1992 Buick Century problems & reliability
45 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1992 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.
8 complaints report injuries (13 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1992 Buick Century vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. 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 → | 12 | 27% |
| Electrical System | 8 | 18% |
| Power Train | 6 | 13% |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 13% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 9% |
| Steering | 3 | 7% |
| Structure | 3 | 7% |
| Equipment | 2 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 4% |
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
“Dt: on march 14th two new front tires were purchased at sears. On april 10th the right front tire blew out while driving at 45 mph. This resulted in damage to other parts of the vehicle. There was damage to wheel well, the passenger door, tire axle and the underbody of the vehicle. There has been no inspection made of…”
Tires · filed Jun 22, 2005
“We bought this car used, but we have it serviced every 5-6,000 kms. Nothing small goes in this vehicle. We basically drive within a 55 km radius. The tranny would not shift, the body rotted out despite rust proofing, now the rad has oil in it, head gasket, not even 160,000 kms,,,please where are the old fashion value,”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Apr 22, 2004
“Consumer requests to be reimbursed for repairs made to vehicle regarding the transmission which was under recall (91v214). Consumer feels that buick is not being fair considering the vehicle problem is due to a factory or design defect, consumer states the transmission malfunctioned while on the highway. *jg”
Power Train · filed Jul 31, 2002
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1992 Buick Century.
Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
130089009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2013
Owners of some vehicles equipped with hydra-matic 3t40, 4t60, 4t60-e or 4t65-e transaxles may comment on a grinding and / or growling noise that is noticeable when standing in park on a hill or slope with the engine…
990730030A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2001
Some vehicles equipped with hydra-matic 3t40, 4t60 or 4t60-e transxales may comment on a grinding and / or growling noise that is noticeable when in park on incline. *tt
990730030 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1999
Grinding and/or growling noise in park on incline.*sd
9573T4001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 1995
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 1992 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 1992 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.