2002 Buick Century problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine And Engine Cooling (10) · Electrical System (9) · Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls (7)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Buick Century model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
101 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year (campaigns announced since 2010).
Service bulletins (386)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2025-07-18 · PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from tac.
Unknown Or Other 2025-02-20 · PIP5358D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 take a video of the noise for assessment by engineering. technician will need to
Electrical System 2024-10-25 · PIP4723J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 starting/charging tester and vehicle data recorder tools, giving website address and ste
Unknown Or Other 2024-09-12 · PIT5099H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 will need to have high and low pressures, outside temperature, humidity, and ven
Unknown Or Other 2024-09-12 · PIT5099H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 will need to have high and low pressures, outside temperature, humidity, and ven
Electrical System 2024-08-26 · General Communication · Service Campaign
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 updating affected modules (with some exceptions). the updating of modules is com
Showing the 6 most recent of 386 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2023-10-03 · Steering“unknown; the issues started around 6 months ago. just casually driving like usual, and my steering wheel would lock up and be ridiculously hard to turn, which is scary because its happened while turning through lights and intersections and trying to even just park my car. and on some of those occations the trac and abs sensors would come on, but no…”
2023-05-16 · Tires:sidewall“right front cooper gs5 grand touring 205/70 r15 96t with only 862 miles on it had a complete air loss/went completely flat when car was turning into a parking lot. this is one of a set of brand new tires on the car. the car was never driven on a highway after these were purchased. only local driving at 45 to 50 mph max. tire was taken to a tire…”
2022-04-19 · Fuel/Propulsion System“while letting off the gas in order to break, the accelerator pedal went to the floor on its own for about 3 seconds. pushing on the break stopped the accelerator. …”
2022-01-25 · Unknown Or Other“i was driving at night switched headlights to high beams - few minutes later switched back to low beams and all lights dash and head lights went completely out . tried to pull head light knob and nothing - pitch black . luckily i was a short distance from my home. this is extremely dangerous ! i have found 33 complaints (so far) about this sa…”
2020-11-10 · Service Brakes · 78,000 mi“both front sides has been repaired, but the abs, service soon, also the traction off lights . comes on and stay while the vehicle is in motion. once i turn vehicle off it goes off.…”
2018-11-28 · Air Bags · 140,000 mi · 💥 crash“tl* the contact owned a 2002 buick century. while the contact's vehicle was stationary, it was rear ended by another vehicle. as a result, the contact rear ended the preceding vehicle. the air bags did not deploy. a police report was filed. the contact sustained injuries to the back, neck, both legs, and arms. there were three minors in the back se…”
2018-06-17 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 115,000 mi · 🔥 fire“i was at the gas station tried to start my vehicle and it caught on fire at the gas station many could of been killed and or injured…”
2018-01-02 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 77,000 mi“fuel is leaking from the fuel pressure regulator…”
2017-04-04 · Vehicle Speed Control · 150,000 mi“intake leaking antifreeze - cost too much to repair for me. my only car to get to work. replacing bearings today for sticking back brakes. all interior accessories are broken; cosmetic mirror, ashtray, center console, passenger windshield wiper stripped motor, 1 window working. still owe on car but cannot fix everything. any help ????…”
2017-03-10 · Exterior Lighting · 85,000 mi“traveling at night, once in heavy traffic with lights on low beam and other times in light or no traffic with lights on high beam, all outside lights go out creating a very dangerous situation. does not matter if the manual switch is used or if the lights are on automatic. the only thing that makes them come back on is switching the high/ low beam…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.