
Electrical14 (10%)
Suspension10 (7%)
Brakes9 (7%)
Stability Control7 (5%)
Drivetrain7 (5%)
Speed Control6 (4%)

2012 Buick Regal: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Lights Issues

Lights complaints account for 24% of all reports filed for the 2012 Buick Regal, with 33 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 60,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 60K-mile mark.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 15% of all reports filed for the 2012 Buick Regal, with 21 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2012 Buick Regal, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Suspension Issues

Suspension complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2012 Buick Regal, with 10 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to suspension-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
12
5
13
3
14
6
15
3
16
11
17
17
18
20
19
16
20
21
21
8
22
7
23
7
24
3
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2012 Buick Regal. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind β€” know what this car costs to own

Repair costs β€’ Negotiation scripts β€’ Mechanic checklist β€’ Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (6 recalls)

12V093000Mar 2012

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 BUICK REGAL VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 22, 2011, THROUGH FEBRUARY 22, 2012 FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108 Β“LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.Β” DUE TO A SOFTWARE ERROR, THE PARKING LAMPS DO NOT ACTIVATE WHEN EITHER THE PARKING LAMPS OR HEADLAMPS ARE TURNED ON.

12V484000Sep 2014

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Buick Regal and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with two turn signal bulbs in each front turn signal. If one of the two front turn signal bulbs burn out in either front turn signal lamp, there is no indication to the driver. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

13V173000Jun 2013

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Buick LaCrosse and Regal, and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco vehicles equipped with eAssist. These vehicles may have a condition in which the Generator Control Module (GCM) may not function properly. This could cause a gradual loss of battery charge and the illumination of the malfunction indicator light.

14V447000Dec 2014

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat height adjuster may fall out causing the seat to drop suddenly to the lowest vertical position.

20V764000Aug 2021

SUSPENSION:REAR

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Buick Regal, 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2010-2013 Buick Lacrosse vehicles sold or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. These vehicles may have rear toe links that received excessive electrocoating (e-coat) corrosion protection, which could cause the e-coat to become brittle and break away when contacted by road debris. Over time, the e-coat may chip away, exposing the metal toe link and making it more susceptible to corrosion. Corrosion may eventually cause the toe link to thin and ultimately to fracture.

+ 1 more recall 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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This is the worst model year for the Buick Regal according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is engine.

2012 Buick Regal vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)

This vehicle

137

Class avg

331

Below the class average β€” fewer complaints than typical midsize cars vehicles. A good sign.

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

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 137 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

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

2012 Buick Regal: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2012 Buick Regal?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2012 Buick Regal is related to the lights, with 33 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2012 Buick Regal reliable?
The 2012 Buick Regal has 137 complaints, 5 crash reports, and 4 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average β€” a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 2012 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 2012 Buick Regal have any recalls?
Yes, the 2012 Buick Regal has 6 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 100 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 60,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K 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 β€” 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 β€” 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 β€” no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 137 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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