AI Damage1982 Buick Century: common problems
Owners of the 1982 Buick Century filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 67% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 33% of all complaints
- Steering: 2 complaints (67% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (33% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 3 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Consumer was the third owner, the power steering is hard to turn in winter and when trying to make a left turn it is even harder. Please describe.
Power steering part worn, causing leak/steering difficulty.
Torque converter clutch locks up, causing vehicle to stall.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 17,152 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Century has 70 complaints (26 years in the data). This year has 3, below average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
- Century 19848 sources
- Century 19857 sources
- Century 198622 sources
- Century 198728 sources
- Century 198816 sources
- Century 198940 sources
- Century 199033 sources
- Century 199138 sources
- Century 199245 sources
- Century 199354 sources
- Century 1994106 sources
- Century 199599 sources
- Century 199680 sources
- Century 1997106 sources
- Century 1998218 sources
- Century 1999235 sources
- Century 2000193 sources
- Century 2001145 sources
- Century 2002154 sources
- Century 2003127 sources
- Century 200439 sources
- Century 200519 sources
- Century 99993 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1982 Buick Century?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, powertrain. Total complaints: 3. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (67%), stalls while driving (33%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1982 Buick Century?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1982 Buick Century from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1982 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.