2003 Buick Century vs 2003 Nissan Altima
Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 8, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.
| Metric | 2003 Buick Century | 2003 Nissan Altima |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA complaints | 127 | 883 |
| Recall campaigns | 0 | 4 |
| Service bulletins (TSBs) | 400 | 101 |
| Investigations | 0 | 1 |
| Crash reports | 4 | 41 |
| Fire reports | 2 | 13 |
| NCAP overall rating | — | — |
| EPA MPG (combined) | 21 | 19–23 |
| Median reported incident mileage | 65,546 mi | 85,000 mi |
Reported problems side by side
| Component | Buick Century | Nissan Altima |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 13 | 450 |
| Structure | 11 | 126 |
| Engine | 2 | 117 |
| Electrical System | 23 | 89 |
| Exterior Lighting | 48 | 17 |
| Power Train | 6 | 34 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 33 |
| Air Bags | 3 | 28 |
Symptoms owners describe
| Stalling | 0 | 235 |
| Check engine light | 0 | 129 |
| Rust / corrosion | 0 | 107 |
| Oil consumption | 0 | 40 |
| Hesitation / surging | 0 | 36 |
| Loss of power | 0 | 28 |
| Won’t start | 0 | 21 |
| Vibration / shaking | 0 | 14 |
2003 Buick Century
2003 Nissan Altima
Compare all Buick Century vs Nissan Altima years →
Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.