[BigBadNumber3]

Perhaps I am in the wrong thread with this post, but I am hoping someone has some ideas on this. I bought a 2013 Buick Regal GS back in December 2012, AFTER test driving three Audi's first. That's how much I originally loved this Regal. Now, despite being a staunch GM guy, I really wish I had bought one of the Audi's, ANY one of the Audis. I've gone from loving my Regal GS to loathing it, and it has less than 4,000 miles on it. Did I get a lemon? You tell me:

With 500 miles on it, it started missing badly as my wife and I were on our way out of town. Trip ruined, our first trip back to the dealership and about four days in the shop ended up with a replaced solenoid. initial problem solved....many more to follow as I would shortly find out.

With about 2,500 miles on the car, I started having all sorts of issues. The front brakes began squeaking. The radio/navigation screen would reboot for no reason (like a PC rebooting itself) right in the middle of listening to the radio. The car also developed what I thought was a suspension rattle in the left rear of the car. Since Day 1, the car has also been exceptionally noisy and raspy on start up (so much so that other people would ask what was wrong with my car). Worst of all, at about 2,500 miles, the car started hesitating noticeably on acceleration. I'll add to this by saying that I am a partner at a CPA firm in Michigan, the dealership where I bought the car is 30 minutes out of my way from home and 60 minutes from my office AND it's currently tax season so my time is at a premium right now and having an unreliable new car is becoming a problem. I tried running premium in it even though the dealership told me I didn't need to, but that didn't fix the hesitation problem.

Finally after another 1,000 or so miles, I'd had enough and took the car back to the dealership. After having it for a week, they replaced both cam shaft actuators, replaced the front brake pads, upgraded the software in the radio, secured a ride control sensor (the apparent cause of the rattle) and claim that they "didn't notice any hesitation upon acceleration when they test drove it for 10 minutes". So, of all the issues I brought it in for, the one of most concern they didn't even really attempt to address. No call back to ask more questions or anything. I just got the standard "we couldn't recreate the issue".

I asked the service tech point blank if we were approaching the "lemon" threshold with all the work they had to do on my new car. The service tech told me these were "common" service issues with the new 2013 Regals. REALLY? Common service issues? My car's been out of service for over two and a half weeks, has less than 4,000 miles on it, runs like crap and cost me $38,000?

So, I now have my car back from the dealership for the second time. It STILL hesitates and is STILL noisy on start-up. I'll give it until after tax season and then we're going to have a serious discussion about them taking this car back if they can't fix it right.

Anyone else run into similar issues with a new Regal GS or Regal with a turbo engine in it? I am particularly interested in hesitation issue because it clearly hesitates intermittently on acceleration, yet the dealer claims that didn't observe the "phenomenon". I've tried everything I can think of to diagnose the problem to no avail. So frustrated! I LOVED this car and raved about it to all my co-workers. Now I HATE it! I am SO disappointed in Buick for putting 20 inch chrome rims on an unreliable turdbucket and not REALLY seeming to care that one of their customers has an issue. Very very disappointed and very frustrated in the time I have spent trying to get this car fixed to the way it should have been running all along.

If anyone has some of the same symptoms occurring and has found a fix for the hesitation, please let me know. It's obviously not the cam shaft actuators.

 

[cozbyrt]

Man that sucks! Sorry to hear your troubles. I have read about other regal owners complaining about a hesitation when trying to accelerate. I have not had the problem yet (knock on wood). I do recommend always running premium gasoline. It does help with performance. My car is louder on startup and then quiets down after 10-20 seconds. You might try doing a search at buickforums.com as well. I wish I had the answer for you. There is a Buick rep on this forum. Hopefully they will see this and send you a message.

 

[gary9648]

Running premium fuel in a car tuned to run regular 87 octane does not improve the performance of the vehicle, only drains the wallet. If you are not experiencing engine knock adding a higher grade of fuel does nothing for your engine. They designed the engine to run on 87 so their customers could save money on fuel costs.

 

[Harshman]

I dont have a GS, but I do have the Turbo. The recommended fuel in the owners manual is premium. It does run much better on premium. Recommend that you check your manual.

