1993 Buick Century

Routine

Owners filed 54 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags › frontal. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags › Frontal11
809
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline6
110
Vehicle Speed Control4
301
Power Train › Automatic Transmission3
100
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components2
000
Equipment › Mechanical › Carrier/Rack2
000
Air Bags2
201
Wheels › Rim1
000
Vehicle Speed Control › Cables1
000
Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal1
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage95V173000
Filed Sep 15, 19952,216,325 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. 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."

Risk. 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.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings93V121000
Filed Jul 21, 19932,848 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. THE BRAKE HOSES WERE MANUFACTURED INCORRECTLY, AND DO NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS 106, "BRAKE HOSES."

Risk. THE IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED BRAKE HOSES CAN CAUSEREDUCED BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS AND/OR UNEVEN BRAKING, WHICH COULD RESULT IN ANACCIDENT.

Remedy. REPLACE THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE HOSE ASSEMBLY ON CIERA AND CENTURY MODELS, AND BOTH REAR BRAKE HOSES ON CAVALIER AND SUNBIRD MODELS.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical SystemFire1 injured
Filed Mar 14, 2011230,000 milesGA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND THE DEFROSTER WAS ENGAGED. THE CONTACT THEN SMELLED A BURNING ODOR AND NOTICED SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE DEFROSTER AREA. THE CONTACT MOVED THE VEHICLE AWAY FROM HIS RESIDENCE AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF BUT THE SMOKE CONTINUED. THE CONTACT THEN OPENED THE HOOD AND A FIRE ERUPTED. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AND THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A KNEE INFECTION FROM ATTEMPTING TO MOVE THE VEHICLE AWAY FROM HIS RESIDENCE. A FIRE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 230,000. UPDATED 04/15/11*LJ THE CONSUMER LISTED WIRING HARNESS AS THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 10/12/11

Seat Belts › Front
Filed May 11, 200416,000 milesMO

FRONT SEAT BELTS ARE ATTACHED TO THE DOORS, AND WHEN THE DOORS ARE OPENED, THE SEAT BELTS EXTEND FORWARD. CONSUMER FEELS THIS FEATURE POSSES A SAFETY RISK BECAUSE IF THE DOORS FLINGS OPEN IN AN ACCIDENT THEY WILL NOT RESTRAIN THE OCCUPANTS IN THEIR SEAT. *AK *NM

Engine and Engine CoolingFire
Filed Dec 22, 2003OH

1993 BUICK CENTURY EXPERIENCED VEHICLE FIRE.*MR WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE CAR JERKED A LITTLE AND THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. THE CONSUMER HEARD A POP AND SAW SMOKE, HE THEN PULLED OVER AND THE VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FIRE. *CB *JB

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Pads
Filed Jan 6, 2002IN

BRAKE PADS WEAR OUT MORE THAN THE AVERAGE.*AK

Electrical System › Horn
Filed Sep 10, 2001FL

PLASTIC HORN BUTTONS(HALF MOON SHAPE)WILL NOT FIT IN SPACES PROVIDED AS THEY ARE DISTORED DUE TO THE HEAT IN CAR. THESE MUST BE PRESSED TO HAVE HONK THE HORN & CAN'T BE, BECAUSE THEY DON'T FIT.

Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed Apr 24, 2001NJ

SHIFT CABLE HAS WORN A HOLE IN AIR CONDITONER AND LOST FLUIDS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

Tires › Tread/BeltCrash
Filed Mar 26, 2001FL

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH ON HIGHWAY AND REAR LEFT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM RIM. VEHICLE WENT INTO A WATER ENBANKMENT OF EIGHT FEET. VEHICLE WAS SUBMERGED UNDER WATER, BUT CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE THROUGH DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW . VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. FIRESTONE TIRES 205-70-R14 S-S60,DOT E2PGF5A44. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *AK

Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments
Filed Dec 9, 2000OH

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR FALLS OPEN, EVEN WHEN LOCKED; SEAT BELT TIGHTENS AS IF THERE WAS IMPACT AND PULLS DRIVER TOWARD THE OPEN DOOR. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Oct 18, 2000MD

