AI Damage1987 Buick Century: common problems
Owners of the 1987 Buick Century filed 28 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 28
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 29% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 5 Seat belts 7% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 7% of all complaints
- 8 Child seat 4% of all complaints
- Steering: 8 complaints (29% of all).
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (11% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (11% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seat belts: 2 complaints (7% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 28 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 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Child seat | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
When put into gear the car accelerated over a bank into a brook. Foot was not on pedal gas pedal. Vehicle was totaled.
When the vehicle was in park the engine reved and went into reverse while in park. Please describe.
My mother has a buick that she had firestone radial tires installed on the front. The tires, p185/75r14 had a belt break in them within one week of each other. The dealer she bought them from refuses to talk to her about it. What can she do?
Transmission slips and doesn't lock into gear. Also makes clunking sound when acceleration is let off then re-applied. This car was driven gently throughout its life by senior citizens.
While being involved in an accident at 20-25 mph front driver's side seat broke off the track. Contacted dealer, and dealer was not willing to do anything.
When turning on heater engine rpm's go up sometimes and can keep car moving at 45-50 mph without depressing the gas, turning off heater control does not always drop the rpm's, when putting the car in park the engine races at very high rpm's and consumer must turn off engine quickly. Nlm
Problem with century ovation car seat. My 2 year old son pulled the t-bar shield out of the buckle area 2 times. It was properly secured. We took the car seat out and tried it ourselves. Without much effort at all, we were able to pull it out 7 out of 10 tries.
Even mechanics can't solve this; so it is hard for me to diagnose. No safety defec tlisted in summary.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,081 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Century has 70 complaints (26 years in the data). This year has 28, below average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
- Century 19823 sources
- Century 19848 sources
- Century 19857 sources
- Century 198622 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 1987 Buick Century?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, electrical system, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 28. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (18%), stalls while driving (14%), seat belts (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1987 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 1987 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 1987 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 2026-11-05.