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Executive Vehicle Verdict

The 2018 Buick Regal is associated with 33 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 3 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database.

The most frequently reported component area is Service Brakes, accounting for 5 reports (15% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 4 certified vehicle configurations spanning 2l 4-cyl and 3.6l 6-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 22 to 26 MPG combined. Detailed NHTSA crash-test ratings are not available in the current AutoUtility dataset for this model year.

Official Federal Record Profile
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 33 consumer reports filed
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 3 official campaigns
  • • Primary Defect Domain: Service Brakes (5 / 15%)
  • • Field Incident Signals: 5 crash / 0 fire / 3 injury reports
  • • NCAP Crash Safety: Not rated by NHTSA
  • • EPA Certified Range: 22–26 MPG across 4 powertrain trims
Directly compiled from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA NCAP, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2018 Buick Regal?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Regal 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S9) 22 MPG 32 MPG 26 MPG — $2,900 / yr
Regal AWD 2L 4-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (S8) 21 MPG 29 MPG 24 MPG — $3,150 / yr
Regal TourX AWD 2L 4-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (S8) 21 MPG 29 MPG 24 MPG — $3,150 / yr
Regal AWD 3.6L 6-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (S9) 19 MPG 27 MPG 22 MPG — $2,800 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2018 Buick Regal?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
5 HB FWD —
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Optional and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2018 Buick Regal models.
View complete 2018 Buick Regal crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2018 Buick Regal?

Summary of 33 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
33
Crash Reports
5
Fire Reports
0
Complaints w/ Injury
3
Total Injuries
4

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Service Brakes 5 complaints (2 crashes)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 2 complaints
Engine 2 complaints
Service Brakes 2 complaints
Air Bags 1 complaint (1 crash)

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2018 Buick Regal problems & component breakdown (25 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2018 Buick Regal?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #22V465000 Active Recall
Affected Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM

Defect Summary: 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."

Free Manufacturer 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.
NHTSA Campaign #18V576000 Active Recall
Affected Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer 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.
NHTSA Campaign #18V230000 Active Recall
Affected Component: SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer 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.
View all 2018 Buick Regal recalls & campaign history (3 campaigns) →
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Key Questions Drivers Ask About the 2018 Buick Regal

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2018 Buick Regal

How many safety recalls does the 2018 Buick Regal have?

The 2018 Buick Regal is associated with 3 official NHTSA safety recall campaigns in AutoUtility's current federal records.

If your individual vehicle is affected by an open safety recall, NHTSA advises owners to contact an authorized franchised dealership for the recall remedy at no charge. Because recall campaigns apply to specific production runs and equipment batches, vehicle owners should verify their 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov.

Source: NHTSA Safety Recalls Database (49 U.S.C. 30118)

What are the most common problems reported for the 2018 Buick Regal?

NHTSA records list 33 consumer defect complaints for the 2018 Buick Regal. The most frequently referenced vehicle system is Service Brakes, appearing in 5 filings (15% of submissions).

Consumer complaints represent unverified owner submissions filed under federal reporting guidelines and describe reported component behavior rather than audited failure rates.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Is there an official NHTSA crash safety rating for the 2018 Buick Regal?

An official NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test rating is not available for the 2018 Buick Regal in AutoUtility's current federal dataset.

NHTSA publishes crash safety evaluations for a selected sample of passenger vehicles each model year. Consult NHTSA.gov for active safety equipment records and vehicle safety bulletins.

Source: NHTSA NCAP Registry

What fuel economy (MPG) does the 2018 Buick Regal get?

Official EPA laboratory estimates for the 2018 Buick Regal range from 22 to 26 MPG combined (55% city / 45% highway weighted) depending on engine, transmission, and drivetrain configuration.

Using AutoUtility's standardized operating cost model (15,000 miles/year, $3.50/gal gas, $0.16/kWh electricity), annual energy expenditures range across certified configurations based on official EPA laboratory test baselines.

Source: EPA FuelEconomy.gov Certified Database
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.