IllustrationTHE ABS BRAKES DO NOT OPERATE PROPERLY, THEY LOCKED UP CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO THROUGH A RED LIGHT. NLM
1996 Buick Century
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 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: 14 of 80 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 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports
What owners actually said
80 reportsIN COLD WEATHER/WINTER SNOW AND FROST DEVELOPS INSIDE OF WINDSHIELD, WHICH CAUSE WATER TO ENTER INTO DASH, AND POSSIBLY MAY CAUSE PROBLEMS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHEN CONSUMER HITS THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE SURGES A FOOT OR TWO, THE DEALER HAS TRIED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES BUT HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL. *SLC
THE STEERING SYSTEM SUFFERED A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE FAILURE WHILE NEGORIATING A TURN INTO A CITY STREET. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY STOP THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO ANY OTHER VEHICLE OR PROPERTY CONTACT. HAD I BEEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE RESULTS WOULD HAVE BEEN QUITE DIFFERENT. BUICK HAD RACK PROBLEMS IN THE LATE 1980'S WITH THE CE…
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THE STEERING SYSTEM SUFFERED A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE FAILURE WHILE NEGORIATING A TURN INTO A CITY STREET. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY STOP THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO ANY OTHER VEHICLE OR PROPERTY CONTACT. HAD I BEEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE RESULTS WOULD HAVE BEEN QUITE DIFFERENT. BUICK HAD RACK PROBLEMS IN THE LATE 1980'S WITH THE CENTURY LINE; HAS THE PROBLEM BEEN RESOLVED. THIS SHOULD CAUSE A RECALL AS THE VEHICLE JUST PASSED A STATE SAFETY INSPECTION LESS THAN 2 MONTHS AGO.
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, TWO TIMES ENGINE STALLED, AND ONE TIME WHILE STOPPING AT STOP SIGN IT STALLED
WHILE DRIVING UP TO A HILL VEHICLE ACCELERATED ABOUT 50 MPH WITH HEADLIGHTS ON. THEN, THEY WILL GO OUT WITHOUT A WARNING. *AK
CONTINUOUS LIGHT ON THE DASH BOARD WITH ANTI -LOCK ON IT
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. CONSUMER IS AFRAID THAT ABS BRAKES MAY NOT WORK PROPERLY. *AK
WHEN DRIVING OVER 50 MPH VEHICLE WILL VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY, POSSIBLY CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *AK
MY CAR HAS HAD A HORRIBLE FRONT END VIBRATION SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT THE CAR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY ALWAYS BLAMED MY TIRES, EVEN THOUGH THE TIRES WERE BRAND NEW. THEY BLAMED THE TIRES EVEN AFTER THE DEFECT CAUSED THE ORIGINAL TIRES TO FALL APART AND I BOUGHT BRAND NEW TIRES OF BETTER QUALITY THAN WAS ON …
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MY CAR HAS HAD A HORRIBLE FRONT END VIBRATION SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT THE CAR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY ALWAYS BLAMED MY TIRES, EVEN THOUGH THE TIRES WERE BRAND NEW. THEY BLAMED THE TIRES EVEN AFTER THE DEFECT CAUSED THE ORIGINAL TIRES TO FALL APART AND I BOUGHT BRAND NEW TIRES OF BETTER QUALITY THAN WAS ON IT ORIGINALLY. THEN, A FEW MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR, WINDSHIELD WIPERS STARTING NOT WORKING. I HAD IT TO THE SHOP, BUT THE FAILURE IS INTERMITTENT, AND WHEN IT WAS IN THE SHOP, THEY WORKED FINE. THAT DOESN'T HELP ME WHEN IT STARTS TO RAIN AND I CAN'T SEE THE ROAD AND TURN ON THE WIPERS AND THEY FAIL. NEXT, THE DRIVER'S DOOR POWER WINDOW QUIT WORKING. AFTER REPLACING IT, THERE WAS A SMALL PIECE OF STEEL ON THE DOOR HANDLE THAT BROKE. IT STUNNED ME. IF IT HAD BROKEN A FEW DAYS EARLIER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAPPED IN MY CAR WITH NO WAY OUT THE WINDOW OR DOOR. I FAILED TO UNDERSTAND WHY A PIECE OF STEEL IN A $20,000 CAR WOULD BREAK. WE ARE REALLY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS CAR. MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN A GM FAN ALL HIS 62 YEARS, BUT WE WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER ONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Official recalls
195V173000 · 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.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.