1999 Buick Century problems & reliability
235 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Buick Century, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
13 complaints report injuries (18 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Buick Century vehicles were involved in 24 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 55 | 23% |
| Visibility | 29 | 12% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 25 | 11% |
| Exterior Lighting | 24 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 15 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 15 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 14 | 6% |
| Steering | 13 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 13 | 6% |
| Power Train | 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 57,808 miles (middle 50% between 39,885 and 84,500 miles), based on 98 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Dec 17,1999 manufacturer recall numbern990093 nhtsa recall number99v356 recall statusrecall incomplete summary these vehicles do not conform to the requirements of fmvss no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the vertical head lamp adjusting device may not be calibrated properly. Safety risk…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Feb 4, 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 buick century. While driving various speeds, the shift gear board and odometer lighting failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to fountain buick (8701 s orange blossom trail a, orlando, fl 32809) where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel lights needed to be replaced. The vehicle…”
Electrical System · filed Oct 27, 2017
“1) need headlight adjustment instructions for a known recall. 2) every door window motor in the buick failed on each window preventing the windows from lowering if in the up position or prevented the windows from raising if in a lowered position. The windows had to be duct taped shut in order to prevent rain from…”
Electrical System · filed Oct 25, 2017
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
98 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Buick Century. The 10 most recent:
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17-NA-073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 21, 2023
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
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
The 1999 Buick Century has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 1999 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 57,808 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.