Intake Manifold Gasket May Leak Coolant or Engine Oil

Engine Stalling Due to Mass Air Flow/Crankshift Position Sensor Failure

Summary:

Summary:

We had to replace the "Head Gaskets" due to manufacturer problem and this was covered under warranty. Our van is converted by Braun for wheelchair use and constant problem with wiring harness breackage to compressor for air shocks due to corrosion in wiring harness- moisture from somewhere in van since harness not exposed. Warranty won't cover expense-GM problem from factory design. Would appreciate any feedback to correct this problem. Otherwise, satisfied with van performance and handling, except in high wind conditions.Also had to replace heating lines going to back due to corrosion.

Good car, know what to expect. This is a 15 year old GM product. To put it in perspective, my previous car was a 45 year old GM with higher mileage and LESS problems than this. Mechanically it's very sound. The three big issues tend to be gaskets, grounding issues and interior quality. If you buy one of these, expect to find a few interior parts (dirt cheap as regals are common enough to pop up in junkyards almost daily), expect to change window motors.

A previous review cited $1600 for window motors. That reviewer was scammed, the motor and regulator assembly can be found for about 30 dollars a window, and the repair is not difficult to do yourself. I did all four in an hour never having disassembled a window before. Get a few GM clips ($5 for 50 of them) and feel free to put dynamat or peel-'n-seal on the inside of the door panel-it reduces road noise substantially. An hour and 130 dollars for brand new window movement. My Toyota's are 120-150 APIECE-and yes, they to have died.

The steering rack and pump will need replacement. If you can do the windows, you can do the power steering pump. Disconnect battery, take belt off (30 seconds with a wrench for tensioner) detach two PS lines, unbolt pump, bolt new pump on, reattach lines, add fluid and open bleed screw while turning wheel. No reason to pay hundreds. The rack is worth a mechanic. Expect to pay 5-600 with alignment.

The thing that kills the 4t60-4t65 transmissions is heat (or abuse, like any transmission). Keep fluid topped off, and don't blame the company when you failed to respect proper maintenance.

Change ignition lock cylinder. 30 minutes, 70 dollars. Most electrical problems in this vehicle stem from this. The turn signal stalk CAN go bad, but that is rare, the lock cylinder is common.

These cars brake fine, but if you want to knock 15ft of your 60-0mph braking distance, upgrade to firebird/camaro 12" front discs is available. The calipers bolt right on. Pump that old brake fluid out at the same time. Only works on 16" wheels or larger. Another upgrade would be sway bars ($150 with end links) which improve handling significantly. Strut tower braces and trailing arms (about $100 total) will make the car handle respectably, the Regal GS models have too tight a steering ratio for their soft luxury springs and thin sway bars. Improved anti sway bars are easy and a vast improvement

The valve cover gaskets suck, but not a problem if you keep it topped off. Changing them takes 2-3 hours and 50 dollars. 15 year old domestics leak more than not. If you want bulletproof, pay twice as much for a similar toyota or honda. I bought my regal gs to modify, not with the expectation of reliability.

-Proper maintenance.
-$130 in windows
-$50 in gaskets
-$70 in lock cylinder
-$500 in eventual steering rack
-$60 in power steering pump
-A weekend with basic hand tools.
Result? A car that's good to 200k or beyond. It's that simple. I hope I've helped.