BUICK CENTURY · model year

1983 BUICK CENTURY

10 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1983BUICKCENTURY carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1983 CENTURY is electrical system:ignition with 1 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1983 CENTURY. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

10 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES1
STEERING1
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR1
SEAT BELTS1
SEATS1

Recent Complaints

19990730ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

PLUGS SEPARATED ON THREE OCCASIONS. *YC

19990730SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

BRAKES GRAB / GAS PEDAL STICKS. *YC

19990730SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES

BRAKES GRAB / GAS PEDAL STICKS. *YC

19990730STEERING

STEERING WHEEL WAS EXPERIENCING FAILURE WHICH WAS REPLACED. HOWEVER AFTER REPAIRS WERE DONE THE STEERING IS NOISY AND HARD TO TURN. *YC

19990730VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

DEFROSTER OVERHEATS, CAUSING FAILURE. *YC

19990730EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH

SIGNAL'S STICK, CAUSING FAILURE. *YC

19990730POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

GEAR SHIFT SLIPS WHEN DRIVING ON BUMPY SURFACES. *YC

19990730STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS FAILED. *YC

19990730SEAT BELTS

ELECTRIC FRONT SEAT BELTS ARE LOOSE, ALSO SEATS ARE NOT HIGH ENOUGH FOR DRIVER, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. *YC

19990730SEATS

ELECTRIC FRONT SEAT BELTS ARE LOOSE, ALSO SEATS ARE NOT HIGH ENOUGH FOR DRIVER, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. *YC

Compare 1983BUICKCENTURY to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1983 BUICK CENTURY have?
The 1983 BUICK CENTURY has 10 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1983 BUICK CENTURY?
The most-complained component for the 1983 BUICK CENTURY is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES.
Is the 1983 BUICK CENTURY safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. 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.