1997 Buick Century Steering Problems

WHEN I BACKED OUT OF PARKING SPACE, I TURNED STEERING WHEEL WITH A "HARD LEFT." CAR MADE CLICKING NOISE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10629567

Incident

Aug 30, 2014

Mileage

129,300 mi

I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AND THE STEERING LOCKED AND THERE WAS A LOUD BANG. I WASN'T ABLE TO COMPLETE THE TURN CAUSING ME TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD AND ONTO A LAWN. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULDN'T GO BACK TO THE CORRECT POSITION AND IT SEEMED TO BE IN MANUAL STEERING MODE. I COULD BARELY MOVE THE WHEEL. THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE AT THIS TIME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10401262

Incident

May 14, 2011

Mileage

143,314 mi

1) CAR NEEDED TOWED TO GARAGE FOR STARTER FAILURE. AS IT LEFT THE GARAGE THE STEERING LOCKED UP AND SENT CAR ALMOST INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC WITH 2 CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THERE HAD BEEN NO OTHER WARNINGS OF A PROBLEM. 2) IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME THE STEERING IS TURNED ONE DIRECTION THEN BACK TO THE OTHER. IT DOES NOT JUST COME BACK. ESPECIALLY TO THE LEFT. I ALMOST CRASHED 4 TIMES JUST TRYING TO GET IT HOME. 3) I FILED AN INSURANCE CLAIM ON THE TOW COMPANY THINKING THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE. THEY LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG, THAT NOTHING WAS BENT. AFTER GETTING ON LINE AND INVESTIGATING, I LEARNED OF THIS STEERING PROBLEM. IT MATCHES IT PERFECTLY. I HAD SOMEONE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF MECHANICS LOOK AT THE CAR AND THEY SAID THE STEERING GEAR RACK NEEDS REPLACED AND NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR AS IT IS. IT IS TO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I ALSO JUST HAD NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FROM THE DECOOL PROBLEM GM HAS. NOW I HAVE A CAR THAT I CAN'T DRIVE AND CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX. NOBODY ASSUMES LIABILITY AND I THINK GM SHOULD HAVE HAD THIS RECALLED AND CORRECTED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10260319

Incident

Feb 27, 2009

Mileage

129,100 mi

1997 BUICK CENTURY-STEERING LOCKS UP RANDOMLY CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *JB

NHTSA ID

10133290

Incident

Jun 3, 2005

Mileage

102,000 mi

1997 BUICK CENTURY-STEERING LOCKS UP RANDOMLY CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *JB

NHTSA ID

10133285

Incident

Jun 3, 2002

Mileage

102,000 mi

POWER STEERING LOCKED UP WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS. THE STEERING WHEEL EITHER LOCKED, DID NOT GO INTO THE FULL TURNS OR WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE RACK AND PINION AS DESCRIBED IN STEERING GEAR BEARINGS RECALL 03V527000. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

NHTSA ID

10076112

Incident

May 28, 2004

1997 BUICK CENTURY POWER STEERING STARTED TO LOCK UP WHEN STEERING TO THE LEFT. *MR VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND A NEW RACK AND PINION WAS INSTALLED. CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIR BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF RECALL. *LA

NHTSA ID

10073324

WHEN TURNING CORNERS STEERING WHEEL STICKS. CONSUMER HAS TO PULL HARD TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEEL UP. *AK REPAIR WAS PERFORMED ON STEERING INCLUDING REPLACEMENT OF STEERING RACK. *LA

NHTSA ID

10057957

Incident

Feb 6, 2003

Mileage

57,950 mi

1997 BUICK CENTURY, WHILE DRIVING TO A SOCCER GAME I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE AN INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING. AFTER THE GAME I TURNED LEFT TO EXIT MY PARKING SPOT AND WHILE TURNING AT LOW SPEED I HEARD A CLICKING NOISE AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOCKED. IT TOOK ALL MY STRENGTH TO TURN THE WHEEL STRAIGHT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY FRIEND WHOM IS A CERTIFIED MECHANIC (BUT NO LONGER WORKS FOR GM) AND HE ADVISED ME THAT THE LOWER PINION WAS DESTROYED WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ENTIRE GEAR ASSEMBLE AND POWER STEERING PUMP. I HAD HIM REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS AT A COST OF $800 PLUS DOLLARS. SUBSEQUENT TO THIS TIME I AM NOW AGAIN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT LOSS OF STEERING. MY MECHANIC ADVISED ITS POSSIBLE THAT THE REBUILT STEERING GEAR PLACED IN MY REPAIR CONTAINS THE SAME DEFECTIVE PINION BEARING BECAUSE GM MAY NOT HAVE COMMUNICATED THE FAULTY PROBLEM TO THE PART SUPPLIERS WHOM REBUILD THE GEAR ASSEMBLIES. IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT NEWS ABOUT GM STEERING GEAR PROBLEMS AND PENDING RECALLS FOR CAR MODELS OTHER THAT THE BUICK CENTURY I WISH TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH GM TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE INITIAL REPAIR AND THE SUBSEQUENT FOLLOW-UP REPAIRS THAT I WILL NEED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10054623

Incident

Oct 5, 2003

Mileage

104,990 mi

THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN IN THE DRIVEWAY. THIS WAS CAUSED BY A FAILURE IN THE STEERING RACK AND PINION. *JB

NHTSA ID

10054138

Incident

Jul 5, 2002

Mileage

16,215 mi

WHILE DRIVING A 1997 OR 1998 VEHICLE LOST CONTROL. DEALER REPLACED RACK AND PINION, BUT PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING INTERMITTENTLY. *AK

NHTSA ID

10040513

Incident

Sep 24, 2003

STARTED CAR AND BACKED OUT OF PARKING SPACE. STEERING WHEEL WOULD HARDLY TURN WHEELS TO THE LEFT; NO POWER ASSIST. STARTED MOVING FORWARD AND TURNING RIGHT, THEN POWER ASSIST RESUMED. ALSO, STEERING SHUDDER OCCURS AFTER ROUNDING CORNERS AND ACCELERATING. LOCAL DEALER SERVICE REP STATES CAR NEEDS NEW RACK & PINION ASSEMBLY AND IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN CENTURIES AND REGALS 4-5 YEARS OLD.

NHTSA ID

10005824

Incident

Feb 10, 2003

Mileage

38,120 mi

AFTER PARKING THE CAR, GOT BACK IN TO BACK OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE AND DISCOVERED VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN LEFT. THERE WAS NO POWER ASSIST. BUT IT TURNS RIGHT WITH NO PROBLEM. REPAIR REQUIRED A NEW RACK AND PINION SYSTEM. FAILURE OCCURED WITHOUT WARNING.

NHTSA ID

9002135

Incident

Nov 10, 2000

I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT INTERMITTENTLY.*AK

NHTSA ID

734087

Incident

May 1, 2000

THE DESIGN OF THE MAGNETIC VARIABLE STEERING ON VEHICLE RESULTS IN POOR HANDLING, VEHICLE SWAYS AT 35-55 MPH, POOR STRUTS CONTRIBUTE TO THE UNSTABLE FEELING CAUSING BOUNCING.

NHTSA ID

536157