Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Buick Century submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
VECHICLE SHUTS OFF WHEN AT A STOP LIGHT/SIGN AFTER TAKING IT 3 TIMES TO MULTIPLE MECHANICS INCLUDING THE DEALER- KING PONTIAC, MD, NO ONE IS ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND FIX THE PROBLEM, I AM TOLD THAT THEY CAN'T IDENTIFY DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND IDENTIFY THE CODE TO FIX THE CAR
EVERY BUICK OWNER, I HAVE TALKED TO AT ABOUT 80,000 TO 100,000 MILES HAS TO REPLACE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND BOLTS. THIS IS ABOUT A $1200.00 JOB, GASKETS AND BOLTS SHOULD LAST A LOT LONGER. *TR
WHEN USING TURN SIGNALS CAR DIES, ALL THE DASH LIGHTS FLASH AND CLICK. IF I PULL OVER AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK IT RESTARTS AND DRIVES FINE UNTIL I TRY THE TURN SIGNAL AGAIN THEN THE SAME THING HAPPENS. I ALSO HAD TO DISCONNECT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE SENSOR OR ELSE THE SAME THING HAPPENS. FLASHING, CLICKING AND CAR DIES. NOW, WHENEVER CAR IS IN GEAR, CONSTANT DINGING AND IT WILL DRIVE FINE BUT I CANNOT USE THE TURN SIGNALS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ON 2003 BUICK CENTURY DOESN'T WORK , I UNDERSTAND THIS IS COMMON ON THIS CAR AND VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX. I FEEL GM SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABLE. ALSO, THE HEAD GASKET IS BLOWN I WAS TOLD BY A GARAGE THAT IT WAS THE TYPE OF COOLANT THEY USED AND ALSO VERY COMMON ON THESE CARS. THESE ARE CLEARLY DEFECTS IN THEIR PRODUCT AND THEY SHOULD BE RECALLED. I HAVE BOUGHT AMERICAN CARS ALL MY LIFE BUT I,M DONE WITH THEM ,THEY DON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK CENTURY. WHENEVER THE CONTACT EXAMINED THE ENGINE SHE NOTICED THAT THE OIL LEVEL WOULD CONTINUALLY DROP AFTER HAVING AN OIL CHANGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 46000.
2003 BUICK CENTURY 4DR - I HAVE HAD FOR ALMOST SIX YEARS AND THIS HAPPENED ONLY ONE TIME. THANK GOD. I LEFT WALMART ON SIDE STREET, SLOWED FOR STOP SIGN AHEAD, THE ENGINE WENT COMPLETELY DEAD, LIGHTS AND INSTRUMENTS OUT, I CAME TO SUDDEN STOP. COULD NOT RESTART CAR, DOORLOCKS HAD AUTOMATICALLY CLICKED, LOCKING US INSIDE, WE COULD NOT RELEASE OR OPEN DOORS. WE WERE LOCKED INSIDE OUR CAR. LUCKILY I WORE CELLPHONE. ABOUT TEN MINUTES LATER, OUT OF THE BLUE, THE POWER CAME BACK ON ALL AT ONCE, LIGHTS CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART ENGINE AND UNLOCK THE DOORS. IT WAS A RATHER SCARY SITUATION FOR A FEW MOMENTS. I THOUGHT, "WHAT IF THERE HAD BEEN A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT?" *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK CENTURY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR REPAIR AND THEY DISCOVERED AN ENGINE COOLANT LEAK. THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THE HEAD GASKET BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 30,800.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 BUICK CENTURY. AN HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE AT HIS RESIDENCE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS ON FIRE. HE NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE QUICKLY SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE CONTACT'S HOME BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COULD ARRIVE. IT TOOK APPROXIMATELY ONE AND A HALF HOURS TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE HOME AND CARPORT WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND THE HOME WAS CONDEMNED DUE TO THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 48,000. UPDATED 01/08/09 *BF
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONTACT TOOK HER VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE MAINTENANCE COULD NOT BE PERFORMED DUE TO A FAULTY MANIFOLD GASKET THAT WAS LEAKING OIL INTO THE ANTIFREEZE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET AT THE COST OF $900. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,162 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,130.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE REPAIR SHOP FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING AND MADE THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS THAT WERE FILED FOR THIS FAILURE AND BELIEVES IT TO BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 47,900 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,600. THE CONSUMER PROVIDED THE REPAIR INVOICE FOR THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 09/05/07 *TR
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT DOORS LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEMS. THE DASHBOARD WAS ALSO FALLING APART. *AK *NM THE TRUNK POPPED OPEN, THE BRAKES WERE INOPEATIVE, THERE WAS A FUME SMELL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 12/13/05. *JB
WHILE DRIVING,VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER RESTARTED VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED ON DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE, AND NO PROBLEM WAS RECALLED FROM THE MACHINE. THEN, MECHANIC TOOK THE VEHICLE ON A TEST DRIVE . VEHICLE DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM. BUT MECHANIC INSISTED THAT NO SOLUTION WAS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. *AK
MY 2003 BUICK CENTURY STARTED RUNNING BAD SO I TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND THEY FOUND THAT THE BOLTS HOLDING DOWN THE ROCKER ARMS HAD STRIPPED OUT OF THE HEAD. THE VEHICLE WAS 2000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY AND GM WOULD ONLY AGREE TO PAY FOR PARTS, I HAD TO PAY $1276.46 FOR LABOR. TO ME THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE PARTS AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR ANYTHING.
THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES GRABBING. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES. THE CONSUMER FELT THE BRAKES WERE STILL UNSAFE. *AK THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO BACK. THERE WAS A WHINE COMING FROM THE ENGINE UPON DEACCELERATION SITTING AND STOPPING AND THEN WENT AWAY AS SOON AS THE GAS WAS DEPRESSED TO ACCELERATE THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. (IDLE WAS ROUGH) THE BRAKES SQUEAKED AND MADE NOISE WHEN WHEN APPLIED IN THE MORNING. *SCC *JB
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .