TIRE SIZE P205/70R15, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WITH 9,000 MILES ON TIRES MOUNTED ON A BUICK, CENTURY. LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD A BLOWOUT. *AK CONSUMER STATES HE CHECKED THE TIRE AND THERE WAS A VERY LARGE SPLIT HE BELIEVES HE RAN OVER SOMETHING.*JB
2000 Buick Century complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2000 record →
CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT THE DRIVERS SUN VISOR HITS THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WHEN IN USE CAUSING HIM TO READJUST THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. *JG
VEHICLE HAS EXTREME BURNING OIL SMELL COMING THROUGH VENTS AFTER OIL CHANGE, DEALER REPLACED ENGINE'S REAR MAIN SEAL BUT DID NOT CORRECT PROBLEM, CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED MANUFACTURER BUT HAS NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE. *JB
VEHICLE WAS MAKING A KNOCKING AND HUMMING NOISE UNDER NORMAL OPERATION. DEALERSHIP HAS LOOKED AT VEHICLE AND SAID THAT THERE WAS NO DEFECT IN ENGINE. *SLC
WHEN ROLLING DOWN REAR WINDOW WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, IT CAUSES SEVERE VIBRATION /AIR PRESSURE AND NOISE. DEALER / MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF PROBLEM, AND NOTHING WILL BE DONE. *AK *SLC
WHILE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN WITH REAR WINDOWS DOWN ENTIRE VEHICLE SEVERELY VIBRATES. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM. *AK *SLC
MAJOR PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED BY POOR DESIGN AND CAN NOT BE FIXED 1)WITH ONE REAR WINDOW OPEN IN REAR VEHICLE SHAKES WITH GREAT FORCE 2) PARKING ON UNLEVEL GOUND CAUSE FRAME TO DISTORT SO DOORS ARS STICK 3) EXTREME GLARE FROM DASH BOARD 4)WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAN NOT BE ALINED.
THE DESIGN OF THE HEADLIGHT SYSTEM IS FLAWED BECAUSE THE LOW BEAM DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY, INSTEAD OF LIGHTING THE ROAD AHEAD FULLY THE LIGHT SPREADS ONLY TO THE SIDE END OF THE FRONT FENDER ON BOTH SIDES RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY. NLM
WHEN PUTTING VEHICLE INTO PARK OR SHIFTING OUT OF PARK VEHICLE MAKES A CLICKING NOISE AS IF DOORS ARE LOCKING. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE, AND SAID IT WAS NOT A PROBLEM. *AK
THE CONSUMER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO HAVE THE RECALL PARTS (00V-228) TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY DUE TO LACK OF PARTS. NLM
THERE IS A HARD SHARP PIECE OF METAL BEHIND THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGER SEAT WHICH HAS NO PADDING OVER IT, THIS PIECE OF METAL HAS WORN A HOLE THROUGH THE FABRIC OF THE SEAT. NLM
LOW BEAM LIGHT CASTS A SHADOW ON BOTH SIDES WHEN USED, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. DEALER NOTIFIED,AND UNABLE TO LOCATE CAUSE. *AK THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE HEAD LIGHT SYSTEM WAS FLAWED AND DAMAGES. *YH
THE HORN IS DIFFICULT TO ACTIVATE, THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO WARN A DRIVER WHO WAS BACKING UP BUT THE HORN WOULD NOT SOUND RESULTING IN A CRASH. NLM
HORN LOCATION IS DIFFICULT TO FIND AND HARD TO BLOW DUE TO AIR BAG INSTALLATION ON STEERING. WHEN BACKING UP SLOWLY OR STOPPING, BRAKES MAKE THUMPING NOISE. *SLC
WHILE IN MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION VEHICLE DIED. CONSUMER COULD NOT START VEHICLE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ELECTRIC POWER, HAD TOWED VEHICLE TO DEALER. AFTER AN HOUR, THEY FOUND A BLOWN FUSE. CONSUMER INQUIRED OF WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IT THIS OCCURRED ON HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH. *AK THE CAUSE FOR THE FUSE BLOW WAS NOT KNOWN *YH
