1998 Buick Century problems & reliability
218 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 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.
7 complaints report injuries (9 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Buick Century vehicles were involved in 21 fatal crashes with 18 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 | 27 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 26 | 12% |
| Power Train | 26 | 12% |
| Steering | 24 | 11% |
| Visibility | 24 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 22 | 10% |
| Exterior Lighting | 21 | 10% |
| Unknown OR Other | 16 | 7% |
| Seat Belts | 12 | 6% |
| Structure | 11 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 57,972 miles (middle 50% between 39,300 and 81,500 miles), based on 59 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My vehicle's window controls and lock controls are no longer working, when locking the door or the window will go down but will not come up. The rest of the windows control throughout the car will not work as well. The lighting in the car flickers if you would push the lot or the window control. Anterior light is no…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Dec 29, 2020
“Tl* the contact owned a 1998 buick century. While the vehicle was being operated, the brakes and steering column seized. As a result, the vehicle was involved in a front end crash. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and deemed destroyed. A police report was filed. The contact sustained short term memory…”
Service Brakes · filed Oct 4, 2016
“Multiple cracking on sidewalls of 4 michelin harmony tires being used 3000 miles a year. Tires bought in 2007 and have 99% of tread still present on tire. Feel michelin used insufficient uv/ozone inhibitor chemicals in rubber compound manufacturing these tires. Tires may be unsafe and not due to car owner's fault…”
Tires · filed Nov 6, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA03019 · opened Sep 15, 2003 · closed Dec 18, 2003 · led to recall 03V527000
- POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE
Recall Query RQ03001 · opened Jan 2, 2003 · closed Sep 15, 2003
- WINDSHIELD WIPER
Engineering Analysis EA99024 · opened Aug 20, 1999 · closed Jan 13, 2000
- WINDSHIELD WIPER
Preliminary Evaluation PE99028 · opened Apr 16, 1999 · closed Aug 20, 1999
Technical service bulletins
87 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Buick Century. The 10 most recent:
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2022
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 31, 2020
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 5, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco Theft Lock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2018
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2017
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2017
This informational bulletin provides information on wheel bearing P/N 13582664 being received new with visible rust and no action is needed as this does not affect the part performance.
17-NA-016 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 3, 2017
This informational bulletin provides information on wheel bearing P/N 13582664 being received new with visible rust and no action is needed as this does not affect the part performance.
17-NA-016 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 25, 2017
Vehicle Recalls
Recalls · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 30, 2014
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 1998 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 1998 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 57,972 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.