2003 Buick Regal w/3800

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My sister just bought a 2003 Buick Regal with the 3.8l and 60,000 miles on it. She loves the car, but her husband (being a lifelong mopar fan) despises it. He keeps on telling her the 3.8l was GM's worst engine, whereas I know better and keep reassuring her decision. He also said that the LIM/UIM gaskets are constantly failing on the 3.8's. I cant believe hes that ignorant...anyways I digress.

Can we get some posts here from people with the 3.8l 1992-2005 that can vouch for its reliablity and proven nature? Im going to show this thread to my sister.



I personally can vouch for the 3800 in my Dads 1992 Bonneville. He now has 290,000 miles and has only gone through 1 transmission. He bought it in 2000 with 78,000 miles. It still gets 30mpg on the highway and doesnt burn any oil (but does leak its fair share). I should add hes on his original intake gaskets!! Any others?

 

[The_Cams]

Have a 1996 Buick Regal, 3800, and just passed 185,000 miles. Since I bought this new, I'd say I got my money's worth. I'm on the 2nd transmission, but the engine has been fine. Normal maintenance, and yes, I replaced the UIM, and LIM gaskets once. Runs just fine. Plan to keep her 'til she dies

 

[barlowc]

One of GM's worst engines!? What is he smoking? While not 100% free of a few issues, it was felt to be "bullet proof" by many. I owned 3 cars with various 3800 engines in them:

1) 1990 Buick Regal Coupe
2) 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP Coupe (Series II L67 Supercharged)
3) 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix GT Sedan (Series II L36 NA)

The 1990 Buick Regal Coupe ran for 13 years without a single engine problem. The odometer stopped working 6 years in, so I don't know how many miles it had, but would guess it was around 150,000. It was running strong when I sold it in 2003.

The 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix GT Sedan ran for 9 years and 175,000 miles without a single engine problem. It was running strong when I sold it in 2008.

The 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP Coupe ran for 8 years and 140,000 miles, though it required the rear-main gasket to be replaced twice. Otherwise it was running strong when I sold it in 2007.

RE: the intake gaskets, while I never experienced problems, many have. Here's a recent BITOG thread that discussed that topic:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1826697&page=1

 

[wapacz]

The intakes gaskets do go bad but there is a newer designed gaskets that puts and end to it. So if it ever needs to be done it will not need to be done again.

 

[SRBowen87]

Your dad might be talking about the 3.4 by mistake, i know it had LIM/UIM gasket issues. I had a 96 camaro with the 3.8, I sold it to a friend and saw it the other day, has 250k it and still fires right up and runs strong.

 

[sciphi]

My 3800-powered 1999 LeSabre with 78k miles on it has not had engine problems beyond normal maintenance, and the lower intake gaskets done as a preventative measure. The transmission was acting up a little before the last fluid change, but it's gone away.

The 3800 is one of GM's best engines for reliability and power. If your sister is worried about the lower intake gaskets, rest assured that even if they do fail, almost all of the engines go on working just fine once it's fixed. As long as you fix it ASAP after the gaskets fail, and don't do something rash like leave it sitting for 2 weeks with coolant in the oil.

The 3400 is a piece of trash engine. It's a nightmare to work on, and is nowhere as reliable as the 3800.

 

[beast3300]

My Regal is factory supercharged running sub 14s in the quartermile with 202,000 miles on it. I started modding the stock engine around 175k. It is on it's second transmission. When I got it in 06 the trans was broken. I replaced the original LIM gaskets a month ago. Car starts within a second of turning the key in literally any ambient outside temperature.

I have done dozens and dozens of LIM gaskets on 3100/3400/3800s. To date none of mine have leaked (knock on wood). I always use GM aluminum LIM gaskets and replace the entire upper with a Dorman (on 3800s). Yes it is common on then to go, but the revised gaskets seem very very good.

My Grand Prix is at 110k, never opened the engine. It has orginal gaskets in it. Runs like a top.

My buddy has a 99 Lumina LTZ 3800 with 150k. Orginal gaskets, motor, tranny. Runs great. His other car 99 Regal GS with 90k, runs great.

My dad had a 89 Park Ave with of course series I. Only thing that went wrong on it was cam interupter. I pulled the timing cover and oil pan to gain access. It was at 160k then and the cylinder walls still had visible cross hatching. It was on original motor and tranny until he gave it to my uncle. From there they let the car sit for years and it was all bad. Not the cars fault, they are dumb.

My first car years ago was a 91 Cutlass Ciera. It had a 3300 V6 that is closely related to the 3800 series I. I beat the complete %$#$ out of it daily. I chipped it which raised the speed limit to 150mph even though the speedo only read 115. And yes, I have ran it buried at 5200 rpms in 3rd (150 mph) for several minutes. It went through $%$# for 8 years before it finally spun a bearing. I put 80k on it which was probaly more like 180k the way I drove in high school.

 

[DennisM]

I had a 99 Regal GS with 170,000 miles. At 100,000 miles I changed the spark plugs. That is the only thing I did to it. It ran strong, had good compression, didn't burn a drop of oil, not a single issue with the engine. I did have a fuel pump quit on me, but that was an inexpensive and easy fix. They have an access hatch in the trunk. 10 screws, 2 plugs, a large C clip and it is out. Took me half an hour start to finish.

Before that I had an 87 Grand National. the 3800 is based off its 3.8 and that was a bullet proof engine. I don't remember the exact numbers, but it put out something like 525 hp and 650ft/lb to the wheels, and I didn't so much as pull a valve cover. It also had 160,000 miles when I sold it. It too was running strong, same story as the GS.

My Grandma had an Olds Ninety-Nine with the 3800 also, and it had the same story as well. At about 120,000 miles I changed an intake gasket for her. Sounds like that is something that is fairly common, but not a huge deal to fix.

It is a great engine, and a great car.

 

[BeanCounter]

The 3800 is probably one of the top 5 engine designs GM has ever put out. My dad has one that used to be my grandparents - '95 Park Avenue - with 121,000 miles and it doesn't leak a drop.

Combine that with the fact that these motors getting 30+ mpg beginning at times when Honda and others weren't hardly getting over 20 mpg and you'll see the ingenuity behind that motor.

But because most of the cars they came in got a bad wrap for being "old folks cars" you don't see a vocalized following much. If I had to swap a motor in a comfortable daily driver vehicle, this would likely be at the top of my list.

 

[RTexasF]

Bought a used 84 Buick with the 3.8. The electronic carb caused a problem until I found a feller that knew how to work on them. Other than that it was totally reliable. I made five round trips from South TX to North Alabama averaging 28 mpg with the A/C on. Coldest A/C of any car I've ever owned. Sold it five years later and that owner drove it another 50K. When the tranny gave up the ghost he sold it for $500.

 

[dwendt44]

Industrial insider magazine from Ward's rated the 3800/3.8 as one of the worlds best engines for a couple of years.
I've had 5 of them over the years. Since GM turned the engine sideways, it was a noted improvement IMHO.
The bottom end is the same for both NA and supercharged engines if that tells you anything.
It's been around a long time.

All auto makers have an engine or two it's embarassed about.
GM maybe more than the others. The 3.8 Buick isn't one of them.

 

[severach]

Non mechanics can hate on the 3800 because of the UIM/LIM problem. DIY mechanics love that easy to fix problem since it allows them to buy from a continuous stream of some of the best cars and engines ever made. Getting 33 mpg highway out of a V6 in a 3900 pound car is no small feat.

 

[ls1mike]

I would concur with that. Much easier IMO to do an Intake gasket in these cars then a timing belt in anything. Do the gasket once, do it right and you shouldn't have to do it ever again.