Total Complaints
3 filings
BUICK REGAL · model year
1979 BUICK REGAL
3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1979BUICKREGAL carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1979 REGAL is tires:tread/belt with 3 filings. Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1979 REGAL. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 3 |
Recent Complaints
20040827TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND NOTICED THAT THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL ON PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE. THIS CAUSED DAMAGES TO THE UNDER CARRIAGE/FENDER; AND DOOR. CONSUMER CALLED ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE AND VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. FIRESTONE FR480, P215/70R14 #DOT W2HY1MD519. *AK
20040517TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE WHEEL. CONSUMER CALLED ROAD SIDE ASSISTANT TO CHANGE THE TIRE. FIRESTONE FR480, SIZE P215/70R14, DOT W2HY1MD519. *AK THE TIRE BLOWOUT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE'S RIGHT FRONT FENDER AND DOOR. *NM
20030808TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHIHLE DRIVNG THE TREAD OF THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE SEPARATED FROMTHE TIRE. THE TIRE DENTED THE RIGHT FENDER AND RIGHT FRONT DOOR. *MR *CB *NLM
Mileage: 84,009
Compare 1979BUICKREGAL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1979 BUICK REGAL have?▼
The 1979 BUICK REGAL has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1979 BUICK REGAL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1979 BUICK REGAL is TIRES:TREAD/BELT with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1979 BUICK REGAL safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.