IllustrationI PUT THE KEY IN I TURN IT AND OUT CRANKS BUT WON'T TURN OVER.STATIONARY
1991 Buick Century
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1991 Buick Century do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 28.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Century years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 38 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports2 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
38 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 BUICK CENTURY (N/A). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.
TRANSMISSION DOESNT WANT TO GO IN GEAR AFTER MAKING A TURN. HAVE NOT HAD THE CAR REPAIRED BECAUSE THE VALUE OF IT IS APPROX. $2,725 ONLY. HAVE ONLY HAD AN ESTIMATE. THE REPAIR-MAN SAID HE THOUGHT IT WAS A SPRAGUE. DONT KNOW IF THIS IS CORRECT SPELLING. I REALIZE THE CAR IS OLD, BUT THE MILEAGE IS LOW FOR THIS MANY YEARS. NOW…
Read full complaint
TRANSMISSION DOESNT WANT TO GO IN GEAR AFTER MAKING A TURN. HAVE NOT HAD THE CAR REPAIRED BECAUSE THE VALUE OF IT IS APPROX. $2,725 ONLY. HAVE ONLY HAD AN ESTIMATE. THE REPAIR-MAN SAID HE THOUGHT IT WAS A SPRAGUE. DONT KNOW IF THIS IS CORRECT SPELLING. I REALIZE THE CAR IS OLD, BUT THE MILEAGE IS LOW FOR THIS MANY YEARS. NOW, THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT COMES ON AFTER CAR WARMS UP- AND STAYS ON- TRANSMISSION MAN SAID DIDNT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE TRANS. HAVE NOT HAD A COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS.
WHEEL CYLINDER DETACHED FROM MOUNTING POINT,GOT CAUGHT UP IN BRAKE SHOES, WHICH CAUSED WHEEL TO FREEZE UP, LEADING TO ROLLOVER ACCIDENT
THE ENGINE STALLS EVERYTIME THE CAR IS DRIVEN MORE THAN 50 MILES, THE VEHICLE STALLS AT LOW SPEEDS ON TURNS, IT STALLS WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AFTER THE ENGINE IS RESTARTED IT RACES, DEALER IS UNABLE TO DETECT THE PROBLEM. NLM
WHEN SWITCHING GEAR FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE ENGINE SUDDEN ACCELERATED, CRASHING INTO VEHICLE BEHIND. THEN, SWITCHED GEAR TO DRIVE AND ENGINE SUDDEN ACCELERATED AGAIN, CRASHING INTO VEHICLE IN FRONT. VEHICLE TOOK OFF ON IT'S OWN, DRIVING OVER CURVE AND CRASHING INTO A WALL THEN, HITTING AN UTILITY POLE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE CUTS OFF, CAUSING LOSS OF ALL POWER. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
ENGINE BEGAN OVERHEATING, CONSUMER HAD ALL 6 FROST PLUGS REPLACED AND THE WATER PUMP, STARTER, THERMOSTAT, HEAD GASKET AND RESURFACED THE ENGINE HEAD. NLM
WHILE IN THE OFF POSITION THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, ACCELERATING THE ENGINE, THIS HAS HAPPENED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND IN THE PARK POSITION. *MJS
THE FRONT SEAT BRACKET BROKE OFF LEAVING THE SEAT LOOSE AND UNSTABLE. YH
Official recalls
295V173000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage
Sep 15, 1995
THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH REAR OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGES THAT MAY NOT WITHSTAND THE REQUIRED LOAD. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO.210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE: IN A COLLISON, STRESS CAN CAUSE THE ATTACHMENT METAL TO TEAR AND ALLOW THE ANCHORAGE TO SEPARATE FROM THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY BELT MAY NOT PROTECT AN OCCUPANT IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING ANCHOR BOLTS WITH A NEW SHOULDER BOLT AND THREAD LOCKING ADHESIVE. ADDITIONALLY, NOISE CONTROL PATCHES WILL BE APPLIED AT EACH ANCHORAGE.
92V124000 · Seats:front Assembly:recliner
Sep 1, 1992
THE POWER SEAT OR RECLINER WIRING HARNESS CAN BE PINCHED OR CAN CHAFE ON THE SEAT FRAME OR SPRING SUPPORT ROD, WEARING THROUGH THE WIRE INSULATION AND CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL SHORT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE HIGH CURRENT CAUSED BY THE ELECTRICAL SHORT WELDS THECIRCUIT BREAKER ELEMENTS TOGETHER IN THE CLOSED POSITION, LEAVING THE CIRCUITUNPROTECTED AND GENERATING SUFFICIENT HEAT TO BURN THE WIRE INSULATION ANDIGNITE THE SEAT CUSHION MATERIAL.
Remedy: REPAIR ANY ABRADED WIRING AND REROUTE THE WIRING HARNESS USING A WIRING HARNESS CLIP.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA92024 · Sticking Throttle
Opened Jun 26, 1992 · Closed Jan 31, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available