The 1996 Buick Regal is a midsize car that came with a choice of 3.1L 6-cyl and 3.8L 6-cyl engines. At 30 years old, many are reaching the point where repairs cost more than the car is worth. Running or not, we'll make you an offer and tow it away for free.
| Body style | Midsize Cars |
|---|---|
| Engines | 3.1L 6-cyl, 3.8L 6-cyl |
| Transmissions | Automatic 4-spd |
| Drive | Front-Wheel Drive |
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
| Fuel economy | 17–18 city / 26–27 highway / 21 combined MPG |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $3,200 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles) |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 423 grams per mile |
| Versions tested by EPA | 2 configurations |
| Age | 30 years |
Specs, fuel cost and emissions from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov data. Your car's exact equipment may differ.
NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls covering the 1996 Buick Regal. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking the car, but check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which apply to yours.
Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
Risk: If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wh
A backfire during engine starting can cause breakage of the upper intake manifold.
Risk: This condition can cause a no-start condition and possibly an engine compartment fire.
The left front brake line can contact the transaxle mounting bracket or attachment bolt.
Risk: This condition can cause the brake line to wear through, resulting in loss of brake fluid and eventual loss of one-half of the vehicle's brake system, increasing the potential for a vehicle accident.
Owners have filed 204 complaints about the 1996 Buick Regal with NHTSA. 14 reports involved a crash and 16 reports involved a fire. Owners reported 21 injuries.
Complaints are reports from owners and aren't verified by NHTSA. One complaint can list several components. Mileage is the median odometer reading owners reported for that component.
Manufacturers have filed 43 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 1996 Buick Regal. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tes
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tes
This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to Unlock Delco Radio with Theftlock.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get t
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).
NHTSA opened 6 defect investigations covering the 1996 Buick Regal.
Power rack and pinion steering failure
Gm's letter to NHTSA dated december 11, 2003, expands its original recall (NHTSA 02v286) to include certain w-body vehicles: 96-97 olds cutlass supreme; 98 olds intrigue; 97-98 olds cutlass; 97-98 chevy lumina, monte carlo and malibu; 96 pontiac grand prix; and 96-98 Buick Regal.the number of vehicles recalled is 750,2
Power rack and pinion steering failure
Gm conducted a safety recall (NHTSA # 02v286) to address a steering defect pertaining to a lower pinion bearing (lpb) within the rack and pinion steering gear (r&p). The recall covered 1,159,156 model year 1997-1998 pontiac grand prix vehicles built between march 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, 1996-1998 pontiac trans sp
Engine compartment fires
Ea02-030 is closed with gmea02-030 is closed with gm?s actions in 03v-473 and 04v-090 recalling approximately 529,000 my 1998-99 c- and h-body vehicles equipped with defective fuel pressure regulators.these vehicles were equipped with plastic intake manifolds that are unable to contain pressures that occur in some back
Engine compartment fires
Inadvertent air bag deployment
There is no summary currently available
Inappropriate air bag deployment
The failure rate (1.25/100k) on this issue is low.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of the agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constiture a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.odi will continue to
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It depends on its condition, whether major parts like the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still there, and current scrap and parts prices where you live. Its parts make up much of its value. Enter your ZIP code above for a free offer on your specific car.
Yes. We buy 1996 Regals that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.
Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 1996 Buick Regal; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Usually the title and a photo ID. Rules differ by state, including what to do with your plates and whether to file a notice of sale. Check our state-by-state car title guides for the official forms.
Data retrieved October 2026.
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