Buick Century Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems
Owners have filed 170 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Buick Century across 10 model years. The 2000 model year has the most (28). The words owners use most often: “anti lock” (11% of reports).
- 170service brakes, hydraulic complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 14mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 14%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Anti lock: mentioned in 18 of 170 complaints (11%)
- Brake lines: mentioned in 14 of 170 complaints (8%)
- Brakes failed: mentioned in 12 of 170 complaints (7%)
- Pedal went: mentioned in 9 of 170 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems happen?
Based on 65 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 170 complaints, 14 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 4 an injury.
Buick Century service brakes, hydraulic complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Century | 1 | 5% | 57,000 |
| 2003 Century | 13 | 10% | 10,065 |
| 2002 Century | 14 | 9% | 32,979 |
| 2001 Century | 22 | 15% | 28,499 |
| 2000 Century | 28 | 15% | 64,218 |
| 1999 Century | 25 | 11% | 53,500 |
| 1998 Century | 27 | 12% | 57,972 |
| 1997 Century | 6 | 6% | — |
| 1996 Century | 12 | 15% | 80,100 |
| 1995 Century | 22 | 22% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:drum
Model years: 2000
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with rear drum brakes. The bolt head(s) on the rear spindle rod can separate.
Risk: The rear wheel can shift, causing rear steering of the vehicle. The driver could lose control and a crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rear spindle bolts.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Model years: 1999
Problem: Some of these vehicles with the key in the "on" position, exhibit a condition in which the antilock brake system (abs) motor shorts to its case and grounds through a flexible brake fluid pipe.
Risk: This short can cause extreme heating of the flexible brake pipe where it can melt a nearby flexible plastic fuel hose, which could result in an underhood fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a ground cable from the electronic brake control module (ebcm) to the engine compartment body rail.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I never was informed of any recalls on my 1999 buick century. Now i see all the advertisements on television, in the paper, online that the car can burn up. Brakes, steering, ignition. Which was repaired for 400 dollars. My engine warning light is on constantly, and they can't find what's going on…
This latest series of incidents occurred while braking hard. The anti lock braking system failed with a grinding sound occurring. The "anti lock" brake light goes on, the "trac off" light goes on and the "service vehicle soon" light goes on. Since this incident, both while braking and when i'm not…
2000 buick century. Consumer states problems with abs control module braking system *tgw the consumer stated a recall was issued for the 1999 model for the exact problem. On october 23,2007, the abs light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and a trouble code of c1218 appeared…
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 buick century. While driving slow, the contact stated when she applied the brakes, her foot extended directly to the floor. The dealer diagnosed that the brake line was covered with rust and there was no brake fluid in the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified but…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick century. The contact stated the anti-lock braking system was activated indicating a brake malfunction. The contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic who stated the abs motor pack needed to be replaced. The contact stated the vehicle does not have anti-lock…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Buick Centurys have service brakes, hydraulic problems?
No. NHTSA has 170 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic for the Buick Century. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Buick Century service brakes, hydraulic?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list service brakes, hydraulic. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Buick Century?
The most frequent phrase is “anti lock”, in 18 of 170 complaints, followed by “brake lines” (14).
Other Buick Century problems
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (192)
- Electrical System problems (168)
- Exterior Lighting problems (168)
- Visibility problems (148)
- Power Train problems (140)
- Steering problems (113)
See all Buick Century problems.