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1998 Buick Regal

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1998 Regal.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1998 Buick Regal is a passenger car equipped with a four-speed automatic transmission and EPA fuel economy ratings of 17 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined, requiring 4.5 quarts of 10W-30 API oil for routine maintenance. With 325 documented owner complaints—led by steering system issues—and seven factory recalls, this model year stands at the apex of the 1990–2020 production run, registering more grievances than any other year including the single reported issue from 2008, positioning it as the most problematic iteration in the model’s three-decade history.

Model year2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 1998

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type10W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy17/27/21 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 78 supercharged · 770 supercharged CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 78 supercharged · 770 supercharged CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP215-70SR15OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6-J inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731175
Engine air filter	19166106
Fuel filter	25121293 discontinued
Spark plug	12681664
Front wiper blades	19120758
Serpentine belt	19244951 alt 24506984
Thermostat	24505924 alt 24506986
Cabin air filter	84557894

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	196.1 in
Overall width	72.8 in
Overall height	56.7 in
Wheelbase	109.1 in
Curb weight	3439 lb
Track (front / rear)	61.4 / 61 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	63/37

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	17 / 27 / 21 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume	102 cu ft
Cargo volume	17 cu ft
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Regal of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

6.7 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.70 sec — 1998 GS Sedan

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1998	GS Sedan 3.8L Supercharger V6	6.70 sec	15.10 sec	240 hp	FWD
1997	GS Sedan 3.8L Supercharger V6	6.60 sec	15.00 sec	240 hp	FWD
1997	LS Sedan 3.8L V6	7.80 sec	16.00 sec	205 hp	FWD
1995	Gran Sport Coupe 3.8L V6	8.20 sec	16.00 sec	205 hp	FWD
2002	LS Sedan 3.8L V6	8.10 sec	16.30 sec	200 hp	FWD
1991	Gran Sport Sedan 3.8L V6	8.60 sec	16.50 sec	170 hp	FWD
1988	Custom Coupe (Grand Touring Pkg) 2.8L V6	11.20 sec	18.20 sec	125 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 10W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-6-5-4-3-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Oil	10W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt
Engine Oil	10W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)	4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)	6.2 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)	15 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)	31 ft-lbs
Knock Sense (KS) Bolt(s)	13 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	Lower: 11 ft-lbs; Upper: 7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	22 ft-lbs
Oil Pan to Block Bolts	10 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	159 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-6-5-4-3-2
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	5,000-8,000 ohms
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Type	AC 41-921
Spark Plug Gap	0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.88 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	9.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	78 supercharged
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	770 supercharged cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	15; Do not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
Injector Primary Resistance	11.4-12.6 @ 70 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression	100

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC
Torque Caliper to Bracket	32 ft-lbs / 137 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	92 ft-lbs / 100 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.003 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.43 in / 1.27 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s) — tightening sequence 1 stages

74 ft. lbs., Step 2: 105

74 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

111 ft. lbs., step 2: 76

111 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	37 ft. lbs.	37 ft. lbs
2	120 degrees	120 degrees
3	turn 30

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	37 ft. lbs.	37 ft. lbs
2	120 degrees	120 degrees
3	turn 30

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Brake System (inspect) · Door Hinge (lubricate) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Hood Hinge (lubricate) · Hood Latch (lubricate)
Every 15,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect) · Supercharger Assembly (inspect fluid condition)
Every 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1998 Buick Regal sits at the peak of the complaint curve for this generation, recording 325 federal complaints — the highest total of any year in the entire record and more than double the 141 complaints logged for 1997. Complaints then decline to 255 in 1999 and continue falling steadily through the early 2000s, making 1998 a clear outlier rather than part of a gradual ramp. The recall count of 7 and investigation count of 6 are both elevated relative to neighboring years, and TSBs rose sharply from 74 in 1997 to 92 in 1998, climbing further to 109 in 1999, suggesting the manufacturer was actively addressing emerging issues. The top complaint areas — Steering (67), Engine & Engine Cooling (46), Electrical System (29), and Visibility (23) — are broad rather than concentrated, and the 41 fire-related complaints are notable, though the data does not specify root causes for any of these categories. With 7 crash complaints and the highest complaint volume in the generation, 1998 represents the worst statistical year in this platform's lifecycle. A used 1998 Regal is not a recommended purchase relative to alternatives in the same generation; a 1999 or 2000 model offers meaningfully fewer complaints at a similar price point with the benefit of additional TSB coverage addressing earlier defects.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

325

Owner complaints

7 involved a crash · 41 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97’98’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 325 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Steering67

Engine & Engine Cooling46

Electrical System29

Visibility23

Engine22

Service Brakes, Hydraulic21

Exterior Lighting16

Tires13

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 7 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

15V701000Engine And Engine Cooling:EngineReported 26/10/2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo… Remedy: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engines front valve…

09V116000Engine And Engine CoolingReported 08/04/2009

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 1,497,516 MY 1997-2003 BUICK REGAL, MY 1998-2003 CHEVROLET LUMINA, MONTE CARLO AND IMPALA, MY 1998-1999 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE, MY 1997-2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 3.8L V6… Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENGINES FRONT VALVE COVER AND FRONT-VALVE-COVER GASKET WITH NEW PARTS OF AN IMPROVED DESIGN AND REMOVE THE ENGINES PLASTIC COVER AND PLASTIC…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 92 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP4723F	2022-01-14	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIP4723D	2020-01-31	Electrical System	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
19NA273	2019-12-02	Electrical System	This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to…
PIC4696E	2019-11-22	Equipment	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
PIC4696D	2019-09-05	Equipment	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Regal. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 78 battery Vehicles taking 4.5 qt Engine oil filter 12731175 Engine air filter 19166106 Fuel filter 25121293 Spark plug 12681664

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1998 Regal take?

4.5 qt of 10W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1998 Regal have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Regal get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 27 highway / 21 combined mpg.