Reliability & cost of ownership
Buick Century Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Buick Century? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars where on file — then open the year you're shopping for its AI reliability outlook where NHTSA has enough data.
Buick Century problems by model year
36 recall entries and 1,414 owner complaints on file across 11 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Century | 2 | 19 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2004 Century | 2 | 39 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2003 Century | 2 | 127 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2002 Century | 2 | 155 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2001 Century | 5 | 145 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2000 Century | 7 | 193 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1999 Century | 5 | 235 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1998 Century | 4 | 217 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1997 Century | 4 | 105 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1996 Century | 2 | 80 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1995 Century | 1 | 99 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Buick Century, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- engine and engine cooling187 complaints
- exterior lighting165 complaints
- service brakes, hydraulic164 complaints
- electrical system161 complaints
- visibility144 complaints
- power train132 complaints
- steering110 complaints
- air bags77 complaints