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2018 Buick Regal

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
not rated
Recalls
3
on record
MPG
26
combined

Open recalls on record

3 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.

Vehicle Summary

2018 Buick Regal

3 recalls
19 complaints
26 MPG combined

Before You Buy

Confirm all 3 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 5 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 19 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
3
Owner complaints
19
Complaints citing a crash
5

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

3 Recalls on Record

These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

3 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 18V576000high

    Brake system issue

    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.

    Consequence

    A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.

    Full campaign record
  • 18V230000high

    Safety restraint issue

    SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Buick Regal vehicles. During the manufacturing process, the rear seat belts may have been improperly routed around the bolster bracket on the rear outboard seats, which can cause inadequate restraint of the passengers.

    Consequence

    If the seat belt fails to adequately restrain the passengers in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy

    GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear outboard seat belts, correcting the routing of the seat belts as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 14, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is 18117.

    Full campaign record
  • 22V465000high

    Brake system issue

    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Buick Regal vehicles. In the event of a vacuum-power brake assist failure, a software error in the electronic brake control module (EBCM) may result in a loss of power brake assist. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 135, "Light vehicle brake systems."

    Consequence

    A loss of power brake assist can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will update the EBCM software, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters advising owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 19, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Buick's customer service at 1-800-521-7300.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NHTSA holds no crash-test rating for this model year.

Not every model year is tested. A missing rating is not a poor rating.

Fuel economy & emissions

EPA figures for the 2018 Buick Regal, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.

22

City

32

Hwy

26

Comb

Annual fuel cost
$2,900
Tailpipe CO₂
344 g/mi

How this compares

At 26 MPG combined, the 2018 Buick Regal ranks 4th of 10 large cars EPA rated for 2018 — 1 MPG better than the 25 MPG median for that group.

That places it a little above the middle of its class. Fuel cost is close enough to its rivals that other running costs will probably matter more.

EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,900, $250 more than the $2,650 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $14,500, a $1,250 difference against a class-median vehicle.

Tailpipe CO₂ is 344 grams per mile — about 5.2 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.

Consumer complaints

19 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

19
Total
5
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries

Most reported components

  • BRAKES7
  • ENGINE6
  • AIR BAGS2
  • OTHER2
  • WHEELS/TIRES1

Notable Issues

19 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 4 reports involve injuries. 5 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

brake problems (soft pedal, noise, failure)7
engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)6
airbag concerns (warning light, deployment issues)2

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2018 Buick Regal, newest first.

  1. Recall

    Recall 22V465000

    A loss of power brake assist can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

  2. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation EA21002

    Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  3. Recall

    Recall 18V576000

    A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

  4. Recall

    Recall 18V230000

    If the seat belt fails to adequately restrain the passengers in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.

Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Large Cars
Drive type
Front-Wheel Drive
Engine
2L 4-cyl
Fuel type
Unknown
Transmission
Automatic (S9)
Seats
0

Fuel economy

22

City

32

Hwy

26

Comb

Annual cost
$2,900
Fuel
Premium Gasoline

Explore related

Adjacent model years

All Buick Regal years

Common problems

Buick Regal problems

133 owner complaints analyzed

Systems recalled

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Recall

    Recall 22V465000

    A loss of power brake assist can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

  2. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation EA21002

    Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  3. Recall

    Recall 18V576000

    A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

  4. Recall

    Recall 18V230000

    If the seat belt fails to adequately restrain the passengers in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.