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2013 buick Regal vs 2013 toyota Tundra

Reliability comparison based on NHTSA recall and complaint records.

Synced 2026-04-29 Source: NHTSA public records Reviewed by ASE-certified contributors
Quick verdict
2013 Buick Regal and 2013 Toyota Tundra are nearly tied on reliability data

2013 buick Regal

3.8/5
Reliability score
88 complaints
1 recalls (0 critical)
$5,350 repair exposure
vs

2013 toyota Tundra

3.9/5
Reliability score
84 complaints
0 recalls (0 critical)
$9,750 repair exposure

Stories from the shop

Look, these two are running close enough that you'd be fine either way. Reliability scores are within rounding distance (3.8 for the 2013 buick Regal, 3.9 for the 2013 toyota Tundra), and they've each got their own laundry list of weak spots. There's no clean winner here on the data alone.

If you're leaning 2013 buick Regal, know what you're getting into on electrical and lighting. Those categories have noticeably more complaints than what the 2013 toyota Tundra sees, and they're not cheap items when they go.

Going with the 2013 toyota Tundra? Watch the engine and steering. The 2013 buick Regal has fewer reports in those categories, so you'd be trading one set of weak spots for another.

On the dollars-and-cents side, total repair exposure across the top problem areas runs 1.8x higher on the 2013 toyota Tundra. That's the number to keep in mind when you're pricing the deal — a $2,000 difference in purchase price disappears the first time you're staring at a transmission rebuild.

Bottom line: pick based on use case more than the spec sheet. If you tow heavy and don't want to think about it, that's one calculation. If you're a daily driver and want the cheapest path forward, that's another. Both of these will get you down the road. We're just telling you where each one is most likely to break.

— ProblemsByVin editorial team, drawing on the NHTSA data and shop experience.

Side-by-side by problem area

Category
2013 buick Regal
2013 toyota Tundra
electrical
30 reports
moderate · ~$850
11 reports
severe · ~$850
lighting
27 reports
moderate · ~$250
No reports
engine
No reports
21 reports
severe · ~$3,100
steering
3 reports
severe · ~$700
10 reports
moderate · ~$700
powertrain
7 reports
severe · ~$2,500
No reports
brakes
3 reports
moderate · ~$450
3 reports
moderate · ~$450
body
No reports
5 reports
moderate · ~$1,500
seatbelts
No reports
4 reports
moderate · ~$500
wheels
No reports
4 reports
moderate · ~$400
cruise control
3 reports
severe · ~$600
No reports

Common questions

Which is more reliable, the 2013 Buick Regal or the 2013 Toyota Tundra?

It's close to a tie. Both vehicles score within 0.2 points on our reliability index (3.8 vs 3.9). At this margin, either choice is defensible — base your decision on the specific failure modes that matter to you.

What goes wrong more often on the 2013 Buick Regal?

Compared to the 2013 Toyota Tundra, the 2013 Buick Regal sees more reported issues in electrical and lighting. That doesn't mean it's a bad truck — it means those are the categories worth budgeting for if you go that direction.

What goes wrong more often on the 2013 Toyota Tundra?

Compared to the 2013 Buick Regal, the 2013 Toyota Tundra has more complaints in engine and steering. Whether that's a deal-breaker depends on the cost and severity — see the comparison table above for repair cost ranges.

Which has more recalls?

The 2013 Buick Regal has more active recalls (1 vs 0). Total count is less important than severity, though — a vehicle with one critical recall and zero moderate ones is generally riskier than one with five moderate recalls.

Is an extended warranty worth it on either of these?

Both vehicles are out of factory bumper-to-bumper coverage at this point. Combined repair exposure across the top problem categories runs around $9,750 on the higher-risk vehicle. A quality service contract typically costs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years, so a single major failure usually pays for the contract. The math favors warranty coverage on whichever vehicle you choose, especially if you plan to keep it past 100,000 miles.

Related comparisons

Reliability scores, complaint counts, and severity ratings derived from the NHTSA public records database. "Repair exposure" is the sum of average independent-shop repair costs across each vehicle's tracked problem categories and is intended as a relative comparison, not an exact prediction. Editorial commentary auto-generated from the data and reviewed by ASE-certified contributors. Some links on this page are affiliate links.
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