1989 Buick Century problems & reliability
40 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 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 (14 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1989 Buick Century vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 7 | 18% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 18% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 13% |
| Structure | 5 | 13% |
| Seats | 4 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 5% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 5% |
| Suspension | 2 | 5% |
| Tires | 2 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“A technician serviced vehicle. Technician inspected the engine and determined that engine cradle was rusting. *ak”
Structure · filed Feb 3, 2004
“The paint has begun to peeling off the car. The primer is still there, however. The car has been owned by immediate family members since originally purchased in 1989 and has been kept under a carport/garage for all of its ownership. I own a 5-yr older ford that is not garaged, and the finish is still like new.”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jan 19, 2003
“When geting on to the highway the seat back fell in to the back seat making me unable to see any traffic ahead of me.*ak”
Seats · filed Mar 15, 2001
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STICKING THROTTLE
Engineering Analysis EA92024 · opened Jun 26, 1992 · closed Jan 31, 1994
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1989 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 1989 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.