1991 Buick Century problems & reliability
38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 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.
3 complaints report injuries (8 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1991 Buick Century vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 0 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 24% |
| Electrical System | 8 | 21% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 13% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 13% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 11% |
| Seats | 4 | 11% |
| Power Train | 3 | 8% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 5% |
| Visibility | 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
“Tl* the contact owns a 1990 buick century (n/a). The contact stated that while driving various speeds, the engine stalled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vin was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.”
Engine · filed Dec 16, 2014
“Transmission doesnt want to go in gear after making a turn. Have not had the car repaired because the value of it is approx. $2,725 only. Have only had an estimate. The repair-man said he thought it was a sprague. Dont know if this is correct spelling. I realize the car is old, but the mileage is low for this many…”
Power Train · filed Apr 22, 2004
“Wheel cylinder detached from mounting point,got caught up in brake shoes, which caused wheel to freeze up, leading to rollover accident”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Dec 27, 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
Technical service bulletins
1 manufacturer communication (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 Buick Century.
Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
130089009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2013
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1991 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 1991 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.