1997 Buick Century Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Century years
- Fewer complaints than other years 7th of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 106 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Buick Century. That ranks 7th out of 11 Century model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (20 complaints, 19%). Complaints mention 4 crashes, 1 fire, 2 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 106owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Buick Century problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 20 | 19% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 16 | 15% | 84,150 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 15 | 14% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 15 | 14% | 102,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 9 | 8% | 89,887 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 7% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 6 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 5% | 188,376 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 3% | 103 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 3% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 124,636 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Buick Century recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:linkages
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The windshield wipers may stop working due to a separation between the drive pin and crescent in the crank arm assembly.
Risk: Driver visibility could be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect these vehicles for the presence of a plastic water deflector and, if necessary, replace the wiper motor crank arm and install a water deflector. On vehicles receiving a replacement crank arm and new water deflector, dealers will also apply additional sealing material to improve water deflection away from the crank arm assembly and will install a reinforcement to improve the performance of the wiper park mechanism.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The owner manuals do not contain the requirement information pertaining to the vehicle headlamp aiming device. This does not comply with requirements of fmvss no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Risk: If the headlamp assemblies are replaced, customers may not be able to properly aim the headlights.
Fix: Owners will be mailed an owner manual's insert which contains the appropriate information.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Power rack and pinion steering failure (EA03019) — opened Sep 15, 2003, closed Dec 18, 2003, led to recall 03V527000.
- Power rack and pinion steering failure (RQ03001) — opened Jan 2, 2003, closed Sep 15, 2003.
- Windshield wiper (EA99024) — opened Aug 20, 1999, closed Jan 13, 2000.
- Windshield wiper (PE99028) — opened Apr 16, 1999, closed Aug 20, 1999.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Engine compartment fire
Within 43 days of purchasing cooper grand touring cs5 tires for my 1997 buick century, one developed a large sidewall bulge. The retailer forced me to buy another new tire for $72. And cooper refused to pay for it! I have been driving cars for 40 years an never had a new tire or any tire develop a…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 buick century. The contact stated that the engine manifold gasket was deteriorating and caused the engine to overheat. The check engine warning indicator illuminated. The contact believed that the failure was caused by the dex cool antifreeze. The vehicle was towed to an…
When i backed out of parking space, i turned steering wheel with a "hard left." car made clicking noise. *tr
Driving on i-95 southbound when i experienced a catastrophic tread separation to my driver's side rear tire. I was able to get my vehicle to the side of the road and signal help. Fortunately, i escaped this failure uninjured. *tr
Other Buick Century years
← 1996 Century · 1998 Century →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Century | 19 | 0 |
| 2004 Century | 39 | 0 |
| 2003 Century | 127 | 0 |
| 2002 Century | 154 | 0 |
| 2001 Century | 145 | 3 |
| 2000 Century | 193 | 5 |
| 1999 Century | 235 | 3 |
| 1998 Century | 218 | 2 |
| 1997 | 106 | 2 |
| 1996 Century | 80 | 1 |
| 1995 Century | 99 | 1 |
See all Buick Century problems by year, every Buick model, or the Buick VIN decoder.
Similar Buick models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Buick Century?
Owners most often report electrical system, visibility, seat belts problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 20 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Buick Century?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Buick Century a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Century model years, the 1997 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.