1996 BUICK REGAL — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

ON JULY 17, 2019 AT 8:40AM, I GOT INTO MY CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY. I TURNED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND THE AIRBAG EXPLODED. (THE CAR WAS NOT STARTED.) THE AIRBAG SOUNDED LIKE A SHOTGUN BEING FIRED AND A POWDER LIKE SUBSTANCE IMMEDIATELY FILLED THE CAR. THE AIRBAG ITSELF HIT ME IN THE ABDOMINAL AREA. I FOUND THE DOOR HANDLE, OPENED THE DOOR, AND ROLLED OUT OF THE CAR ONTO THE GROUND. AT THIS TIME, I YELLED FOR MY SON. MY SON PICKED ME UP OFF THE GROUND AND CALLED AN AMBULANCE DUE TO ME BEING IN A SEVERE AMOUNT OF PAIN AND IN SHOCK. I WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AMBULANCE AND OBSERVED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. I HAD SEVERAL FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS THAT CONTINUE TO THIS DAY. INSURANCE CAME TO LOOK AT CAR, FILLED OUT PAPERWORK, AND SAID THEY WERE GOING TO TOTAL THE VEHICLE. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN MOVED SINCE THIS INCIDENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE AND ABS WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT FACILITY FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND FAILURE CODES: C1265 (REAR ABS MOTOR CIRCUIT SHORTED TO GROUND) AND C1286 (EBCM/EBTCM FAILED TO ILLUMINATE THE RED BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR) WERE LOCATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (DON BROWN CHEVROLET, 2244 S KINGS HIGHWAY BLVD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63110, (314) 282-7887) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CODES INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A REAR MOTOR SHORT TO THE GROUND AND THE ELECTRIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE ACTIVATED THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATORS. FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WOULD BE PERFORMED BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE AND ABS WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT FACILITY FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND FAILURE CODES: C1265 (REAR ABS MOTOR CIRCUIT SHORTED TO GROUND) AND C1286 (EBCM/EBTCM FAILED TO ILLUMINATE THE RED BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR) WERE LOCATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (DON BROWN CHEVROLET, 2244 S KINGS HIGHWAY BLVD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63110, (314) 282-7887) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CODES INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A REAR MOTOR SHORT TO THE GROUND AND THE ELECTRIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE ACTIVATED THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATORS. FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WOULD BE PERFORMED BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

DRIVERS SIDE DOOR DOES NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THE DOOR DOES NOT WORK WITH KEY EITHER. LOCK SEEMS TO WORKING BUT DOOR DOES NOT OPEN. THE CAR ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND SHOULD BE A RECALL.

WHILE MERGING ONTO THE FREEWAY, I WAS TAKING MY CAR TO BE SMOGGED. AT SPEED, I NOTICED A LITTLE WHITE PUFF OF SMOKE EMIT FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE BAY. AS I PROCEEDED TO START MOVING TO THE SHOULDER, THIS PUFF HAD TURNED INTO A GRAY PLUME. AS I FINALLY REACHED THE SHOULDER, THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE ENGINE BAY WAS BILLOWING BLACK SMOKE. AS I TRIED TO STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, SO IT SEEMED THE FIRE HAD BURNT THROUGH A BRAKE LINE. I MANAGED TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE SLOWLY AND MANAGED TO STOP ON THE SHOULDER. OPENING THE HOOD, I FOUND A SMALL FIRE BURNING AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE, BUT IN FRONT OF THE FIREWALL. I HAD NOTHING WITH ME, SO I CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND IT WAS EXTINGUISHED. HOWEVER, BY THE TIME THEY GOT THERE, THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS TOTALED BEYOND EXTENSIVE REPAIR.