Buick Century Visibility Problems
Owners have filed 148 complaints with NHTSA about visibility problems on the Buick Century across 11 model years. The 1999 model year has the most (29). The words owners use most often: “windshield wipers” (15% of reports).
- 148visibility complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $770typical repair cost reported by owners
- 45%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.
- Windshield wipers: mentioned in 22 of 148 complaints (15%)
- Power windows: mentioned in 15 of 148 complaints (10%)
- Window failed: mentioned in 11 of 148 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical visibility repair on the Buick Century at $770, and half of them between $520 and $930.
Based on 17 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2003–2009), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do visibility problems happen?
Based on 57 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 148 complaints, 4 an injury.
Buick Century visibility complaints by model year
| Model year | Visibility complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Century | 1 | 5% | 55,000 |
| 2004 Century | 2 | 5% | 125,887 |
| 2003 Century | 5 | 4% | 36,000 |
| 2002 Century | 21 | 14% | 41,473 |
| 2001 Century | 15 | 10% | 73,127 |
| 2000 Century | 23 | 12% | 50,000 |
| 1999 Century | 29 | 12% | 66,000 |
| 1998 Century | 24 | 11% | 49,933 |
| 1997 Century | 16 | 15% | 84,150 |
| 1996 Century | 8 | 10% | — |
| 1995 Century | 4 | 4% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:linkages
Model years: 1997
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
2000 buick century. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle window motor/ regulator repairs. *smd the consumer stated the window regulator was replaced three times. *jb
The drivers window will go down when you put key in ignition right before you start vehicle. After it goes down you must wait 10 seconds or so and you can put window up. This is the exact same issue my 2007 chevy trailblazer is being recalled for. But the buick century is not on the recall list. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 buick century. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the rear-view mirror fractured and detached from the windshield. The dealer was not notified. The manufacturer was contacted who advised the contact to purchase glue to reinstall the rear-view mirror and offered no…
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 buick century. The contact was driving in a remotely dark area when the high beams were engaged but the headlights failed without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was…
The complete window control switch unit had to be replaced in 2005 at the dealers, i think that was the year. Now the rear window switch for the rear window had to be replaced in may 2011. This time i took it to my local body shop, he had informed me that the buick century custom switches are going…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Buick Centurys have visibility problems?
No. NHTSA has 148 owner complaints about visibility 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 visibility?
Yes: 1 safety recall list visibility. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix visibility problems on the Buick Century?
Owners report a typical cost of $770 (half paid between $520 and $930), from 17 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about visibility problems on the Buick Century?
The most frequent phrase is “windshield wipers”, in 22 of 148 complaints, followed by “power windows” (15).
Other Buick Century problems
See all Buick Century problems.