2011 Buick Regal Electrical System Problems
NHTSA lists 102 electrical system complaints for the 2011 Buick Regal, 37% of all 279 complaints that year, with a median failure mileage of 70,500 miles. Owners reported 7 fires and 4 injuries tied to these issues, and two related recalls cover turn signal bulbs and park lock/electrical wiring.
- Electrical System complaints
- 102
- 37% of 279
- Crashes reported
- 1
- Fires reported
- 7
- Injuries reported
- 4
- Median mileage
- 70,500 mi
- Related recalls
- 2
Typical electrical symptoms owners report
- Headlight bulb connectors and plugs melt, damaging the housing and sometimes causing smoke or fire.
- Wiring harness in the engine compartment has caught fire while the vehicle was parked with the engine off.
- Front driver's seat has adjusted on its own while driving, accompanied by an abnormal smoke odor, linked to a seat-related electrical recall.
- Instrument panel cluster display is hard to read in daylight or bright sunshine, making the speedometer and gas gauge difficult to see.
- Navigation system has failed to accept known addresses and has directed drivers to incorrect or unsafe locations.
When 2011 Buick Regal electrical complaints were filed
First complaint Jan 25, 2011, latest May 13, 2026.
Electrical System recalls for the 2011 Buick Regal
- NHTSA 16V502000Jul 5, 2016Electrical System8,367 vehicles
Electrical system:ignition
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Risk: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.
- NHTSA 12V484000Oct 4, 2012Electrical System120,426 vehicles
Exterior lighting:turn signal
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Buick Regal and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with two turn signal bulbs in each front turn signal. If one of the two front turn signal bulbs burn out in either front turn signal lamp, there is no indication to the driver. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: If the driver is not aware that a turn signal is not functioning properly, the driver may continue to drive the vehicle. If half of a front turn signal is not illuminating, other driver's may not be aware that the affected vehicle is turning, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Buick at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 12212.
Electrical System complaints by Regal model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many electrical system complaints does the 2011 Buick Regal have?
- NHTSA lists 102 electrical system complaints for the 2011 Buick Regal, which is 37% of the 279 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for the 2011 Buick Regal electrical system?
- Yes. NHTSA recall 12V484000 covers 2011-2013 Buick Regal front turn signal bulbs, and 16V502000 addresses an electronic park lock lever issue on related GM models with an electrical system component.
- At what mileage do 2011 Buick Regal electrical problems typically appear?
- The median mileage at failure for electrical system complaints on the 2011 Buick Regal is 70,500 miles.
- Have there been fires linked to the 2011 Buick Regal electrical system?
- NHTSA complaint data shows 7 fires and 4 injuries connected to electrical system complaints on the 2011 Buick Regal, including reports of melted headlight connectors and wiring harness fires.