THREE DAYS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE THE LOW TIRE LIGHT CAME ON AND HAS CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE EVERY MONTH OR SO, THE TIRE INFLATION MONITOR SYSTEM IS EXTRA SENSITIVE CAUSING THE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE WHEN ONLY ONE OR TWO POUNDS OF AIR IS NEEDED OR WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. NLM
NHTSA RECALL 00V228003/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 00067/SEAT BELT BUCKLES. VYLETTEL BUICK IN STERLING HEIGHTS ISN'T ORDERING PARTS UNTIL THEY CAN SEE IF ORDER NUMBER ON BUCKLE IS RECALLED. CONSUMER FEELS IT IS INCONVINIENT TO COME BACK TWO WEEKS LATER WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE THEM ALREADY ORDERED. *AK DEALER WAS NOT READY TO FIX THE RECALL AND CUSTOMER HAS TO MAKE SECOND TRIP. *YH
WHENEVER VEHICLE WAS COLD STARTED, THERE WOULD BE A TAPPING NOISE. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP TWICE. HAD FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE DOWN & WAS INFORMED THAT PROBLEM WAS NORMAL. ALSO, MECHANIC TESTED OTHER VEHICLES ON A COLD START, AND HERE WAS NO TAPPING NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE.*AK TAPPING SOUND IN THE ENGINE HAS INCREASED IN LOUDNESS AND DURATION ON COLD STARTS. THE DEALER INSTALLED A SYNTHETIC OIL AND FRAM OIL FILTERS. *YH
WHILE DRIVING CAR STARTED TO WIGGLE ACROSS ROAD AT 55MPH. CONSUMER HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO KEEP CONTROL OF VEHICLE, TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK
HORN DOES NOT ACTIVATE EASILY. CONSUMER MUST DEPRESS IT VERY HARD AND AT EXACT SPOT. THEREFORE, IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION CONSUMER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACTIVATE HORN IN TIME , WILL NOT BE ABLE TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS , OR AVOID ACCIDENTS. *AK
2 DEFECTIVE ENGINES(REPLACED) 1ST AT 1500 MI. 2ND AT 2784MI. STILL ENGINE MISSES STALLS. NHTSA PROVIDED TO US CAMPAIGN R#00V143000 THAT BUICK CENTURIES HAVE REAR BRAKE PROBLEMS AND G.M. WOULD RECALL STARTING JULY 2000--G.M. TELLS US NO RECALLS INVOVLING OUR VEHICLE--IT WAS BUILT 11/99 IN OSHAWA CANADA--PLEASE STRAIGHTEN US OUT ON THIS--IS /IS NOT A NY RECALL ON OUR VEHICLE
WHEN THE REAR WINDOWS ARE DOWN THEY CAUSE A LOUD SHAKING NOISE. *SLC
ABS PROBLEMS: WHEN MAKING AN EMERGENCY STOP AT 15 MPH BRAKE PEDAL WENT DOWN BUT THE VEHICLE JUST DIDN'T STOP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO BACK OF A WORK TRUCK. IT HAD JUST STARTED DRIZZLING WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THIS CAUSED $1,202.00 DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THIS PROBLEM. *AK
WHEN EITHER OR BOTH OF BACK POWER WINDOWS ARE ROLLED DOWN, IT VIBRATES THE INTERIOR OF VEHICLE EXCESSIVELY. ALSO, IT MAKES A LOUD NOISE. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE 2 TIMES, AND AND NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX PROBLEM.*AK
ORIGINAL TIRES ON A BUICK, CENTURY, 2000 , TIRE SIZE P20570R15. TIRE TREAD HAS TORN AND STARTED TO SEPARATE. *AK *SLC
WHEN THE REAR WINDOWS OF A BUICK CENTURY ARE WIDE OPEN AND THE FRONT WINDOWS CLOSED, THE CAR SHAKES VIOLENTLY, TO THE EXTENT OF CAUSING PANIC. WE TRIED FIRST ONE WINDOW AND THEN THE OTHER, FINALLY BOTH TOGETHER, AND THE VIOLENT SHAKING CONTINUED. IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE THIS CAR EVEN FOR A FEW MINUTES UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. THE SALESMAN EVEN TOOK OUT A BRAND NEW CAR AND IT ACTED THE SAME. I HAVE ASKED FRIENDS WHO HAVE A BUICK CENTURY TO VERIFY MY DESCRIPTION, AND THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME REACTION. WHEN I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, I WAS TOLD IT WAS A DESIGN FAULT AND BASICALLY TOLD TO LIVE WITH IT.
