PlainCars

BUICK · vehicle model

BUICK CENTURY

2,393 NHTSA complaints and 7 safety recalls across model years 1981–2005.

Complaints
2,393
Recalls
7
Model years
25

The BUICKCENTURY appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 2,393 consumer safety complaints and 7 recall campaigns across 25 model years (1981–2005). That averages roughly 96 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.

NHTSA has 1 investigation file tied to this model. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.

Complaints by Year

YearComplaints
200535
200451
2003170
2002204
2001190
2000249
1999287
1998278
1997132
1996110
1995127
1994144
199371
199264
199150
199049
198946
198826
198732
198643
19859
198411
198310
19824
19811

Complaint Filing Trend

NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).

Filings moved from 65 in 2017-2021 to 16 in 2022-2026, a fall of 75.4%. That is the 21th percentile of change across the 772 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.

Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.

103
’95
172
’96
87
’97
164
’98
264
’99
187
’00
149
’01
156
’02
136
’03
189
’04
111
’05
66
’06
78
’07
72
’08
39
’09
78
’10
58
’11
26
’12
36
’13
78
’14
36
’15
27
’16
20
’17
22
’18
6
’19
11
’20
6
’21
5
’22
7
’23
2
’24
2
’25

Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).

View all trending models →

Compare BUICKCENTURY to Similar Vehicles

BUICKCENTURY vs MITSUBISHIGALANT → BUICKCENTURY vs FORDF-350 SD → BUICKCENTURY vs DODGECHALLENGER → BUICKCENTURY vs HYUNDAIPALISADE →

NHTSA Investigations

DP87017Defect PetitionClosed1987-04-22

82 BUICK SEAT DISLODGEMENT

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is the BUICK CENTURY?▼
The BUICK CENTURY has received 2,393 NHTSA complaints spanning model years 1981 to 2005, with 7 recalls. That averages about 96 complaints per model year.
What years of BUICK CENTURY are available?▼
PlainCars has complaint and recall data for the BUICK CENTURY from 1981 to 2005 (25 model years). Select any year to see component-level complaint breakdowns and safety ratings.
Does the BUICK CENTURY have safety ratings?▼
NHTSA safety ratings (NCAP 5-star program) are available for many BUICK CENTURY model years from 2011 onward. Select a specific year to see front crash, side crash, and rollover ratings where available.
What are the most common BUICK CENTURY complaints?▼
NHTSA complaints for the BUICK CENTURY are categorized by component, common areas include engine, transmission, electrical system, airbags, and brakes. Select a model year for a detailed component-by-component breakdown.
How do I check if my BUICK CENTURY has been recalled?▼
Visit the year-specific page on PlainCars to see all recalls for your model year, or enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov for official recall status and available remedies.
Data sources

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. BUICK CENTURY totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.