AI Damage1991 Buick Century: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Buick Century filed 38 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 38
- involving a crash
- 7
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 24% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 21% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
- 5 Seat belts 11% of all complaints
- 6 Seats 11% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 9 complaints (24% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 8 complaints (21% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (13% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 5 complaints (13% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seat belts: 4 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
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 38 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Child seat | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 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.
Wheel cylinder detached from mounting point,got caught up in brake shoes, which caused wheel to freeze up, leading to rollover accident
When switching gear from drive to reverse engine sudden accelerated, crashing into vehicle behind. Then, switched gear to drive and engine sudden accelerated again, crashing into vehicle in front. Vehicle took off on it's own, driving over curve and crashing into a wall then, hitting an utility pole.
Vehicle parked, waiting for granddaughter, when she arrived, started vehicle, then suddenly took off, 2nd time it occurred.
The vehicle was involved in a collision and neither front seatbelts restrained the occupants. Please describe. Tt
Parked in drive way with engine running put car in drive and engine went wide open. Applied brakes, brakes went to floor. Please describe. Tt
Vehicle stalled total brake failure. This is the fourth incident. Tt
The contact stated that while driving various speeds, the engine stalled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vin was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
Now, the service engine soon light comes on after car warms up- and stays on- transmission man said didnt have anything to do with the trans. Have not had a computer diagnosis.
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 6,094 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Century has 70 complaints (26 years in the data). This year has 38, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- 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.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
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 199033 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 1991 Buick Century?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, electrical system, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 38. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (11%), seat belts (8%), brake failure (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 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 1991 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 1991 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.