CONSUMER DRIVING DOWN ON HIGHWAY VEHICLE JUST DIED, CAUSING IT TO RUN OFF THE ROAD AND INTO SOME TREES.*AK
WHILE DRIVING PASSENGER'S SIDE WOULD STARTE TO SMOKE. SMELLED LIKE OIL BURNING. EVERYONE WOULD BECOME NAUSEOUS & SICK. TOOK TO DEALER & NOTHING COULD BE FOUND THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. THIS WAS A DAILY PROBLEM.*AK
SHIFT GEAR INDICATOR LIGHT DOES NOT ILLUMINATE. WHEN VEHICLE IS BEING PLACED INTO GEAR, THIS PRESENTES A PROBLEM. CONSUMER THOUGHT VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, BUT IT WAS IN REVERSE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
NO SUMMARY
CONSUMER BROUGHT VEHICLE IN FOR RECALL SERVICE (00V-143) HOWEVER WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH REMEDY. *MJS
WHILE DRIVING AN ALAMO RENTAL CAR ON JULY 21, 2000, ON I-94 OUTSIDE OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, THE LEFT FRONT WINDOW, DRIVER'S SIDE, LITERALLY EXPLODED IN MY EAR. I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 60 - 65 MPH AND WHAT OCCURRED WAS LITERALLY AN EXPLOSIVE DECOMPRESSION. THE WINDOW GLASS SHATTERED, MOST GOING OUT THE WINDOW BUT SOME FRAGMENTS ENTERING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. I CONTROLLED THE VEHICLE AND STEERED IT ONTO THE SHOULDER WHERE WE STOPPED. BECAUSE OF THE TREMENDOUS SPEEDS OF THE OTHER VEHICLES PASSING BY, I QUICKLY TRIED TO PUSH THE EXCESS GLASS THAT REMAINED IN THE DOOR TO FEEL SAFE IN DRIVING THE REST OF THE DISTANCE TO THE AIRPORT. WE TRIED TO CONTACT THE ALAMO EMERGENCY NUMBER - WHEN MY TRAVELLING COMPANION CONTACTED ALAMO AND TOLD THEM IT WAS AN EMERGENCY, SHE WAS TOLD TO HOLD ON. SHE DID SO BUT WAS DISCONNECTED. WE TRAVELLED TO THE AIPORT BELOW SPEED LIMIT SINCE THE LEFT WINDOW WAS NO LONGER THERE AND THERE WERE FRAGMENTS OF GLASS THAT, AT TIMES, WOULD BLOW INSIDE . WHEN WE REACHED THE ALAMO RENTAL CAR AGENCY, THEY APPEARED TO BE LITTLE CONCERNED - THEY SAID THEY WOULD CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER TO DETERMINE OTHER SIMILAR OCCURRENCES. UNFORTUNATELY, THE MANAGER OF ALAMO TRIED TO CONVINCE ME THAT IT WAS A ROCK THAT HAD STRUCK THE WINDOW AND CAUSED THE PROBLEM. SINCE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND FELT THE SUDDEN DECOMPRESSION AND EXPLOSIVE QUALITY OF WHAT HAPPENED, I BELIEVE HIM TO BE WRONG. THANKFULLY, THE GLASS DID NOT BLIND ME OR PREVENT MY CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, U
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 00V143000 CONCERNING REAR DRUM BRAKE FAILURE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. BUT, DEALER STATED PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. CONSUMER HAS BEEN WAITING 4 WEEKS.*AK
WHILE DRIVING WITH THE REAR WINDOWS DOWN, THE VEHICLE VIBRATES VERY HARD WHICH MAY CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. DEALER SAID IT DUE TO A DEFECTIVE FLAW DESIGN OF THE AERODYNAMICS. *AK *ML
NHTSA RECALL 00V143000 AND MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 00047. NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE.*AK
GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR LIGHT MALFUNCTIONED, PREVENTING THE DRIVER FROM DETERMINING THE GEAR POSITION. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
THE EXCESSIVELY LARGE AND TALL HEADREST BLOCKS LEFT SIDE AND REAR VIEW OF THE DRIVER CAUSING LANE CHANGING UNSAFE. YH
UNDERNEATH ASSEMBLY SCRAPES WHEN RIDING OVER A DEEP DIP IN ROAD. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK
THE ENGINE WAS DEFECTIVE RESULTING IN A METALLIC NOISE. NLM
PLASTIC SPOILER WILL HIT BOTTOM AND SCRAPE WHEN GOING OVER A DIP, CAUSING DRIVER TO HESITATE OR SLOW DOWN SO THAT THE SPOILER WILL NOT HIT HARD. *AK
DRIVERS SEAT LEANS TO THE SIDE, CONSUMER HAS PAIN DUE TO SITTING UNBALANCED AND POOR STABILITY. *MJS
VEHICLE WAS IN AN EMERGENCY STOP SITUATION, AND THE ANIT-SKID SYSTEM DID NOT RESPOND. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
APPLICATION OF BRAKES RESULTED IN SPONTANEOUS RACING OF ENGINE, BOTH FRONT AND REAR WHEELS JUMPED CURB IN SPITE OF HARD BRAKING. CAR STOPPED PRIOR TO ENTERING FREEWAY. *AK
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2000 Buick Century → · Every Century year → · How the figures are calculated →