DefectRecord Public Record - Not a Government Site

Home / Buick / Century / 1997

Model Year Problem Record

Buick Century 1997 - Problems, Recalls, and Investigations

The complete public record for the 1997 Buick Century: what owners reported, which systems drew recalls, and where complaints exist that no recall has ever covered.

106Distinct owner complaintsSource: NHTSA Complaints
2Recall campaignsSource: NHTSA Recalls
6Defect investigationsSource: NHTSA Investigations
6Complaints reporting a crash or fireOwner Reports, Unverified

Complaints by System

Distinct complaints naming each system, most reported first. Select a system for its own page.

Did a Recall Cover It?

The join between complaints and recalls for this model year, system by system. A gap does not prove a defect - it means owners reported the problem and no recall campaign covers that system on this model year.

Electrical System20 complaints

20 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Visibility16 complaints

16 complaints; 1 recall campaign covers this system. Campaigns: 99V348000.

Seat Belts15 complaints

15 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Steering15 complaints

15 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Lighting10 complaints

10 complaints; 1 recall campaign covers this system. Campaigns: 98V102000.

Engine8 complaints

8 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Brakes7 complaints

7 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Air Bags6 complaints

6 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Suspension6 complaints

6 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Equipment5 complaints

5 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Vehicle Structure4 complaints

4 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Tires3 complaints

3 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Vehicle Speed Control3 complaints

3 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Fuel and Propulsion System3 complaints

3 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Power Train3 complaints

3 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Unknown Or Other1 complaints

1 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Wheels1 complaints

1 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Seats1 complaints

1 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Recall Campaigns

Every campaign covering this model year, in our own words. The campaign number is the official reference.

98V102000Reported May 15, 1998 - 149,342 vehicles potentially affected

Lighting. Recall covering the lighting system, reported to NHTSA on May 15, 1998. The campaign covers an estimated 149,342 vehicles across all affected models.

99V348000Reported December 16, 1999 - 155,149 vehicles potentially affected

Visibility. Recall covering the visibility system, reported to NHTSA on December 16, 1999. The campaign covers an estimated 155,149 vehicles across all affected models.

Defect Investigations

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened these investigations touching this model year.

EA03019Opened September 15, 2003 - Closed December 18, 2003

POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE. Resulted in recall campaign 03V527000.

EA03019Opened September 15, 2003 - Closed December 18, 2003

POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE. Resulted in recall campaign 03V527000.

EA99024Opened August 20, 1999 - Closed January 13, 2000

WINDSHIELD WIPER. No recall campaign resulted from this investigation.

PE99028Opened April 16, 1999 - Closed August 20, 1999

WINDSHIELD WIPER. No recall campaign resulted from this investigation.

RQ03001Opened January 2, 2003 - Closed September 15, 2003

POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE. No recall campaign resulted from this investigation.

RQ03001Opened January 2, 2003 - Closed September 15, 2003

POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE. No recall campaign resulted from this investigation.

Complaints by Year Received

When this model year's complaints reached NHTSA - whether its problems surfaced early or late in its life.

199710
199817
199917
20009
20015
20029
20036
200414
20057
20061
20071
20092
20101
20111
20121
20131
20142
20151
20171
How to Read These Counts: complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not failure rates. Older and higher-volume vehicles accumulate more reports, and counts are not adjusted for vehicles sold - no per-sales rate or reliability ranking is shown, because the public data does not support one.

Data as of October 30, 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaints, recalls, and investigations files (U.S. Government public domain). DefectRecord is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. For your specific vehicle, use NHTSA's VIN lookup. Report an error.