 

[thestepchild]

I forget the exact wording of the lemon law in Michigan, but I've had to go that route twice out of the last 4 new cars - one gm, one vw . One option is out of service for 30 days, and/or out for so many times.

Pm me if you want the attorney name and info. I used one in metro Detroit, all on the phone and email. Never had to go in to his office.

 

[BigBadNumber3]

Curious if anyone else is experiencing intermittent acceleration hesitation with their GS. I have had it at the dealership 4 times for various issues (hesitation being the biggest) and they keep telling me it is fine. Premium doesn't seem to make any difference in the performance. If this car is fine, then it is very poorly designed because it accelerates like crap and is jerky, none of which it did when I first bought it. The service tech actually had the nerve to say it is running better than the other two he has driven recently. I am exceptionally fed up with the car and can't believe I am the only one who has had major problems with the car. If you have problems, please get in touch with me.

 

[Alfred8100]

Curious if anyone else is experiencing intermittent acceleration hesitation with their GS. I have had it at the dealership 4 times for various issues (hesitation being the biggest) and they keep telling me it is fine. Premium doesn't seem to make any difference in the performance. If this car is fine, then it is very poorly designed because it accelerates like crap and is jerky, none of which it did when I first bought it. The service tech actually had the nerve to say it is running better than the other two he has driven recently. I am exceptionally fed up with the car and can't believe I am the only one who has had major problems with the car. If you have problems, please get in touch with me.

I am totally agree with you. You are 100% good here that the service technical actually had the sensors to say it is operating better than the other two he has driven lately.

 

[Regal2013]

Curious if anyone else is experiencing intermittent acceleration hesitation with their GS. I have had it at the dealership 4 times for various issues (hesitation being the biggest) and they keep telling me it is fine. Premium doesn't seem to make any difference in the performance. If this car is fine, then it is very poorly designed because it accelerates like crap and is jerky, none of which it did when I first bought it. The service tech actually had the nerve to say it is running better than the other two he has driven recently. I am exceptionally fed up with the car and can't believe I am the only one who has had major problems with the car. If you have problems, please get in touch with me.

I now have 8500 miles on mine and started to notice the hesitation as early as last month. Now today I had to deal with the hesitation plus I heard a loud banging that was not suspension base when it shifted between 4k-5k RPMS on both manual and auto shifting. Very weird. I will be taking the car in to hear the usual everything is normal bs very soon.

 

[macvangelist]

This sounds like the kind of debacle I've been having with my 2012 GS! I liked the car when I got it, but now I sort of hate it. It was a certified used with about 17k on the ODO. I bought it to replace my 2009 G8 GT (which I regret...).

Anyway, thus far it's been in and out of the dealer(s) (changed dealers b/c the first one was TERRIBLE!) for multiple weeks worth of time.

The following thing (off the top of my head) have been replaced:
1) A/C compressor (squealing constantly)
2) Right rear wheel bearing and hub assembly (bad bearing)
3) Stereo/Nav (many issues)
4) A/C compressor (yes, again... it seized up)
5) Headliner (falling down!)
6) Turbo (in the shop for this right now)

There are some major components on that list and so far I still have issues.

There is a vibration when the RPMs are high (above 3k usually) and I put the clutch in (as when coasting up to a light, etc). I thought it was the exhaust rattling against the frame, but that wasn't the case. They thought it was maybe the turbo, so they replaced it. No luck so far...

I'm also having problems with the engine sputtering and almost dying when I come to a stop after cruising for a while. It's not actually died on me yet, but it idles like crap sometimes.

I've also had an issue with the clutch, but I have yet to report that yet. If I put the clutch all the way in, sometimes it will still grind gears as if the syncro isn't working correctly. People think I don't know how to drive a stick, but it doesn't matter, it still grinds sometimes.

I've had a suspension fault that they blew off, even after I took a photo of the display showing the fault and they said they found some codes.

I just feel like I shouldn't have this many major issues on a $38,000 car with this few miles on it! It's a total POS as far as I'm concerned.

To make matters worse, I involved GM Customer Service during the time I was using the first dealership. They are pretty much worthless. All they did was relay the information between myself and the dealer. They didn't actually flex any muscle or cause the situation to be remedied. It's very frustrating, especially since I'm now Buick's target demographic and they're doing a great job of ensuring I'll never buy another Buick product again!

