1998 BUICK CENTURY Complaints

OVERHEATING ENGINE & TICKING SOUND. TOOK TO DEALER TWICE BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT OF REPAIR. AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED SAME PROBLEM BUT THEN NEEDED OVER 600.00 IN REPAIRS. LATER SAME PROBLEM 300.00 IN REPAIRS. ALWAYS THERMOSTAT OR WATER PUMP. THE TEMP GAUGE GOES UP AND LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON, SAME AS BEFORE, A MECHANIC WAS AT THE CAFE I WORK AT & LOOKED AT THE CAR. HE STATED THAT THERE WAS OIL IN THE RADIATOR & THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM FROM THESE GM PRODUCTS MANY MANY TIMES AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE. ADDED COOLANT & IT LASTED A LITTLE WHILE. TOOK TO ANOTHER MECHANIC FOR SECOND OPINION & WAS TOLD THE SAME. THE TEMP LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON BUT THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT COMES ON. THE TICKING GOT LOUDER AND TOOK TO DEALER FOR THEIR OPINION, ASK THEM TO CHECK THE COOLANT TO SEE IF OIL WAS IN IT. WAS TOLD THAT THE NOISE WAS FROM A STUCK LIFTER & THEY PUT IN A HEAVIER WEIGHT OIL & ADDITIVE TO OIL CHANGE & THAT THE FLUIDS LOOKED GOOD. 2 WEEKS LATER LET 4TH MECHANIC LOOK, HE PUT IS FINGER IN RADIATOR & SHOWED ME THE GUNK, SAID I HAVE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET & MORE. HE HAS SEEN HUNDREDS OF THE SAME PROBLEM. TOLD THAT GM SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, THAT THEY KNOW THEIR IS A PROBLEM AND DO NOTHING ABOUT IT AND TRY TO COVER IT UP. GM SHOULD HAVE DONE A RECALL ON THE PROBLEM. I HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE IN THE PAST WEEKS. I DON'T WANT MONEY OR NEW CAR I JUST WANT MINE FIXED BY THE COMPANY RESPONSIBLE. THE DEALER HAS LIED TO ME ABOUT THIS & I AM VERY UPSET, THIS IS WHY MY SON AND I ARE FREEZING TO DEATH IN THE CAR, THE GUNK HAS GUNKED UP EVERYTHING IT HAS COME IN CONTACT WITH, INCLUDING THE HEATING CORE. ACCORDING TO ONE COMPLAINT A VERY GOOD MECHANIC HAS DECIDED THAT THEIR ARE TWO PROBLEMS ONE AFFECTING THE OTHER. A COOLING SYSTEM GROUNDING PROBLEM, ELECTROLYSIS RESULTING IN CORROSION & DISINTEGRATION OF PARTS AND GASKETS & THEN DEXCOOL WHICH IS UNSTABLE IN AN ELECTRICALLY CHARGED ENVIRONMENT & TURNS IT IN TO GOOP. *NM

ABS SYSTEM ON MY 1998 BUICK CENTURY CUSTOM FAILED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON LOCAL STREET AT ABOUT 40 MPH. FAILURE CAUSED HANDLING ISSUES. BUICK DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND SAID THE ABS MOTOR POWER PACK AND THE MODULATOR HAVE GONE BAD. ACCORDING TO THE INTERNET, IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE. *NM

THE POWER STEERING ON MY BUICK ONLY HAS POWER ASSIST WHEN TURNING TO THE RIGHT. WHEN TURNING TO THE LEFT THE STEERING BINDS. *NM

WE BOUGHT OUR VEHICLE TWO YEARS AGO. WITHIN THAT TIME, NONE OF OUR WINDOWS WORK. IT BEGAN WITH THE TWO BACK WINDOWS NOT ROLLING DOWN AND ONCE THEY WERE DOWN, NOT ABLE TO GO BACK UP. MY FATHER THOUGHT THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE WIRING. HE PROCEEDED TO DISCONNECT THE BACK WINDOWS. THEN THE PASSENGER FRONT WINDOW WOULD DO THE SAME THING: ROLL DOWN AND THEN NOT GO UP, OR NOT EVEN ROLL DOWN AT ALL. WE WERE TOLD IT WAS A FUSED. INDEED THE FUSE WAS VERY HOT WHEN REMOVING IT. NOW, NONE OF MY WINDOWS ROLL DOWN. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE DEALERSHIP WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE ALL THE MECHANISMS AT OUR COST. HOPING TO TRADE THIS VEHICLE OFF. *NM

WE HAVE A 1998 BUICK CENTURY WITH LESS THAN 50,000 MILES. THE INFORMATION IN COMPLAINTS 10137627 AND 10134068 ARE VERY SIMILAR TO OUR TWO EXPERIENCES. IN JUNE 2004 THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW JUST FELL AND COULD NOT GO BACK UP. THE REAR WINDOW ON THE SIDE DID THE SAME THING A YEAR LATER. BOTH WERE SPONTANEOUS. EACH REPAIR WAS ABOUT $500.00. I SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT TO BUICK WHICH WAS SUMMARILY DISMISSED BECAUSE THE CAR IS "OLD" AND IT HAS ONLY HAPPENED TO EACH WINDOW ONCE. (AS AN ASIDE MY WIFE'S BROTHER HAS THE SAME YEAR MAKE AND MODEL AND IT HAS HAPPENED TO THREE OF HIS WINDOWS. THE TWO VEHICLES WERE PURCHASED FROM THE SAME DEALER ABOUT 4 MONTHS APART) I HAVE ACCESSED SOME INFORMATION MENTIONED IN THE OTHER COMPLAINTS SO I NEED NOT REPEAT IT HERE. I BELIEVE BUICK HAS IN INHERENT DEFECT WHICH SHOULD BE REPAIRED OR CHANGED AT NO COST. IT WAS HOWEVER REPLACED WITH THE SAME HARDWARE. OUR GRANDCHILDREN RIDE IN CAR SEATS IN THE BACK OF THE CAR AND THIS FAILURE COULD ENDANGER THEM. YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER IS APPRECIATED. *JB

