BUICK CENTURY · model year

1985 BUICK CENTURY

9 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1985BUICKCENTURY carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 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 1985 CENTURY is electrical system with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:cooling system (1) and steering:rack and pinion (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 1985 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.

9
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

9 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 SYSTEM1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM1
STEERING:RACK AND PINION1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM1

Recent Complaints

20010627STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

ITIS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN STEERING WHEEL. DEALER REPAIRED POWER STEERING ONCE UNDER A RECALL. CONSUMER STATED PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

19980323ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE MOTOR BLOCK CRACKED.

19970728SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

WHILE DRIVING THE REAR RIGHT BRAKE CALIPER BROKE AND WAS DIFFICULT TO STOP. PRIOR TO THIS, THE LEFT SIDE HAD BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE. *AK

19970127SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM

WHEN APPLYING THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES IN A SUDDEN STOP SITUATION, THE VEHICLE'S RIGHT REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP, LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *AK

19960123FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

CONSUMER WAS PARKING AND OVERHEATED CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE . TT

19951026ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

COOLANT LEAK.

19951026STEERING:RACK AND PINION

COLD POWER STEERING. *AK

19951026VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CRUISE CONTROL ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN.

19950608FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

VEHICLE FIRE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT, ORIGINATING IN VICINITY OF BATTERY, OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT. *TW

Compare 1985BUICKCENTURY to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1985 BUICK CENTURY have?
The 1985 BUICK CENTURY has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 BUICK CENTURY?
The most-complained component for the 1985 BUICK CENTURY is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM and STEERING:RACK AND PINION.
Is the 1985 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.