1999 BUICK CENTURY Complaints

I NEVER KNEW SUCH A PROBLEM EXISTED WITH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ON MY CAR & NEVER INFORMED BY GM OR MY DEALER. NOW, I'VE HAD NUMEROUS OCCASIONS OF NEAR MISSES. NEVER BEEN TAKEN SO BADLY IN MY LIFE. I PAID 28,000 FOR A CAR WORTH BARELY 3K NOW, WHAT A JOKE! *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 20 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE A FAULTY CAM SHAFT. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1999 BUICK CENTURY WITH 78,000 MILES. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED AND HAVE NO CURRENT WARRANTY. RECENTLY, THE LOW COOLANT DASH LIGHT BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATE, WHICH PROMPTED ME TO CHECK THEE COOLANT LEVEL AND SEARCH THE UNDERNEATH OF MY VEHICLE. THE COOLANT LEVEL WAS NOT LOW; HOWEVER, THERE WAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF COOLANT ON THE GROUND. I DID EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND IDENTIFIED THAT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF GM VEHICLE OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE COOLANT SYSTEMS IN THEIR GM VEHICLES. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. GM CLAIMS THAT THE DEX COOL COOLANT, WHICH IS REQUIRED IN THEIR VEHICLES, LASTS FOR 150,000 MILES OF VEHICLE USE WITHOUT NEEDING TO BE CHANGED. HOWEVER, MY INTERNET RESEARCH OF OTHERS'' COMPLAINTS, AND THE SERVICE REPAIRMAN AT MY LOCAL GARAGE, CONFIRMED THAT THE DEX COOL COOLANT THROUGH THE LOWER GASKET AT APPROXIMATELY 70-80,000 MILES, REQUIRING A NEW LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AND A COOLANT FLUSH, AS WELL AS A NECESSARY OIL CHANGE BECAUSE THE COOLANT LEAKS INTO THE OIL DUE TO THE FAULTY GASKETS (AND IN TURN CAUSES DECREASED LUBRICATION IN THE ENGINE AND RUINS THE BEARINGS WHICH IS ALSO A COSTLY PROBLEM.) AFTER HAVING MY VEHICLE REPAIRED FOR $900, I AM TOLD BY MY SERVICE REPAIRMAN THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL OCCUR AGAIN IN ANOTHER 70-80,000 MILES, SHOULD I OWN THE VEHICLE FOR THAT LONG. THERE ARE SEVERAL PETITIONS ON THE INTERNET REGARDING THIS FAULTY EQUIPMENT, ADVOCATING FOR A GM RECALL. GM, HOWEVER, HAS DONE NOTHING TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM. GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST INCURRED FOR THE REPLACEMENT ON THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON AFFECTED GM VEHICLES, AS THEY CLAIM THE SYSTEM IS GOOD FOR 150,000 MILES WITH THE DEX COOL COOLANT, WHICH IS CLEARLY A FALSE CLAIM. *JB

FAILURE OF COOLING SYSTEM, ENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. VEHICLE IS 1999 BUICK CENTURY WITH ONLY 41000 ORIGINAL MILES. ENGINE OIL LEAKED INTO COOLING RADIATOR. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HEAD LIGHT AIMING DEVICE ON THE VEHICLE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 99V356000, REGARDING THE HEADLIGHTS. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL, IT IS STILL HAVING THE TYPE OF PROBLEMS AS BEFORE THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES CONCERNING THE HEADLIGHT AIMING DEVICES. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT THE VEHICLE STRUCK A DEER AT 60 MPH AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALTHOUGH THE CONTACT AND PASSENGER WERE WEARING T SEAT BELTS, THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES FROM THE SEAT BELT STRAPS. THERE WAS NO PRE BRAKING INVOLVED. THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRBAGS. DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE ADJUSTOR. SINCE THE CRASH INVOLVED A DEER NO POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. *AK *AK

DT: CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN TURNING A CORNER HE HEARS A CLANKING NOISE. THE DEALER TOLD HIM IT WAS A CRACKED FRONT STABILIZER BAR. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INFORMED HIM OF SOME CORROSION ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THE PART WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND THEY OFFERED NO FREE REMEDY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THIS TIME.*AK UPDATED 12/7/2005. *NM

INTAKE GASKET FAILED ON 3.1 ENGINE IN A 1999 BUICK CENTURY. THIS ENGINE HAS LESS THAN 55,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. IT APPEARS AS IF THERE ARE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME ISSUE AND THE MANUFACTURER DENIES THAT THERE WAS FAULTY WORKMANSHIP INVOLVED. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR $700.00 ALSO SAME CAR WITH LESS THAN 20,000 MILES THE BOLT HOLDING THE LEFT FRONT CALIPER FELL OFF WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD WITH MY DAUGHTER DRIVING (DRIVERS PERMIT) AND LOCKED UP THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL DAMAGING THE RIM. COST OF REPAIR $350.00. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 1999 BUICK CENTURY. HE STATES THAT SIX MONTHS AFTER HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE HE TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR A RECALL ON THE HEADLIGHTS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS THERE THEY MAINTENANCE THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE GAS FILLER PIPE HAD DETERIORATED AND THE COOLING SYSTEM INTAKE WAS LEAKING COOLANT. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS ABOUT 50,000 MILES. BOTH FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS HAD BLOWN OUT AND THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED ALSO. WYOMING VALLEY MOTORS PO BOX 1308 KINGSTON, PA 18704-0308. HE HAS SPOKEN WITH GM THEY TOLD HIM THEY WOULD GET BACK WITH HIM IN A COUPLE OF DAYS AND THEY DID NOT CONTACT HIM BACK. HE IS NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL AFTER 4:30. THEY TOLD HIM THE GAS FILLER PIPE WAS NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE. HE SEEN A ARTICLE THAT SAID THEY HAD BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH YEAR FOR THE COOLING SYSTEM. THEY ALSO SAID THE BUSHINGS WAS NORMAL WEAR ON A CAR ALSO. HE DID GO ONTO CARFAX AND IT DID NOT INDICATE ANY TIME OF PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. *JB *NM

DT: THE VEHICLES BRAKES WENT OUT JUST AFTER GETTING THE TIRES ROTATED. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC THAT REPAIRED THE BRAKES, THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE BRAKES AND HEADLIGHTS. THE CONSUMER DIDNT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THEY PREVIOUSLY DIDN'T DO WORK THEY WERE SUPPOSE TO DO.*AK