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH THERE WAS A BOOM, WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH PANEL, AND VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT A ROD BLEW. THAT IS WHAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN. BUICK HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash2 injured
Filed Oct 3, 2000KY

WHILE TRAVELING AT 40 MPH THIS VEHICLE STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD-ON, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. BUICK HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

Structure › Body › Hood
Filed Jun 9, 2000ME

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY VEHICLE STALLED AND HAD TO BE TOWED. TECHNICIAN OPENED THE HOOD, AND FOUND OUT THAT COVER UNDER THE HOOD (LOOKED LIKE A BLANKET FOR NOISE OR FIRE) HAD ALMOST CAUGHT ON FIRE. ALSO, NO POWER STEERING. PIECES THAT CAME LOOSE WENT DOWN INTO THE ALTERNATOR, CAUSING IT TO BURN UP. VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND THE ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK *ML

Power Train
Filed May 4, 2000NJ

TWO STANDARD TRANSMISSION FAILED

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Apr 30, 2000FL

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES THREE TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 1997. THEY STILL DON'T WORK WELL. THERE MUST BE A FACTORY DEFECT! WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS? *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Mar 3, 2000TX

MY CAR DIES WHEN THE GAS TANK BEGINS TO GET $3.50 AWAY FROM BEING FULL. WHEN IT DIES IT WILL NOT RESTART FOR APPROXIMATELY FOR 15 MINUTES. THE GAS GAUGE DIAL BEGINS TO WAVER FROM SIDE TO SIDE WHEN THE GAS GAUGE IS AROUND $3.50 DOWN FROM BEING FULL. WHEN THE GAS GAUGE BEGINS TO WAVER THAT IS A SIGN TO ME THAT I MUST FILL THE CAR UP AGAIN OR IT WILL SOON STALL. I HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP OFF AND ON FOR 11 MONTHS. I HAVE HAD THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED BUT IT HAS NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM. WE LOVE THIS CAR. IT HAS SERVED US WELL AND WE HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS TO SPEAK OF UNTIL THIS PROBLEM CAME ABOUT. THE CAR DEALORSHIP KEEPS SAYING THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE WHAT HAPPENS TO ME. IT CAN DIE ON ME THREE OR FOUR TIMES IN A DAY AND THEN RUN PERFECTLY FOR TWO WEEKS AT A TIME. I LEARNED THAT IF I KEEP THE GAS TANK FULL IT WILL FUNCTION AS CLOSE TO NORMAL AS POSSIBLE. I WILL APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › GasolineFire
Filed Feb 11, 2000FL

DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON CITY STREET AND ALL OF SUDDEN VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES. CONTACTED DEALER WHO SAID THAT NEVER HEARD OF FIRES IN VEHICLES. THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE AND SPREAD ALL THE WAY TO THE TRUNK. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Feb 7, 2000NY

WHILE DRIVNG ABOUT 50 MPH THE ENGINE WILL SHUT DOWN WITHOUT A WARNING, AND SOMETIMES WILL STALL ON THE ROAD. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 1, 2000NJ

TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED, SHIFTING PROBLEMS. YH

Wheels › Rim
Filed Dec 21, 1999WA

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE ALL FOUR TIRES CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE TIRES DUE TO THE STEEL RIMS WHICH WERE TOO CLOSE TO THE HUB, PREVENTING THE TIRES TO BE REMOVED. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

Power Train › Automatic TransmissionCrash
Filed Nov 18, 1999GA

WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO CROSS TRAIN TRACKS TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AND BROKE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO BE STUCK ON THE TRACKS, AND THE TRAIN RAN INTO THE VEHICLE. *AK

Air Bags › Frontal
Filed Nov 10, 1999DE

AIRBAG HOUSING IS SPLITING DOWN THE CENTER. DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE . ALSO, MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

20 of 54 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1999
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
200519200Routine
200439200Routine
2003127220Routine
2002154240Routine
2001145520Routine
2000193710Routine
1999235540Above average
1998218400Above average
1997106410Routine
199680210Routine
199599110Routine
1994106641Fatalities reported
1993 — this page54230Routine
199245321Fatalities reported
199138220Routine
199033230Routine

Compare every Century year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Sep 15, 1995. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.