2012 Buick REGAL - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2012 Buick Regal receives an outstanding overall safety rating of 5 out of 5. It excels in various crash scenarios such as front, side, and rollover crashes, with impressive ratings across the board. This vehicle is equipped with standard electronic stability control, which enhances its ability to maintain control in challenging driving conditions. The Buick Regal, however, does not feature forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems.

Despite its high safety ratings, it is worth noting that there have been 86 complaints filed regarding this model and it has also been subjected to 6 recalls. While the safety features and strong crash test results highlight the Buick Regal's commitment to passenger protection, the number of complaints and recalls suggest the importance of staying informed and proactive about vehicle maintenance and safety.

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Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

86

Recall Count

6

Investigation Count

2

Safety Rating

5/5

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Safety Features

2012 Buick Regal 4 DR FWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2012 Buick Regal 4 DR FWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2012 Buick Regal 4 DR FWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2012 Buick Regal 4 DR FWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2011 Score 2012 Score 2020 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated 4 Not Rated
Front Crash Driver Side Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating Not Rated 4 Not Rated

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2011 Score 2012 Score 2020 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2011 Score 2012 Score 2020 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 4 Not Rated
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated

Complaints for the 2012 Buick REGAL

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"the driver headlight assembly has water in it and unable to fix it without replacing whole assembly that can be as much as $1500. the light bulb and valance was replaced. the valance was filled with water. the headlight still wouldn’t work. upon further investigation there is a part sealed into the assembly that also has water in it with no way to get it out or replace. this is a safety risk since i am unable to see on driver side in dark without my light. there are no recalls but have found many complaints on same issue. the part water is in is sealed and shouldn’t have a way for to get in. the only fix is replacing entire assembly. i have no light at all on that side until fixed."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2025-02-09
Complaint:
"i previously reported an issue with a he condensation in the driver side headlight which every one of these models with the hid headlights has this issue. now it is becoming a safety issue as both headlights are doing it and are randomly going off while driving i almost hit a telephone pole with my infant in the car this is an extremely common issue with these vehicles and buick has no fix they even stopped producing the replacement headlights this is an extremely dangerous issue i’ve made both nhsta and buick aware of these issues and if nothings done to rectify them and something happens i will pursue legal action"
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2023-04-10
Complaint:
"the driver side headlamp assembly has a faulty seal which allows water to leak inside the housing under normal daily conditions. when this happens the water leaks down through the assembly where the headlight ballast is mounted, causing water to collect in the ballast, and killing it (making the headlight go out) as well as the electrical components that power the l.e.d. daytime running lights also making those stop functioning. there is no quick and easy fix for this, as the headlamp assembly must be replaced to restore the headlight because even replacing the burned out ballast will only provide light temporarily again until that too is again destroyed by water. because there is no good alternative available with an aftermarket replacement, i was forced to purchase an entirely new assembly which cost $1,505 and took months to save and be able to afford. this is a manufacturing flaw that should have been recalled and addressed. my warranty does not cover any damage due to water, so i had to pay for this myself, along with many many other people with the same issue. having my headlight randomly stop working was a dangerous situation to be put into."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2022-07-02
Complaint:
"moisture in headlights causes light to fail while driving ."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2023-09-05
Complaint:
"the contact's uncle owns a 2012 buick regal. the contact stated that the front headlights were burned out. the contact was unsure whether there was a warning light illuminated. the contact did not provide further information. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer who diagnosed that there was condensation in the frontal headlights and that the front headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unknown."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2021-01-10
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 buick regal. the contact stated that the driver’s side headlight assembly developed condensation inside causing the light bulb to blow out. the contact indicated that the entire headlight assembly needed to be replaced to fix the failure. the vehicle was not yet repaired. the manufacturer and the local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. the failure mileage was 78,000."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2021-01-10
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 buick regal. the contact stated that while driving at night, the illumination from the headlights was very dim. the contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that condensation had accumulated in both headlight modules causing the failure. the dealer was notified of the issue and informed her that they would call her back. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 82,000."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2021-01-06
Complaint:
"headlight housing leaks water into headlight. this appears to be a problem with this vehicle as i read numerous complaints about this."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2023-06-04
Complaint:
"issue with the condensation/water getting inside our hid headlights. have replaced once and now they are both full of water again. dealer refuses to cover as a defect. very expensive to repair. huge safety issue because lights can fail at any time going down a dark road! safety to thers as they may not see me coming."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2020-06-08
Complaint:
"the front headlights get water in them and fogs up..causing your headlights to look dim at night."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2020-06-06

Recalls for the 2012 Buick REGAL

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
A rear toe link fracture may reduce the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links and adjuster fasteners free of charge. Parts are not currently available. Owners were mailed an interim notification on January 27, 2021, and April 15, 2021. A third notification was mailed on August 19, 201. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202308930.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2020-12-10
Recall:
"general motors, llc (gm) is recalling certain 2010-2013 buick lacrosse, 2012-2013 buick regal, and 2013 chevrolet malibu 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 an improper amount of 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 fracture."
Consequence:
A rear toe link fracture may reduce the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links and adjuster fasteners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 27, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212346640. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recalls 20V-764 and 21V-633.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2021-12-22

BUICK Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

BUICK ranks 20 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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