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2001 Buick Regal

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2001 Regal.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2001 Buick Regal is a passenger car that takes 4.5 qt of 10W‑30 API oil and is mated to a 4‑speed automatic transmission, delivering EPA‑rated fuel economy of 17/28/21 mpg. With eight recalls and engine‑related issues leading the list of owner complaints, the model year logged a total of 195 complaints. In the broader 1990‑2020 complaint history, 2001 falls above the 2008 low of one complaint but well below the 1998 peak of 325, placing it at a moderate reliability point for the Regal line.

Model year2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2001

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 economy17/28/21 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 Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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	15221217
Fuel filter	25121293 discontinued
Spark plug	12681664
Front wiper blades	19120758
Serpentine belt	19244951 alt 12588411
Thermostat	24505924 alt 24506985
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	3446 lb
Track (front / rear)	62.2 / 61.4 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	63/37

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	17 / 28 / 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.

6.6–9.4 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.60 sec — 1997 GS Sedan

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2002	LS Sedan 3.8L V6	8.10 sec	16.30 sec	200 hp	FWD
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
1991	Gran Sport Sedan 3.8L V6	8.60 sec	16.50 sec	170 hp	FWD
2011	CXL Turbo Sedan 2.0L Turbo I-4	6.80 sec	15.40 sec	220 hp	FWD
2011	CXL Turbo Sedan 2.0L Turbo I-4	7.50 sec	15.70 sec	220 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 oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-6-5-4-3-2.

Lubricants & capacities

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

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	Lower: 11 ft-lbs; Upper: 7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	22 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	7.5 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	2.20 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
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	48-55
RPM	38-52 @ Idle rpm
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	48-54
Injector Primary Resistance	11-14 @ 70 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression	100

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH RPO J60 / WITH RPO J61
Torque Caliper to Bracket	20 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Brake Application	WITH RPO J60 / WITH RPO J61
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.00024 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.472 in / 0.905 in / 1.18 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	0.472 in / 0.905 in / 1.18 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Torque to Knuckle — tightening sequence 1 stages

74 FT. LBS., STEP 2: 60

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 2 stages

1	37 ft. lbs.	37 ft. lbs
2	120

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

1	37 ft. lbs.	37 ft. lbs
2	120

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 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	Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 10,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Supercharger Assembly (inspect fluid level)
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 2001 Buick Regal recorded 195 federal complaints, 8 recalls, 2 investigations and 405 total service bulletins, placing it near the tail end of a complaint peak that began in 1998 and tapered after 2002. Its most frequently cited issues were engine‑related (42 reports) followed by engine‑cooling, electrical and vehicle‑speed‑control concerns, while fire‑related complaints numbered 48 and crash‑related complaints 5. Compared with the preceding 2000 model year (199 complaints, 10 recalls, 342 bulletins) the 2001 figures are slightly lower in complaints but similar in recall count, and only marginally higher than the 2002 model (129 complaints, 5 recalls, 416 bulletins). The complaint trajectory shows a decline after the 1998‑2000 peak, indicating that 2001 sits at the upper edge of a decreasing trend rather than at a new high. No specific root cause is identified in the data, and the record does not flag a systemic defect beyond the observed complaint distribution. Consequently, while the 2001 Regal experiences a moderate level of reported problems, a careful inspection and verification of recall completion are advisable before purchase.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

405

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

195

Owner complaints

5 involved a crash · 48 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

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 195 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine42

Engine & Engine Cooling25

Electrical System21

Vehicle Speed Control10

Steering9

Power Train8

Visibility8

Air Bags7

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 8 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 405 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIP5358D	2025-02-19	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP4723J	2024-10-25	Electrical System	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIT5099H	2024-09-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5099H	2024-09-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

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 15221217 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 2001 Regal take?

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

Does the 2001 Regal have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 8 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 / 28 highway / 21 combined mpg.