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Light NHTSA footprint — 19 owner complaints and 1 active recall campaign. Either a clean record or thin data; we'll show what's there.
The 2018 Buick Regal has 19 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 recall on file (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). The most-reported system is brakes at 5 complaints, typically surfacing around 28,000 miles (~$450 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 Regal | 33 | 0 |
| 2016 Regal | 41 | 1 |
| 2017 Regal | 20 | 0 |
| 2018 Regal (this page) | 19 | 1 |
| 2019 Regal | 18 | 0 |
| 2020 Regal | 2 | 2 |
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.
⚠ The one to take seriously: brakes is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 28,000 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 1 active recall on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 8.4/10 model. The priciest documented failure is electrical (~$850) — 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.
Steering wheel jerks back on auto start after auto stop. Extremely dangerous the issues happened while driving and at random. Reported the issue early february 2020 again in early may 2020 after failure to duplicate the issue by the service department.reported the issue again…
While being driven the vehicles transmission fails to shift gears while rpms are registered the transmission fails to respond and lacks power. I was forced to shift manually to try and get the gears to shift with no luck after quickly making the switch between automatic to…
Increased stopping distance during certain brake vacuum loss events. My check engine light goes on and off periodically. When I’m at a red light my whole car shuts off and goes into a neutral mode then once I press the brake it starts back up.
Was driving home from work and my brakes suddenly stopped working, if I press all the way down on the brakes they somewhat work. Checked brake fluid and brake lines and everything seems fine. Could this be from vacuum power brake assist fail?
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
If the seat belt fails to adequately restrain the passengers in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
NHTSA has an open defect investigation covering this vehicle — the step that can precede a recall, not a finding of fault. EA21002 on NHTSA →
How NHTSA investigations work, and what's open now →
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 8.4 out of 10 based on 19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2018 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 2018 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 8.4/10 — 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 brakes first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 5 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 28,000 miles. Average repair cost runs about $450 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 8.4 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 19 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is brakes. Typical failure occurs around 28,000 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 brakes, with 5 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 28,000 miles. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop.
The brakes is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 28,000 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 19 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $450, 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.