2004 Buick Century problems & reliability
39 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 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 (5 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2004 Buick Century vehicles were involved in 25 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting → | 11 | 28% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 15% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 13% |
| Engine | 4 | 10% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 8% |
| Suspension | 3 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 5% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 5% |
| Steering | 2 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 18 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 33 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 76,000 miles (middle 50% between 37,000 and 125,887 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick century. The contact stated that while her son was driving at approximately 35 mph, the air bags deployed independently without warning. The air bag hit the contact's arm and face leaving minor marks and bruises. The driver did not seek medical attention for his injuries. The…”
Air Bags · filed May 26, 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick century. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated, while driving approximately 10 mph. The contact stated that the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the…”
Air Bags · filed Jan 10, 2020
“Front and rear brake lines failed leaving me with no brakes. I was driving at low speed. The rear brake line was the first to go. The front burst and about 4 weeks later the cause was rust and corrosion. Both times the pedal went to the floor.”
Service Brakes · filed Sep 7, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
405 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Buick Century. The 10 most recent:
This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an unusual noise and is difficult to identify, isolate or pinpoint. Technician should get record a sound clip or…
PIP5358D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 20, 2025
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…
PIP4723J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 25, 2024
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician…
PIT5099H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 12, 2024
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician…
PIT5099H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 12, 2024
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized…
PIT3271P · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 6, 2024
Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to…
General Communication · Service Campaign · issued Aug 26, 2024
GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities. The damage is being caused either in the removal process by the technician, or inadequate packaging or shipping. This…
24-NA-141 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 24, 2024
This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how…
16-NA-383 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 28, 2024
This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
18-NA-099 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 2024
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 2004 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 2004 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 76,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.