2001 BUICK CENTURY Complaints

AFTER SETTING CRUISE CONTROL IT WILL TAKE OFF AND ACCELERATE UNTIL YOU MANUALLY SHUT THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH OFF. I EVEN TAPPED ON BRAKE AND IT WOULD CONTINUE. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE VERY RANDOM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN OVERPOWERING GASOLINE ODOR EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WAS BURNING EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF GASOLINE FUEL. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 160,897. UPDATED 4/11/2011 *CN UPDATED 04/25/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN DRIVING 35 MPH OR MORE, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD INDEPENDENTLY ACTIVATE AND WOULD CAUSE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO SEIZE IN THE OPEN THROTTLE POSITION. HE WOULD THEN DEPRESS THE BRAKES AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD DEACTIVATE. THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COMMON IN HIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. THE DEALER DID NOT PERFORM A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPAIRED. HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM, SWAY BAR SHAFT AND ALL OF THE BUSHINGS ATTACHED TO THE PARTS WERE COVERED WITH RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER BUT WAS OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE SINCE HE DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 32,787. UPDATED 10/21/10. *LJ UPDATED 10/25/10*JB

2009 WHILE MY SISTER WAS PULLING INTO THE HOSPITAL PARKING GARAGE WITH MY MOTHER, DRIVING MOM'S 2001 BUICK CENTURY, THE BRAKES FAILED AND WENT TO THE FLOOR, NO PEDAL, NO BRAKES. HAD TOWED BACK HOME. MECHANIC SAID HAD RUSTED BRAKE LINE. THANK GOD MY MOTHER WAS NOT DRIVING, SHE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THE CAR STOPPED. WELL FRIDAY JULY 9TH 2010 MY SISTER TAKING MY MOTHER TO DR APPT WITH CAR FULL OF KIDS,AGAIN THE BRAKES FAILED AND HAD NO BRAKES TO STOP THE CAR. I GUESS THE MAN UPSTAIRS SURE TAKES CARE OF MOM, IT SURE AS HECK IS NOT GM. A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED FOR THIS LONG KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH THE RUSTY BRAKE LINES. BRAKE LINES SHOULD LAST ALOT LONGER THAN 45,000 MILES. THERE ARE RECALLS FOR BRAKE LIGHTS, HOW ABOUT ONE FOR THESE BRAKE LINES. *TR

THE PROBLEM I'M EXPERIENCING IS WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL. ONCE ENGAGED, IF THE CAR GETS INTO A SITUATION REQUIRING ACCELERATION (E.G. GOING UP A HILL), THE CAR GOES INTO HIGH ACCELERATION MODE AND DOES NOT STOP ONCE THE SET SPEED IS REACHED. AFTER INITIAL ENGAGEMENT, BUT NOT WITH THE CONTROL SET, VIRTUALLY ANY MOVEMENT OF THE TURN SIGNAL LEVEL CAUSES ENGAGEMENT OF THE CRUISE CONTROL IN THE ACCELERATION MODE. TAPPING THE LEVER, ACTIVATING THE TURN SIGNAL OR HIGH BEAM CONTROL CAUSE THE CAR TO GO INTO CRUISE MODE UNDER ACCELERATION. I HAVE ALLOWED IT TO GO AS FAST AS 85 MPH TO SEE IF IT WOULD DISENGAGE AND IT DID NOT. I FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS INTERMITTENT, BUT NOW THAT I HAVE BEEN PLAYING CLOSER ATTENTION TO WHAT WAS GOING ON WHEN IT RUNS AWAY, I CAN CAUSE IT TO HAPPEN ON CUE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS SINCE IT GOES INTO ACCELERATE MODE UNTIL THE CRUISE CONTROL IS EITHER DISENGAGED WITH THE POWER SWITCH OR THE BRAKE PEDAL. I HAVE NOT YET GOTTEN IT REPAIRED. THE INITIAL VISIT TO THE SHOP WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN DETERMINING THE CAUSE OR REPLICATING THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE ESTABLISHED HOW TO INITIATE THE RUNAWAY ACCELERATION. *TR

WHEN STOPPING FOR A RED LIGHT THE BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY WENT MOST OF THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR ENDS UP IN THE INTERSECTION DUE TO LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE. UPON INSPECTION, THE METAL BRAKE LINE FROM THE ABS UNIT, RUNNING ACROSS THE FIREWALL TO THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL, HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. ALL THE BRAKE FLUID BLEW OUT OF THE BRAKE CIRCUIT WHEN THE LINE RUPTURED DURING THE STOP. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, TWO OTHER STEEL BRAKE LINES AND THE STEEL FUEL FEED LINE ARE ABOUT TO RUST THROUGH AND FAIL AS WELL. I HAVE NEVER SEEN BRAKE AND FUEL LINES RUST THROUGH LIKE THIS! NINE YEARS OLD. THE FIRST BRAKE LINE MENTIONED RUNS ALONG THE FIRE WALL, RIGHT BEHIND THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, AS SUCH, IT HAS A FIBER HEAT SHIELD WRAPPING AROUND IT FOR ABOUT TWO FEET AND THIS IS WHERE THE WORST RUST OCCURRED, CONVENIENTLY HIDDEN FROM SIGHT. I SUSPECT THE HEAT SHIELD MATERIAL HELD MOISTURE, LEADING TO THE RUST. WHEN DISCUSSING THIS PROBLEM WITH A MECHANIC AT THE GM DEALER, HE SAID, "I SEE THIS ALL THE TIME." I KNOW CORROSION RESISTANT MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE TO PREVENT THIS. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN ON ALL THE FOREIGN CARS I HAVE OWNED. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE I AM TOLD THAT THE ONLY WAY TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LINE IS TO DROP THE SUBFRAME THAT HOLDS THE DRIVETRAIN, AT A COST OF ABOUT $1200, SINCE THE LINE IS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS TO GO ON THE BODY AT THE FACTORY! *TR

I PURCHASED A 2001 BUICK CENTURY WITH LEST THAN 1000 MILES ON IT FROM THE ORIGINAL ORDER. IN JUST A SHORT TIME, IT BEGAN TO SURGE WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON. IT WOULD KEEP ACCELERATING UNTIL YOU TURNED IT OFF. IT STILL DOES THIS FROM TIME TO TIME. I HAVE CHECKED WITH BUICK DEALERS, BUT THEY DON'T SEEM TO KNOW WHY. SOMETIMES IT SURGES WHEN YOU USE THE TURNING SIGNAL ALSO. *TR

2001 BUICK CENTURY SUDDENLY ACCELERATES WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS ON BUT NOT ENGAGED. THIS TYPICALLY HAPPENS WHEN HITTING A BUMP OR POT HOLE OR PUTTING ON THE TURN SIGNAL. ALSO, THE CAR HAS SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHEN DRIVING ON A SMOOTH ROAD WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED. I HAVE BE ABLE TO STOP THE ACCELERATION BY EITHER TAPPING THE BRAKE OR TURNING OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL WITH THE SWITCH AT THE END OF THE STALK. I NO LONGER DRIVE WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL TURNED; AND HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEM AS LONG AS THE CRUISE CONTROL IS NOT TURNED ON. THIS EVENT HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BUICK CENTURY. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING AN OIL CHANGE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT DEXCOOL COOLANT WAS PLACED IN THE WATER TANK INSTEAD OF ANTIFREEZE. THE MANIFOLD ON THE WATER BLOCK, WHICH IS THE GASKET BETWEEN THE WATER TANK, DID NOT HAVE THE CORRECT TYPE OF GASKET AND DETERIORATED THE WATER DUE TO OIL IN THE TANK. THE FAILURE IS CALLED A "PINK MILKSHAKE". THIS ALSO OCCURS WHEN THERE IS OIL IN THE WATER RESERVOIR. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $800. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.