 

[Buick Customer Service]

Hi macvangelist,

I am sorry to hear of the issues you have experienced and that you feel the customer service department has not been able to assist. Our dealerships are our eyes and ears on the field, and we rely on them heavily for technical assistance. If you would like to send us a private message with your case number, we can look into the issue further for you. Thank you!

Jessica
Buick Customer Care

This sounds like the kind of debacle I've been having with my 2012 GS! I liked the car when I got it, but now I sort of hate it. It was a certified used with about 17k on the ODO. I bought it to replace my 2009 G8 GT (which I regret...).

Anyway, thus far it's been in and out of the dealer(s) (changed dealers b/c the first one was TERRIBLE!) for multiple weeks worth of time.

The following thing (off the top of my head) have been replaced:
1) A/C compressor (squealing constantly)
2) Right rear wheel bearing and hub assembly (bad bearing)
3) Stereo/Nav (many issues)
4) A/C compressor (yes, again... it seized up)
5) Headliner (falling down!)
6) Turbo (in the shop for this right now)

There are some major components on that list and so far I still have issues.

There is a vibration when the RPMs are high (above 3k usually) and I put the clutch in (as when coasting up to a light, etc). I thought it was the exhaust rattling against the frame, but that wasn't the case. They thought it was maybe the turbo, so they replaced it. No luck so far...

I'm also having problems with the engine sputtering and almost dying when I come to a stop after cruising for a while. It's not actually died on me yet, but it idles like crap sometimes.

I've also had an issue with the clutch, but I have yet to report that yet. If I put the clutch all the way in, sometimes it will still grind gears as if the syncro isn't working correctly. People think I don't know how to drive a stick, but it doesn't matter, it still grinds sometimes.

I've had a suspension fault that they blew off, even after I took a photo of the display showing the fault and they said they found some codes.

I just feel like I shouldn't have this many major issues on a $38,000 car with this few miles on it! It's a total POS as far as I'm concerned.

To make matters worse, I involved GM Customer Service during the time I was using the first dealership. They are pretty much worthless. All they did was relay the information between myself and the dealer. They didn't actually flex any muscle or cause the situation to be remedied. It's very frustrating, especially since I'm now Buick's target demographic and they're doing a great job of ensuring I'll never buy another Buick product again!

 

[ahazen]

My story sound the same.. My 2012 Buick Regal GS has been in the shop 4 times for the turbo going out once for the radiator rupturing, once for the two axel arms being replaced, once when it left me stranded because the battery cables fried, once for the windshield washer pump blowing, once for the center council and sun visors coming apart and once for my brake lights going out. All of this was in the first year and my car was in the shop for more then 30 days.

All of these problems were magnified because the turbo going out started the first month I bought the car and the first few visits to the dealership they did not want to provide me with a loaner car. Second Buick Customer service listened to my complaints but never did anything to make me happy. I have been trying to enact the lemon law and have had an attorney working on it since May and GM still refuses to buy back the car. Last week they offered me only $3000 and told me to sell it. I can't in good conscience sell this car to someone in addition this car has depreciated sooo much that I am loosing thousands even after the $3000 they want to give me because they sold me a defective car. I LOVED the car when I first bought it and received compliments on it everywhere I go. Now I hate it!!! I bought a Lexus GS 350 a couple weeks ago and the Regal now sits in my driveway until GM decides to do the right thing. The lemon law attorney said he sees the fewest claims from Lexus and after the drama I have went threw I care about reliability more then anything.

Question: If the lemon law is in fact a "LAW" isn't GM requited to buy back the car???

To Buick Customer Care. In stead of positing another empty comment here is my vin number in the event you decide to do what you should have done a long time ago.. 2G4GV5GVXC9141971 Registered in Miami Shores, FL

 

[massejer]

I may have considered alternatives after seeing these responses. I'm about to graduate from College and bought my first car with the 2013 Regal GS from the dealer 2 weeks ago. Thought it was the best performance option within the GM lineup without going a step up with a Cadillac. Has 2000 miles on it. No issues with it as of now besides having to take it in for a wobble in the front right tire yesterday. Getting a road force balance on it, hopefully it fixes the issue. I will keep you guys updated if I start to experience any issues. Hopefully it will not be the case.

