2003 Buick Century

THE 2003 HAS A NUMBER OF ISSUES. 1. THE LIGHTS TURN OFF AT RANDOM IN THE DARK. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. 2. THE BRAKES NEED TO BE REPLACED ROUGHLY EVERY 8 MONTHS. MY MECHANIC SAID THE BUICK CENTURY HAS BRAKES THAT ARE NOT ADEQUATE FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR. COSTLY! 3. OIL SYSTEM LEAKS, COMPLETE BREAKDOWN. $1200 TO REPLACE THE SYSTEM. 4. THE DIALS ON THE TEMP CONTROL COME OFF. I AM TRADING THIS POS OFF BEFORE IT COSTS ME MORE MONEY! *TR

ANTI LOCK BRAKES , DECEMBER 2006. I NOTICED THE BRAKES WERE SPONGY, AND A LOUD GROWLING TYPE NOISE WHEN I TURNED . I TOOK IT TO MY REGULAR MECHANIC, WHO DID AN INSPECTION, AND SAID THE BRAKES WERE FINE. BRAKE PADS WERE IN GOOD SHAPE,ETC . I DROVE HOME, ANTI LOCK LIGHT WAS ON. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO REPAIR SHOP FOR TEST DRIVE. THEY DROVE IT FOR SEVERAL HOURS NO NOISES OR SPONGY BRAKING. MY DAUGHTER CALLED ME & REPORTED SEEING THE CAR FLYING DOWN THE ROAD.. I TOLD REPAIR SHOP I WASN'T DRIVING 55 OR GREATER WHEN PROBLEM OCCURRED. I WAS DOING BETWEEN 10- 40 MPH. THEY DROVE IT AGAIN AT MUCH SLOWER SPEEDS AND RECREATED THE PROBLEMS. THEY RECOMMENDED I REPLACE THE ABS SENSOR AND RIGHT/LEFT WHEEL CYLINDERS . I DID, IT AT GREAT EXPENSE. THE WARNING LIGHT FOR THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES WENT OUT. I DROVE HOME, PARKED THE CAR, AND THE NEXT MORNING ROVE TO WORK, AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THE WARNING LIGHT WAS BACK ON . TOOK IT BACK TO THE REPAIR SHOP. EVERYTHING WAS WORKING FINE. THEY COULD NOT FIND A REASON FOR THE PROBLEMS. BUT, RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. ALSO HAD TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES DUE TO THREAD SEPARATION. ANOTHER CUSTOMER THERE WITH THIS CAR, ALSO A 2003 BUICK CENTURY THAT WAS HAVING NEW TIRES PUT ON FOR THE SAME REASON. THE TREAD WAS SEPARATING. BUT NO RECALL WAS ISSUED , WHY? PERHAPS LIKE ME, MOST PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO REPORT SUCH PROBLEMS, THEY JUST REPLACED THEM LIKE I DID. *AK

DT: CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND CAME TO STOP SIGN APPLIED THE BRAKES, THEY FAILED AND VEHICLE WENT THROUGH THE STOP SIGN. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, THEY CHECKED THE BRAKES SYSTEM AND FOUND NOTHING. ON THE DAY THAT THE DEALER STATED NOTHING WAS WRONG, THIS HAPPENED AGAIN. TOOK BACK TO DEALER, LEFT IT WITH THE DEALER FOR 5 DAYS. THEY DROVE THE CAR 337 MILES AND FOUND NOTHING. THE NEXT DAY WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES WERE VERY SPONGY. TODAY, TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER, AND IT HAD PROPER BRAKES. *AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT DOORS LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEMS. THE DASHBOARD WAS ALSO FALLING APART. *AK *NM THE TRUNK POPPED OPEN, THE BRAKES WERE INOPEATIVE, THERE WAS A FUME SMELL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 12/13/05. *JB

THE DOOR LOCKS FAILED TO LOCK FROM USING THE REMOTE KEY ENTRY DEVICE. ALSO, CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE LOCK BUTTON FAILED TO UNLOCK THE DOORS INTERMITTENTLY. *AK INSPECTOR VERIFIED THAT THE POWER DOOR LOCKS OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE ODOMETER OPERATED NORMALLY. TRUNK POPPED OPEN ONCE WHILE DRIVING. THE BRAKES APPLIED AND RELEASED AS DESIGNED; AND THE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HELD THE VEHICLE PROPERLY AND APPEARED TO BE PROPERLY ADJUSTED. *TT

WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST STARTED AND THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THERE WOULD BE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. AFTER THE BRAKES WARMED UP, THE NOISE DISAPPEARED. THE DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE FOUR TIMES, BUT COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER REPORTED THE PROBLEM EACH TIME HE HAD GONE TO THE DEALER. THE FIRST TIME, THE DEALER SPRAYED THE BRAKE SHOES BUT THIS DID NOTHING. THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THAT COULD BE DONE. *SC *JB

UPON APPLYING THE BRAKES THERE WAS A LOUD SQUEAKING SOUND. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED OWNER THAT THIS WAS THE NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THAT VEHICLE. *AK CONSUMER WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT BECAUSE OF THE MATERIAL THE PADS ARE MADE OF, THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. CONSUMER RECEIVED A LOANER 2003 CENTURY AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE BRAKES WERE PREVIOUSLY REPLACED PRIOR TO THE CONSUMER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES. *PH *NLM