AutoUtility currently tracks 41 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Buick Regal. Steering System issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 10 complaints (24.4% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 1 reports one or more injuries.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
10 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
6 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
6 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
6 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
4 complaint narratives describe this symptom.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"My Buick stops when driving unknown when it’s a surprise lights and dash go off almost got hit took to mechanics it’s the 2016-17 “throw away motor” ad they call it does not last and gets”metal pieces” to ruin motor and turbo as I have noticed speed issues and dying unexpectedly it’s the regal..."
"My steering failed and started pulling left into traffic. It was hard to keep it in my lane. Had to have it towed by AAA. Took to my mechanic and he said it was the electric belt drive rack &pinion steering. He told me there was a recall on it. When I checked I was told that my vin # was not..."
"My tires were Black when I bought them at Wittlins in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin in 2020. They have been continualy turning brown on the outside of tire. Now they are a beige color on the outside of tire. It seems the tires are aging terribly. I complained to Wittlins a few times about tires..."
"I purchased the 2016 Buick Regal used in 2021 with 40,000 miles., it now has close to 70,000 miles. It’s still in well cared for mint condition, except for the driver side headlight. Condensation appeared and has been getting worse, dealership says the only option is buying another complete..."
"The contact owns a 2016 Buick Regal. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the vehicle became difficult to steer. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an..."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2020)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Buick Regal | 33 | 1 | 0 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Buick Regal Current Page | 41 | 0 | 1 | Current |
| 2017 Buick Regal | 20 | 1 | 0 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Buick Regal | 33 | 5 | 3 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Buick Regal | 18 | 0 | 3 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Buick Regal | 5 | 0 | 2 | View 2020 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 24 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires NHTSA category: TIRES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,WHEELS,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2016 Buick Regal
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2016 Buick Regal is Steering System, appearing in 10 records (24.4% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (6) and Engine & Cooling (6).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 41 consumer defect complaints and 1 safety recall campaign for the 2016 Buick Regal.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Buick Regal, 0 filings cite a crash, 0 cite smoke or fire, and 1 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.