1999 Buick Regal GS review from North America

Overall the build quality is... hit and miss.

When I got it, the passenger rear window was non-operational. A few months later, the driver rear window quit. I finally managed to scrape up enough ambition to fix the driver side, the problem being spools inside the window mechanism, which are low-quality.

The power steering quit about a month ago, I haven't fixed it yet because nobody knows what's actually wrong with it, some say it's the steering rack, the dealership charged $85 to inform me it might be a high pressure line and that they'd gladly replace it for $245, I'm inclined to believe it's the pump itself. Unfortunately, each of those is very expensive to fix... time to warm up the platinum card.

I'm getting a bad misfire under hard acceleration, cleaning the injectors didn't help, changing the spark plugs should, but I'm not looking forward to that since the ones for the back 3 cylinders (front wheel drive=transversely mounted engine), are humanly impossible to get to. This car was NOT designed to be accessible for the average Joe.

The lockup converter was acting up for a while, around 45 it would lock and unlock rapid-fire, taking it out of overdrive had no effect. The problem has mysteriously gone away.

Interior quality is unimpressive, the materials are low quality for a 30k car and whoever put it all together is probably the same guy who builds that cheap office furniture at Staples. When you close the doors (even lightly), the entire interior panel shakes, which is funny the first couple times but not much more.

The stock 6-speaker 'concert sound II' isn't that great either, I'd get the nicer 8-speaker system if I bought another Regal.

Does this car have problems?: Yes.

Are they just normal wear and tear?: Probably, considering I don't think the last owner took great care of it, and with 114k I do expect some problems, I'm just getting weary of the sheer number of them.

Besides these 'minor' issues, I love the car. It's fast, safe, comfortable and happy to cruise at 80 MPH all day long on the freeway. If I keep it under 75 it'll even do 30mpg. And did I mention fast? 0-60 happens in about 7 seconds, and it's quick right up until the lame 109 electronic limit. I don't think it would have a problem going 145.

Yeah the interior sucks and the electric windows were designed by Italians, but overall it's still an epic car.