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2003 Buick Century

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Century years

Owner complaints for the 2003 Buick Century are substantially higher than the model-year median of 28.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →
127Owner complaints

Model-year median: 28

0Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

2003 Buick Century

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 127 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

  • Exterior Lighting: 48 reports
  • Electrical System: 23 reports
  • Engine And Engine Cooling: 13 reports
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 13 reports
  • Structure: 11 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

    No recall campaigns in this snapshot.

    Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

    Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

    How this year compares

    Owner complaints by model year

    Other model years Selected year
    193
    2000    145
    2001    154
    2002    127
    2003    39
    2004    19
    2005
    Compare all Century years →

    Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.

    What owners reported most

    Exterior Lighting
    48    Electrical System
    23    Engine And Engine Cooling
    13    Service Brakes, Hydraulic
    13    Structure
    11
    All reported categories
    Steering
    7    Power Train
    6    Vehicle Speed Control
    6    Suspension
    5    Visibility
    5    Tires
    4    Air Bags
    3    Fuel/propulsion System
    3    Seats
    3    Electronic Stability Control (esc)
    2    Engine
    2    Equipment
    2    Latches/locks/linkages
    2    Service Brakes
    2    Unknown Or Other
    2    Fuel System, Gasoline
    1    Interior Lighting
    1    Parking Brake
    1    Service Brakes, Electric
    1    Wheels
    1

    Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

    When problems were reported

    Mileage at the reported incident

    94 reports with mileage · 33 unknown

    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.

    • Exterior Lighting. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Electrical System. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

    NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

    4 crash reports2 fire reports2 injury reports

    Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

    13 reports
    Clear category filter
    Mileage unknown · Jul 19, 2004
    Engine And Engine Cooling

    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 I…

    Read full complaint

    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

    NHTSA ODI #10083241

    38,784 miles · May 11, 2004
    Engine And Engine Cooling

    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 …

    Read full complaint

    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.

    NHTSA ODI #10072393

    3,250 miles · Sep 12, 2003
    Engine And Engine CoolingService Brakes, Hydraulic

    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 ACCELERAT…

    Read full complaint

    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

    NHTSA ODI #10033683

    Recall campaigns

    0

    No recalls in this snapshot.

    Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

    Defect investigations

    0

    No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

    An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.