AI Damage1990 Buick Century: common problems
Owners of the 1990 Buick Century filed 33 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 33
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 24% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 18% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 15% of all complaints
- 5 Seats 15% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 6% of all complaints
- 8 Tires 6% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 8 complaints (24% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (18% of all).
- Structure: 6 complaints (18% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (15% of all).
- Seats: 5 complaints (15% 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
- 3.3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 33 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 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.
Seat belt; failure on the driver and passenger side seat belts, consumer was in a accident and the driver and passenger side seat belt did not lock.
Problems with vehicle's steering. Stiffness in steering, sometimes consumer have to steer in neutral as it doesn't come back by itself. Sometimes it squeak while turning, no lock up has occurred yet.
Consumer states that while driving and without warning the engine blew and the vehicle started to smoke under the hood causing the consumer to pull over. Dealer notified. Mr
On wednesday 6/13/2002 my 1990 buick century lost steering control due to a failure in the cradle bolts.I could have been seriously injured.I have found the following recall which includes the 1990 buick regal, nhtsa recall no. 97v058/gm recall no. 97016.
Circuit breaker for seat in fuse compartment overheated, causing power seats and power door to be inoperative. Driver is unable to replace fuse because it was so hot, it burned. .
While driving down the highway, I noticed that the front of car lurched and the steering wheel position changed. Pulled car to side and saw that part of frame was hanging down. Took to dealer who said that the cradle bolt had pulled through the support and was hanging down.
Motor fell to ground while pulling out. This damaged steering and car was out of control.
None of the power windows would open or close. Vehicle was taken to dealership. Two broken wires were reconnected at owner's expense. Please provide any further information.
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 6,523 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Century has 70 complaints (26 years in the data). This year has 33, below average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
- Century 19823 sources
- Century 19848 sources
- Century 19857 sources
- Century 198622 sources
- Century 198728 sources
- Century 198816 sources
- Century 198940 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 1990 Buick Century?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, electrical system, structure. Total complaints: 33. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (21%), smoke, burning smell, fire (6%), brake failure (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1990 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 1990 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 1990 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.