1986 Buick Century problems & reliability
22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1986 Buick Century. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (5 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 27% |
| Steering | 5 | 23% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 18% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 14% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 9% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 9% |
| Visibility | 2 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 5% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 5% |
| Power Train | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 14 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Steering locked at slight left turn coming out of curve and caused vehicle to steer left across center and off road into trees at 55 mph. My son was injured, the car totalled.”
Steering · filed Apr 22, 2004
“Ongoing problem with hesitation and stalling while driving. Vehicle has been to dealer on five occasions and the problem is still reoccurring. *ak the oxygen sensor, the solenoid and fuel filter were replaced as possible causes for stalling to the vehicle, however the problem continued. *yh”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Feb 28, 2002
“Vehicle was struck broadside by a chevrolet tahoe. Collision was partially investigated by chp central division mait. Forces placed on belt during rotation separated the webbing. Any questions, please contact central division mait, case: cl-031-00, phone: (559)277-7250”
Seat Belts · filed Sep 6, 2000
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FRONT BRAKE DISC/HUB SEP
Preliminary Evaluation PE91120 · opened Aug 30, 1991 · closed Nov 4, 1991
- STALLING
Engineering Analysis EA87022 · opened Aug 27, 1987 · closed Nov 27, 1991
- POWER ST. ASSIST
Engineering Analysis EA87006 · opened Dec 16, 1986 · closed Sep 19, 1988
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1986 Buick Century in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1986 Buick Century?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.