RoadVitals

2004 Buick Century Exterior lighting Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Exterior lighting reportsComplaints 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.
11
Latest Jun 13, 2018
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
28%
of 39 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Buick Century submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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.

Owner reports naming exterior lighting

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistanceElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Jun 13, 2018

THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. WHEN GOING AROUND CURVES AND CORNERS YOU CAN'T DIM THE HEADLIGHTS. BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL DOESN'T ALLOW THE LEVER TO GO FAR ENOUGH TO CATCH. NOW MY HEADLIGHTS WILL NOT TURN ON WHEN THE THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO. MY CRUISE CONTROL DOESN'T WORK. MY A/C STOPS COOLING WHEN THE SPEED REACHES 60 MPH BUT IF I MOVE THE M.F.S. (AKA TURN SIGNAL) IT GETS COOL AGAIN FOR A FEW MINUTES. THE OTHER NIGHT MY LIGHTS WENT OFF WHEN I WAS MEETING A CAR WITH ITS HEADLIGHTS ON BRIGHT. IT WAS A DARK STRETCH OF ROAD. I ALMOST RAN IN THE DITCH.

NHTSA ID
11101549
Incident
Jun 11, 2018
Mileage
170,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Dec 21, 2017

HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT NIGHT. ( I MAY HAVE FLASHED MY HIGH BEAMS TO SIGNAL A TRUCK THAT IT WAS SAFE TO CHANGE LANES BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. INTERIOR LIGHTS STILL WORKING WHEN THIS HAPPENED. NOTHING I DID WOULD BRING HEADLIGHTS BACK ON. VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM!! CAR MILEAGE APPROXIMATELY 62,000. 12/21/2017 DATE.

NHTSA ID
11056001
Incident
Dec 21, 2017
Mileage
62,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Apr 3, 2016

WHILE IN MOTION THE HIGH BEAM WILL GO OUT AND LOW BEAM WITH IT - NO LIGHTS AT ALL. YOU MUST PUSH OR PULL THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER TO TURN THE LIGHTS ON AGAIN.

NHTSA ID
10853169
Incident
Nov 16, 2015
Mileage
76,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Jan 6, 2015

WE WERE DRIVING AT NIGHT AND HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT RANDOMLY, THIS IS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. IT DID NOT SEEM TO MATTER IF THE LIGHT SWITCH WAS ON OR IN THE AUTOMATIC POSITION.

NHTSA ID
10670582
Incident
Jan 5, 2015
Mileage
130,000 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Sep 25, 2014

WHEN I TURN ON THE HIGH BEAMS THE HEADLIGHTS WILL OCCASIONALLY TURN OFF COMPLETELY, INSTEAD. TO TURN BACK ON THE VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHTS I HAVE TO PULL THE HIGH BEAM LEVER BACK AND FORTH MULTIPLE TIMES. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN BACK ON THE HEADLIGHTS I ENGAGE THE HAZARDS SO THAT OTHER VEHICLES CAN STILL SEE ME ON THE ROAD. *TR

NHTSA ID
10638839
Incident
Sep 11, 2014
Mileage
177,000 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Nov 28, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SWITCHING FROM HIGH BEAMS TO LOW BEAMS, ALL OF THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD FAIL. THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT HE NEEDED TO HAVE THE HIGH AND LOW BEAM SWITCH REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 38,700. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS SERIOUS ELECTRICAL ISSUES. THE CONSUMER STATED EVERY TIME HE STARTED THE VEHICLE, ANOTHER COMPONENT FAILED. UPDATED 01/10/12

NHTSA ID
10437493
Incident
Oct 28, 2011
Mileage
38,700 mi
Exterior lightingOther / unspecifiedVisibility
Filed Nov 14, 2008

DRIVING ON A COUNTRY ROAD THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. HIT THE DIMMER SWITCH AND THEY CAME BACK ON. IT DID THIS ABOUT THREE TIMES. FOUND OUT THAT IF WE TRIED TO USE THE DIMMER SWITCH THAT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. THEN IT GOT TO THE POINT THAT THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU COULD USE THE BRIGHT LIGHTS WAS TO HOLD THE SWITCH. TWO WEEKS LATER WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE TURNED ON THE BLINKER TO TURN AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AGAIN. HAD TO PULL THE LIGHT SWITCH ON AND LUCKILY THEY CAME BACK ON. TONIGHT WE TOOK THE CAR OUT AND THE LIGHTS KEPT GOING OUT. THIS IS ON A 2004 BUICK CENTURY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10248861
Incident
Nov 14, 2008
Mileage
125,887 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Mar 13, 2008

SOMETIMES WHEN YOU TURN HIGH BEAMS ON HEAD LIGHTS WILL GO OFF AND YOU WILL HAVE TO PLAY WITH DIMMER SWITCH TO GET THE LIGHTS TO COME BACK ON. *TR

NHTSA ID
10220993
Incident
Nov 19, 2007
Mileage
37,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Mar 16, 2007

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE 2004 BUICK CENTURY HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. ON 02/15/07 AT 30 MPH ON A RURAL HIGHWAY THE HEADLIGHTS BLINKED OFF AND ON, AND THEN THEY WENT OUT AGAIN AND STAYED OFF FOR ABOUT 1/2 MILE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CURRENT ODOMETER READING WAS 33,800 MILES. ON THE NEXT DAY HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE BUICK DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE DUSK DAWN SENSOR. AFTER THE REPAIRS HE DROVE THE VEHICLE, AND THE NEXT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF AGAIN. THE CONTACT HASN'T DRIVEN THE VEHICLE SINCE THE LAST EVENT WITH THE LIGHTS TURNING OFF. THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS GIVEN CASE# 71-495164830. *AK

NHTSA ID
10185274
Incident
Feb 15, 2007
Mileage
33,500 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Nov 10, 2005

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. SHE HAD TO ENGAGE THE DIMMER SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES IN ORDER FOR THE HEADLIGHTS TO WORK PROPERLY. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A GM DEALER, AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE DIMMER SWITCH. THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. THEY PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH DID NOT DETECT ANYTHING. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. NO FURTHER REPAIRS OR CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID
10142380
Incident
Aug 28, 2005
Mileage
25,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 1, 2005

THE CONSUMER READ ABOUT DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS AND WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE 2004 BUICK REGAL. *BF *SC

NHTSA ID
10107066
Incident
Nov 4, 2004

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .