RoadVitals

1990 Buick Century Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
33
Latest Nov 5, 2003
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
3
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Apr 12, 1995

What this page shows

Our database holds 33 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1990 Buick Century. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–25 of 33 · page 1 of 2

Steering
Filed Nov 5, 2003

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S STEERING.*MR STIFFNESS IN STEERING, SOMETIMES CONSUMER HAVE TO STEER IN NEUTRAL AS IT DOESN'T COME BACK BY ITSELF. SOMETIMES IT SQUEAK WHILE TURNING, NO LOCK UP HAS OCCURRED YET. *PH

NHTSA ID
10048191
Engine
Filed Oct 11, 2002
Fire reported

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE BLEW AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR

NHTSA ID
8020718
Incident
Sep 27, 2002
Body & structure
Filed Aug 7, 2002

ON WEDNESDAY 6/13/2002 MY 1990 BUICK CENTURY LOST STEERING CONTROL DUE TO A FAILURE IN THE CRADLE BOLTS.I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED.I HAVE FOUND THE FOLLOWING RECALL WHICH INCLUDES THE 1990 BUICK REGAL, NHTSA RECALL NO. 97V058/GM RECALL NO. 97016. MY VEHICLE IS A 1990 BUICK CENTURY WITH 3300 V6 AND IS NOT LISTED IN THIS RECALL.I BELIEVE THE CRADLE BOLT'S IN 1990 BUICK CENTURY'S ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO FAILURE, CAUSING THE SAME SAFETY RELATED ISSUE MOTIONED IN THIS RECALL.MY VEHICLE DOES HAVE 202000 MILES ON IT, BUT THIS IS THE KIND OF FAILURE SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. I BELIEVE BUICK SHOULD REPAIR MY VEHICLE AT THEIR COST. I HAVE FOUND TWO OTHER COMPLAINT ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. I TRIED TO ISSUED A COMPLAINT THE HNTSA ON 6/21/2002 OVER THE PHONE BUT IT FAILED TO GET ENTERED SO HERE A TRY BY EMAIL. HOME EMAIL [email protected], WORK EMAIL [email protected], HOME PHONE 765-447-2782, WORK PHONE 765-429-1387. *AK

NHTSA ID
765318
Incident
Jun 13, 2002
Electrical
Filed Apr 25, 2002
1 injury reported

CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR SEAT IN FUSE COMPARTMENT OVERHEATED, CAUSING POWER SEATS AND POWER DOOR TO BE INOPERATIVE. DRIVER IS UNABLE TO REPLACE FUSE BECAUSE IT WAS SO HOT, IT BURNED. *AK. CONSUMER STATES WHEN HE TOUCHED THE CORRECT FUSE HE WAS BURNED LEAVING A BLISTER ON HIS FINGER AND THUMB, CONSUMER STATES HE DISCOVERED THERE WAS A RECALL, HOWEVER THE DEALER KNEW OF THE CAMPAIGN BUT COULD NOT FIND CONSUMERS VEHICLE IN THE SYSTEM.*JB

NHTSA ID
8008637
Incident
Mar 18, 2002
Body & structure
Filed Jul 14, 2001

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, I NOTICED THAT THE FRONT OF CAR LURCHED AND THE STEERING WHEEL POSITION CHANGED. PULLED CAR TO SIDE AND SAW THAT PART OF FRAME WAS HANGING DOWN. TOOK TO DEALER WHO SAID THAT THE CRADLE BOLT HAD PULLED THROUGH THE SUPPORT AND WAS HANGING DOWN. WHY WASN'T MY CAR ON THE RECALL CAMPAIGN AS THE REGAL WAS? I AM AFRAID THAT THE OTHER BOLTS WILL PULL THROUGH AND I WILL LOSE MY DIRECTIONAL STEERING ABILITY. I HAVE KEPT ALL DEFECTIVE PARTS FOR THE NHTSA REVIEW. IT APPEARS THAT THE METALS FUSSED OR MIGRATED TOGETHER. DID BUICK USE THE TWO WRONG METALS IN THIS AREA, CAUSING THIS PROBLEM? IS THEIR AN ACTIVE CAMPAIGN FOR THE CENTURY? PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME.*AK

NHTSA ID
748451
Incident
Jul 4, 2001
Engine
Filed Feb 8, 2001

MOTOR FELL TO GROUND WHILE PULLING OUT. THIS DAMAGED STEERING AND CAR WAS OUT OF CONTROL. *AK

NHTSA ID
740634
Incident
Aug 4, 2000
Visibility
Filed May 30, 2000

NONE OF THE POWER WINDOWS WOULD OPEN OR CLOSE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP. TWO BROKEN WIRES WERE RECONNECTED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
862688
Incident
May 26, 2000
Body & structureSteering
Filed May 23, 2000

WHILE DRIVING ON ROAD NOTICED VEHICLE PULLING A SHARP LEFT. LOOKED AT THE CRADLES, AND THE RETAINER WASHER BROKE/WAS RUSTED THROUGH. REPLACED IT. ALSO, OTHERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, RACK & PINION STEERING ASSEMBLY IS CONNECTED TO ENGINE CRADLE FRAME AND THE STEERING SHAFT, DROPPED. THIS MAY CAUSE ERRATIC STEERING PROBLEMS. *AK

NHTSA ID
862379
Incident
Jun 23, 1999
Engine
Filed Oct 27, 1999

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ALL OF SUDDEN THE VEHICLE JUST SHUT OFF WHEN MAKING A STOP OR SLOWING DOWN. CONTACTED DEALER, AND HE WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG ON THE DIAGNOSIS MACHINE. *AK

NHTSA ID
851977
Incident
Apr 15, 1999
Interior & seatsSeat belts
Filed Aug 25, 1999
1 injury reported

DURING ACCIDENT FRONT BENCH SEAT LATCH FAILED CAUSING THE SEAT TO COLLAPSE, RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT ALSO BECAME UNLATCHED, RESULTING IN INJURY. NLM

NHTSA ID
548165
Incident
Jul 4, 1999
Brakes
Filed Oct 22, 1998

BRAKES FAILED SEVERAL TIMES.

NHTSA ID
542204
Body & structure
Filed Apr 5, 1998

PAINT STARTED PEELING AWAY SINCE 1993 AND HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE.

NHTSA ID
533762
Incident
Jan 1, 1993
Interior & seats
Filed Oct 20, 1997

THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SPLIT SEAT IS COMING LOOSE FROM THE FLOOR. HAS NOT SEEN DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID
817223
Electrical
Filed Oct 10, 1997

VEHICLE STALLED DUE TO FAILURE OF THE ALTERNATOR.

NHTSA ID
523665
Incident
Aug 2, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Jun 27, 1997

SEAT BELTS DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. *AK

NHTSA ID
517887
Electrical
Filed Jan 13, 1997

EVERY SIX MONTHS THE ELECTRICAL BATTERY RUNS DOWN, HAVE TO REPLACE IT . *AK

NHTSA ID
807524
Engine
Filed Dec 30, 1996

RADIATOR COOLING FAN REPLACED.

NHTSA ID
602432
Incident
Oct 18, 1996
Exterior lighting
Filed Oct 21, 1996

REAR TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY FAILED TWICE.

NHTSA ID
510367
Incident
Mar 22, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Sep 23, 1996

RECALL ON THE SEAT BELT DENIED DUE TO WRONG INFORMATION (VIN #) ON THE MAIL OUT .

NHTSA ID
509000
Fuel system
Filed Sep 10, 1996
Fire reported

CARBURETOR BACKFIRED STARTING A FIRE, THE ELECTRICAL FUEL PUMP CONTINUES TO PUMP FUEL, CAUSING THE CAR TO COMPLETELY BURN.

NHTSA ID
802134
Incident
Aug 26, 1996
Interior & seats
Filed Aug 12, 1996

FAILURE OF THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT, THE SEAT IS RECLINED TO THE BACK POSITION.*AK THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT TRAVELS ON RAILS BACK AND FOWARD, WHILE DRVING A METAL BRACKET ON THE LEFT SIDE, THAT ANCHORED THE SEAT TO THE FLOOR BROKE IN HALF, THEREFORE MAKING THE SEAT AS A WHOLE TILT BACKWARD.*JB

NHTSA ID
800742
Incident
Aug 6, 1996
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Jul 15, 1996

PURCHASE CAR NEW SOMETIMES WHEN DRIVING CAR ACCELERATES MOTOR RUNS FAST . TT

NHTSA ID
986839
Seat belts
Filed Jul 15, 1996

DESIGN FLAW IN SEAT BELT THAT ATTACHES TO DOOR, LEAVING OCCUPANT FREE TO FALL OUT OF VEHICLE IF DOOR OPENS IN ACCIDENT. *DH

NHTSA ID
506544
Incident
Jul 15, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Mar 28, 1996
Crash reported1 injury reported

SEAT BELT; FAILURE ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELTS, CONSUMER WAS IN A ACCIDENT AND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK. *AK

NHTSA ID
981357
Incident
Jul 10, 1995
BrakesElectricalEngine+3 more
Filed Jan 10, 1996

TRANSMISSION SLIPPING DUE TO METAL CHIPS FOUND IN PAN/FLUID BURNED. *SD

NHTSA ID
502326
Incident
Sep 19, 1995

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Narrow this down by component

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .