I drive a 2003 Buick Regal...they stopped making the Regal in 2004.
The Buick Century (same as Regal, but less sporty with shifter on the column and a bench seat rather than bucket seats) was JD Power and Associates top pick for Reliability in 2003.
I think they started that body style run in 1997, so you're at the tail end of engineering modifications to fix the bugs. The engine is a 3800 Series II with 200hp and 24-28mpg.
Mine has 140,000 miles on it and has had the following problems...most are with the engine, but parts are cheap and it's fairly easy to work on.
1. Heater failed to heat....$100 coolant system flush and refill with Dexcool. (red coolant) This was around 2006-2007 in the winter. It was explained to me later that Dexcool is known to clot/clump and cause build up in the heater core. Doing a flush on the system cleaned most of the gunk out and it worked flawlessly for another 4-5 years. Most books say to replace the coolant that often anyhow....I just don't follow those recommendations.
2. Ignition Switch failure (wiring harness that connects to the key lock cylinder)
Replacement part was $96 at Autozone. I was able to take the dashboard apart, pull the old one out and replace it in 2 hours. The symptom of this was the dashboard lights flashed on and off and the car would start....or wouldn't. After replacement, it's been working flawlessly for the past 4 years.
3. Small vaccuum leak. - I have not found this problem, but it shows up in the computer. It's not been enough of an issue to fix for me, but may be if you do emissions testing. It didn't show up until I hit 125k miles.
4. Heater Hose Elbows - $4 part....Had to remove alternator/etc to get to these. They started leaking coolant. After replacing these, I had my system flushed, replaced Dexcool with universal coolant (green)...$100 service charge at a mechanic shop.
5. Mass Airflow Intake Sensor failure - $55 part...replaced in 10 minutes
Common maintenance
I change the oil every 7,000-10,000 miles. I have replaced the brakes once, but they are due for new ones. I just am waiting to pour my garage floor so I have a flat place to jack my car up and replace the rotors again. This car rolls very good and it burns through rotors faster than it should. The rotors tend to need to be turned more frequently on this car because of the curb weight.
That may sound like a lot of stuff, but I've driven this car very hard. I use it to haul lumber (PM me you Email address for pics). I have driven it offroad, in snow, on ice... I am considering a new buick when I replace it though my wife hates this car. I bought it in 2004 with 20k miles for $13995.....almost half off the MSRP... I was sad when they stopped making them and the new Regals are much smaller.
