Free. Instant. No signup. Pulls recalls and complaints for your exact vehicle.
Couldn't find that VIN. Check the digits and try again.
Light NHTSA footprint — 41 owner complaints and 1 active recall campaign. Either a clean record or thin data; we'll show what's there.
The 2016 Buick Regal has 41 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 recall on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is steering at 10 complaints, typically surfacing around 81,893 miles (~$700 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Regal | 91 | 6 |
| 2014 Regal | 38 | 2 |
| 2015 Regal | 33 | 0 |
| 2016 Regal (this page) | 41 | 1 |
| 2017 Regal | 20 | 0 |
| 2018 Regal | 19 | 3 |
| 2019 Regal | 18 | 3 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
Run the VIN from the listing — 1 active recall on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 8.0/10 model. The priciest documented failure is powertrain (~$2,500) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
Condensation on passenger headlight. (80%) Just noticed condensation on driver side (15%)
I was driving down the highway in texas, and was in the process of changing lanes to the left and accelerating when all of a sudden my vehicle completely lost power and would not go into gear. My transmission light immediately came on. The psl was 70 and thankfully I was able to…
Water leaking into both front headlights results in dimming of headlights making it hard to see during nighttime driving and a real concern that the HID ballast wiring will short out causing complete loss of headlight operational function. There are many reports online of…
Letter from congressman visclosky on behalf of constituent re the materials used to manufacturer automobiles should be looked into for the safety of the consumers. *ld the consumer stated the vehicle was in a minor accident that caused significant damage to the bumper. The…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
A loss of power steering assist may increase the risk of a crash.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 8.0 out of 10 based on 41 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2016 Buick Regal is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
On the NHTSA data, the 2016 Buick Regal does not need avoiding. Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally. The record behind that call: No systemic severe-failure pattern in the complaint record; Reliability score 8.0/10 — above the segment average; 1 recall campaign on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the steering first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 10 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 81,893 miles. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 8.0 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 41 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is steering. Typical failure occurs around 81,893 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is steering, with 10 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 81,893 miles. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop.
The steering is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 81,893 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 41 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $700, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.