 

[Buick Customer Service]

Hi massejer,

Congratulations on your new vehicle! We are happy to assist at any time if you have any questions or concerns. Please keep us posted on the dealership visit!

Jessica
Buick Customer Care

I may have considered alternatives after seeing these responses. I'm about to graduate from College and bought my first car with the 2013 Regal GS from the dealer 2 weeks ago. Thought it was the best performance option within the GM lineup without going a step up with a Cadillac. Has 2000 miles on it. No issues with it as of now besides having to take it in for a wobble in the front right tire yesterday. Getting a road force balance on it, hopefully it fixes the issue. I will keep you guys updated if I start to experience any issues. Hopefully it will not be the case.

 

[ahazen]

Thank you Buick Customer Care for in boxing me and letting me know there is nothing you can do to assist me. You have been a great help!!

 

[redregalgs12]

2012 Buick Regal GS Issues

I have a 2012 GS purchased in Sept. 2012. Currently has 33,000 miles on it. At 21,000 had to have front brake pads put on and rear wheel bearing replaced. Brakes have made a horrible noise since the car had a few thousand miles on it. I noticed this is starting again. Also, got the bad wheel bearing noise again. I have no acceleration problems. However, the locking system has had some issues. Car locked up with fob
inside and the touch pad trunk opener no longer works. Other than that, I do drive a lot of miles and the car handles well. I had to get used to the lack of fog lights, which work well in heavy snow storms, and the lack of interior storage. It gets a lot of compliments for looks.

If GM can iron out the wheel bearing issue, I would consider buying another one.

 

[oldllama]

just ran across this old post, I have a 2013 gs with only 7000 miles and I have the same hesitation or surging when accelerating. Its seems intermittent but had it at the dealer and they found nothing? What if anything did you find out on this issue?

 

[sorrybrah]

Bigbadnumber3, any updates?

 

[tytotheler92]

I bought my 2013 Regal in December. Service history shows me that the belt squeal issue common on the early turbos was fixed (There is a TSB from GM about the tensioner not having enough tension and the belt gets replaced along with it) and that my rear trunk latch was replaced. (Another TSB) The RR Wheel bearing was also replaced. On the bright side, the bearing and sensor is extremly inexpensive and easy to replace once these are out of warranty. It's like a 1/2 hour job.

Anyways, shortly after I bought it, the check engine light came on. I had noticed some hesitation in the past, so the dealer replaced the FlexFuel/Octane sensor. It ran WAY better. Shifts were better, power was better, everything was better. I had codes for everything but that sensor, including both MAP sensors an o2, and the MAF sensor. Dealer said this was a common issue and I said this is why Flexfuel is dumb.... (Ethanol holds water, thus the need for that sensor.)

Either way, this might help someone out there who's looking into one of these or is having issues. I love the car overall.

 

[bonzomatic]

just ran across this old post, I have a 2013 gs with only 7000 miles and I have the same hesitation or surging when accelerating. Its seems intermittent but had it at the dealer and they found nothing? What if anything did you find out on this issue?

I have a 2013 GS also. I'm now at 40,000 miles and I was having a lot of hesitation when the car was cold. I also had a strange squeaking/rattling noise when I would put the car in reverse when it was warmed up. Believe it or not, both items appear to be related. The dealer determined that I had a problem with the belt tensioner and when they fixed that (along with a new belt) the acceleration issues went away. The dealer said that the computer was seeing inconsistent speeds on some of the pulleys which caused it to retard the engine's performance. Hopefully this is a permanent fix!

 

[losinggm]

Same issue

My wife's 2011 Buick has stalled out twice now and one time it was on the interstate at 65 mph. She had no throttle response, lucky she was able to coast it to the shoulder where she shut it off and restarted it and it ran fine for three days and did it again today. It is not throwing any codes and I was told the dealership mechanics cant do anything unless it happens while they are test driving it. GM is starting to lose me as a loyal customer quickly.