What breaks most · 1990 to 2005 model years
Buick Century problems by year
Owners have filed 1,691 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Buick Century across model years 1990 to 2005. Three years stand out: 1999 for engine and cooling complaints, 1998 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints and 2000 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 1990, 1991 and 1992.
- Years to check closely: 1999, 1998, 2000
- Fewest complaints: 1990, 1991, 1992
- Complaints on file
- 16911990 to 2005, all trims
- Worst year
- 1999235 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 14530 fires · 141 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 63kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 51Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 1 | 2 | Seat belts (8) | |
| 38 | 7 | 2 | Brakes (hydraulic) (9) | |
| 45 | 10 | 3 | Brakes (hydraulic) (12) | |
| 54 | 17 | 2 | Air bags (13) | |
| 106 | 25 | 6 | Brakes (hydraulic) (20) | |
| 99 | 10 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (22) | |
| 80 | 6 | 2 | Brakes (hydraulic) (12) | |
| 106 | 4 | 4 | Electrical system (20) | |
| 218 | 9 | 4 | Brakes (hydraulic) (27) | |
| 235 | 18 | 5 | Engine and cooling (55) | |
| 193 | 11 | 7 | Powertrain and transmission (48) | |
| 145 | 9 | 5 | Engine and cooling (27) | |
| 154 | 9 | 2 | Engine and cooling (25) | |
| 127 | 4 | 2 | Exterior lighting (48) | |
| 39 | 4 | 2 | Exterior lighting (11) | |
| 19 | 1 | 2 | Exterior lighting (8) |
What fails on the 1999 Buick Century
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 23% |
55 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1999 Buick Century |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 12% |
29 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 1999 Buick Century |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 11% |
25 | 3 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1999 Buick Century |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 10% |
24 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 1999 Buick Century |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 6% |
15 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1999 Buick Century |
| Air bags | 6% |
15 | 10 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 6% |
14 | 4 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 1999 Buick Century |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 6% |
13 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 1999 Buick Century |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Dt*: the contact stated the engine's intake manifold was leaking antifreeze. The non service dealer determined the top of the motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not taken to a service dealer
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ABS system on my 1998 buick century custom failed while i was driving on local street at about 40 mph. Failure caused handling issues. Buick dealer inspected the vehicle and said the ABS motor power pack and the modulator have gone bad. According to the internet, it's a common problem for this vehicle. *nm
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Vehicle exhibited hard transmission shifts and jerking while shifting in traffic. Vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with code p1811, which indicates high transmission fluid pressure and solenoid problems.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Buick Century years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1999, 1998, 2000 carry the most filings on the Buick Century. The 1999 alone has 235 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Buick Century problem?
On the 1999 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 55 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Buick Century problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Buick Century complaints that include mileage is about 63,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.