Buick Century Years to Avoid — Worst & Best Years to Buy

Q: What year Century should I avoid?

Based on NHTSA recall and complaint data, the 1999 Buick Century has the most documented problems with a problem score of 171 — driven by 3 recalls, 148 complaints.

Q: What is the best year Century to buy?

The 2005 Buick Century is the best-scoring year in our analysis with a problem score of only 17, meaning 1 recall and 14 complaints on record.

Q: Which Century has the fewest problems?

The 2005, 2004, 1993 model years have the fewest reported problems in the NHTSA database. Always verify a specific vehicle's history with a VIN report before purchasing.

Every Buick Century model year (1992–2005) ranked by recall count, complaint volume, deaths, and injuries. Data sourced directly from NHTSA.

Years Tracked

Total Recalls

1057

Total Complaints

Reported Injuries

Reported Deaths

Buick Century Years to Avoid

#1 WORST

1999

3 recalls · 148 complaints

7 reported injuries

Top issue: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Problem score: 171

#2 WORST

1998

2 recalls · 135 complaints

7 reported injuries

Top issue: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Problem score: 155

#3 WORST

2000

4 recalls · 116 complaints

5 reported injuries

Top issue: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Problem score: 138

Best Buick Century Years to Buy

#1 BEST

2005

1 recall · 14 complaints

Main area: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Problem score: 17

#2 BEST

2004

1 recall · 26 complaints

Main area: EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Problem score: 33

#3 BEST

1993

1 recall · 35 complaints

Main area: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Problem score: 56

Found the right year? Verify that specific Century with a free VIN report.

Buick Century — Year-by-Year Problem Report

Year	Recalls	Complaints	Injuries	Deaths	Problem Score	Verdict
2005	1	14	—	—	17	Excellent
2004	1	26	2	—	33	Good
2003	1	76	2	—	83	Caution
2002	1	95	1	—	100	Caution
2001	3	108	3	—	123	Avoid
2000	4	116	5	—	138	Avoid
1999	3	148	7	—	171	Avoid
1998	2	135	7	—	155	Avoid
1997	1	63	2	—	70	Caution
1996	1	49	4	—	60	Caution
1995	0	65	8	—	81	Caution
1994	5	83	15	—	128	Avoid
1993	1	35	9	—	56	Good
1992	3	44	3	—	59	Good

All 14 model years shown. Deaths and injuries from NHTSA complaint filings. Higher problem scores indicate more reported safety issues.

Buick Century Shopping Guide by Era

Pre-2013

Proceed with Caution

Older Century models have more accumulated wear and a larger recall history. These are higher-risk purchases without documented maintenance records and a clean VIN history report.

Frequently Asked Questions

What year Century should I avoid?+

Avoid the 1999 Buick Century if possible. It has 3 recalls, 148 owner complaints. The overall problem score is 171 — the highest in our dataset.

What is the best year Century to buy?+

The 2005 Buick Century is the lowest-risk year in our analysis, with a problem score of 17. It has only 1 recall and 14 complaints on record with NHTSA.

Which Century has the fewest problems?+

The 2005, 2004, 1993 model years have the fewest documented problems. Even for low-problem years, verifying a specific vehicle's history via its VIN is always recommended before purchase.

More Buick Century Research

Reliability Score

Overall reliability rating and score breakdown for the Buick Century.

Common Problems

Full breakdown of every reported defect for the Buick Century.

Check a Specific Buick Century VIN

Model-year rankings show statistical risk. A VIN-specific report reveals the individual vehicle's full history — accidents, odometer rollbacks, auction records, and open recall status.

Run a Free VIN Report →