DT: CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK CENTURY. POWER WINDOWS WERE DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER. ALL 4 WINDOWS STOPPED WORKING. WITHIN 2 MONTHS ALL 4 WINDOWS HAVE BEEN CHECKED . THE DEALER WORKED ON 3 WINDOWS . THEY FAILED AT 70, 000 MILES . THE CONTACT DID NOT WANT TO PAY FOR WINDOWS TO BE FIXED. *AK *NM

WE HAVE 2 BUICK CENTURY AUTOMOBILES; A 1998 AND A 2001. BOTH HAVE POWER WINDOWS. POWER WINDOW UNITS IN BOTH AUTOS FAILED THIS SUMMER. A SMALL PLASTIC PIECE THAT CONNECTS THE REGULATOR CABLE TO THE POWER WINDOW MOTOR BREAKS ALLOWING THE WINDOW TO SLIP DOWN AND NOT BE CLOSED. THE REPAIR IS EXPENSIVE SINCE BUICK DOES NOT SELL THE CONNECTOR DEVISE; INSTEAD IT REQUIRES CUSTOMERS TO PURCHASE A COMPLETE ''DEALER ONLY'' POWER WINDOW REGULATOR ASSEMBLY FOR OVER $300. SINCE MAY WE HAVE HAD 50% OF OUR POWER WINDOWS GO OUT ON THE 1998 BUICK CENTURY AND ONE GO OUT ON THE 2001; WITHOUT THE MONEY TO PURCHASE THE DEALER PART HAVE HAD TO HAVE A MECHANIC PROP THE WINDOWS IN THE CLOSED POSITION WITH A WOODEN DOWEL. SINCE ONE OF THESE WINDOWS IS THE DRIVER''S WINDOW WE BELIEVE THAT THIS PRESENTS A SAFETY ISSUE. OUR MECHANIC TOLD US THAT HE SEES A LOT OF THIS PROBLEM SINCE ''THIS IS A BAD DESIGN''. MY DEALER TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS RELATED TO HEAT, HOWEVER THEY DO SELL BUICK''S WITH THIS WINDOW DESIGN THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING AREAS WHERE HEAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED IN THE DESIGN AND ENGINEERING. A GOOGLE SEARCH CAME UP WITH OVER 500 COMPLAINTS ON THIS PART. THE BUICK DISCUSSION BOARD ON THIS SHOWS A 50% FAILURE RATE IN THEIR OWN SURVEY. I BELIEVE THAT GM HAS AN OBLIGATION TO DEVELOP AN IMPROVED VERSION OF THE PLASTIC PART AND AN OBLIGATION TO MAKE THAT PART AVAILABLE TO ALLOW THE ASSEMBLY TO BE REPAIRED INSTEAD OF COMPLETELY REPLACED. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AND CONSIDER A RECALL TO REPLACE THESE FAILURE PRONE PLASTIC PARTS WITH METAL PARTS THAT WILL WITHSTAND ORDINARY USE IN ALL CLIMATE CONDITIONS FOUND IN THE UNITED STATES. WE ARE CONCERNED BOTH ABOUT THE COST AND THE SAFETY OF DRIVING AROUND IN AN AUTOMOBILE THAT EITHER CANNOT BE LOCKED AND SECURED OR IN A VEHICLE WITH A WINDOW THAT CAN NOT BE OPENED IN AN EMERGENCY IF THE OWNER IS UNABLE TO AFFORD THE REPAIRS AND IS FORCED TO SIMPLY PROP THE WINDOW IN THE UP, LOCKED AND SECURE POSITION. THANK YOU.

1998 BUICK CENTURY STEERING FAILED & CANNOT TURN LEFT EVENT HAPPENED AT LOW SPEED IN PARKING LOT AND NO DAMAGE RESULTED. DEALER WILL NOT COVER REPAIR OF VEHICLE WITH A 'W' DESIGNATION. ALTHOUGH THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THEY TO HAVE SAME STEERING RELATED DEFECTS AS CARS THAT RECEIVED RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETIN.

DT: CONTACT STATED FRONT DRIVER SIDE AND TWO REAR WINDOW REGULATORS BROKE, CAUSING THE WINDOWS TO STAY DOWN. THE WINDOW REGULATORS WERE BEING REPLACED. *AK

ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT ILLIMINATE AT VEHICLE STARED UP, DEALER STATED THAT MANY OF THESE BUICKS HAVE ABS FAILURE BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. THIS SYSTEM FAILED AT 37000 MILES. MY SON'S SAME MODEL VEHICLE FAILED AT 49000 MILES.*AK