1998 BUICK REGAL Steering Problems

CAR HAS BECOME VERY HARD TO TURN, UNLESS MOVING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, A LOUD NOISE EMITTED WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V527000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,013.

TL * THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK REGAL. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE FAILURE RECURRED EIGHTEEN TIMES OVER A PERIOD OF THREE MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 177,000. UPDATED 09/02/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE BRAKES WOULD STALL, THE STEERING AND BRAKES WOULD FAIL AS WELL. UPDATED 09/16/2014 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN BUT HAD DIFFICULTY MANEUVERING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH IN A PARKING LOT, A LOUD NOISE EMITTED WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE RACK AND PINION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE LOWER BEARING ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED, BUT DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THERE WAS A RECALL RELATED TO THE DEFECT ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V527000 (STEERING:RACK AND PINION). THE VIN WAS INELIGIBLE UNDER THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,330.

1998 BUICK REGAL GS. RACK AND PINION PROBLEMS AT 96K MILES. NOTHING NOTICABLE LEADING UP TO PROBLEM. ONE DAY IT HAS HARD TO STEER TO THE LEFT. NOW IT IS EFFECTING TURNING TO THE RIGHT. *TR OTHER '98 REGALS WERE UNDER RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE BUT FOR SOME REASON MY REGAL ISN'T. SPOKE TO BUICK AT 8666088080 AND WAS TOLD BY A MANAGER THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO SINCE IT WASN'T PART OF RECALL. KEPT REFERING TO CAR AGE EVEN THOUGH THE CAR HAS UNDER 100K MILES. TAKING TO BUICK DEALER THIS WEEKEND TO SEE IF FIXING IS WORTH IT. DEALER SAYS FULL RACK AND PINION OVERHAUL WILL RUN $1500 TO $2000. CAR IS ONLY WORTH $2500. SAD TO SEE A CAR DIE BEFORE IT HITS 100K MILES BUT I GUESS THERE IS A REASON GM WAS IN SUCH BAD SHAPE.

STEERING WILL NOT TURN TO LEFT STEERING TURNS BACK TO RIGHT VIOLENTLY. *TR

WHEN TURNING TO THE LEFT I LOOSE POWER STEERING CONTROL AND WHEN I TURN TO THE RIGHT IT WORKS MOST OF THE TIME BUT NOT ALL THE TIME LEAVING IT VERY HARD TO TURN. MECHANIC CHECKED THE POWER STEERING AND SAID THAT IT WAS ALRIGHT AND THAT THEIR WAS A RECALL ON THE LOWER PINION GEAR AND TO CHECK IT OUT. O A COUPLE OF OCCASION MY STEERING WAS OUT OF WHACK WHILE DRIVING AND I ALMOST WENT IN THE DITCH. *TR

MY CAR IS CURRENTLY EXHIBITING THE EXACT SAME FAILURES THAT ARE ALREADY LISTED ON NHTSA FOR MY MAKE, MODEL & YEAR. HOWEVER, THEY SAY MY VIN# IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL.....EVEN THOUGH I AM EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM LISTED! IT IS ACTION #EA03019 CAMPAIGN# 03V527000. PLEASE I NEED HELP BEFORE I HAVE A CRASH.....*TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE LOOSES ALL POWER STEERING WHILE TURNING THE VEHICLE TO THE LEFT. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V527000 REGARDING THE STEERING: RACK AND PINION. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

ON JANUARY 23, 2004 I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE INTO THE LASORSA BUICK DEALER FOR SERVICE CONCERNING MY STEERING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. I PAID TO HAVE THE PROBLEM REPAIRED CONCERNING THE STIFFEN STEERING. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR GM CARS AND MY VEHICLE FELL INTO THIS GROUP. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT CONFIRMED OR DENIED WHETHER VEHICLE WAS PART OF THE RECALL. IF IT WAS, I WOULD LIKE SOME KIND OF INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS RECALL. PLEASE! SEE NEW YORK POST ARTICLE DATED JANUARY 13, 2004, GM RECALLINGSM 800,000 CARS. *LA

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY LOOSE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *NM

I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP (MCCADDON BUICK-BOULDER, CO) ON 2-6-04 REGARDING THE RECALL ON 1998 BUICK REGALS WITH A STEERING PROBLEM. MY CAR HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT FORCED BUICKS RECALL. IN FACT, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ON MAY 21, 2003 FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $1200.00 TO FIX MY CAR. THEY SAID THE PROBLEM SHOULD NOT GET ANY WORSE SO I HAVE PUT UP WITH THE HARD STEERING (TO THE LEFT) SINCE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID MY AUTO WAS NOT UNDER THE RECALL. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING LEFT TURNS IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER, AND THE STEERING BECAME STIFF. DEALER DETERMINED A STEERING PROBLEM, BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND MAKING LEFT TURNS THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF AND WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE AL;SO PULLED TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

INQUIRY WHETHER OR NOT INVESTIGATION AND ENGINEERING ANALYSIS LED TO A RECALL.*MR CONSUMER LETTER WAS SENT BY DOMINICK GRAZIANO IN REFERENCE TO THE PREVIOUS COMPLAINT # 10042719 CONCERNING A 1998 BUICK REGAL STEERING DEFECT. CONSUMER WANTS TO KNOW IF INVESTIGATIONS AND ENGINEERING ANALYSIS HAVE LED TO A RECALL.*MR

C/S STEERING COLUMN STICKING WHEN TURNING. FOUND RACK AND PINION GEAR BINDING CAUSING VEHICLE NOT TO TURN LEFT. REPLACED RACK AND PINION WITH SHOR GEAR AND RESET TOE IN TO CORRECT CONCERN. TEST DROVE TO VERIFY.

CLUNK NOISE OCCURS WHEN TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT AND WHILE GOING IN REVERSED. ESPECIALLY NOTICED AFTER CAR PARKED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS ADVISED IT IS A COMMON NOISE AND NOTING TO REPAIR. BUT DEALER NOTICED THE STABILIZER LINKS WERE CRACKED. AND WAS REPLACED.*AK

PROBLEMS WITH POWER STEERING MECHANISM. *MR THERE WAS A CLUNKING SOUND IN THE STEERING MECHANISM. MECHANICS BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RACK AND PINION. THE STEERING STARTED TO HAVE DIFFICULTY IN MOVEMENT AS WELL AS ALMOST LOCKING WHEN SLOWING OR TURNING. *SCC *JB

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THIS CAR. WHEN SHE WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN THE STEERING LOCKED OR APPEAR TO LOSE POWER. SHE THOUGHT THE CAR SHUT OFF, SO SHE STEPPED ON THE ACCELEATOR AND THE CAR WENT INTO A MIS-DIRECTED DIRECTION. SHE WAS ABLE TO RECOVER BY TRYING TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH

WHEN REVERSING AND TURNING, FRONT LEFT TIRE FEELS LIKE IT'S NOT TURNING AND DRAGGING.

CONSUMER IS UNABLE TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. DEALER NOTIFIED.

BINDING, RACHETING AND VIBRATION IN STEERING. REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP TWICE AND RACK AND PINION STEERING UNIT ONCE. VIBRATION STILL PRESENT. DEALER SAYS MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM, BUT NO FIX YET, AFTER EIGHT MONTHS. YET.