AI Damage1996 Buick Century: common problems
Owners of the 1996 Buick Century filed 80 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 80
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 13% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 13% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 10% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 10% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 10% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 12 complaints (15% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 10 complaints (13% of all).
- Steering: 10 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 9 complaints (11% of all).
- Structure: 8 complaints (10% 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.
- 2.2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 3.1 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 80 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 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 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.
The initial reason for bringing the car in for servicing was that the airbag light was on. The mechanics of ragsdale chevrolet then went through the system and replaced the sensors. The cost of the repairs was very high and seemed legitimate and the airbag light was no longer on.
Consumer is requesting information as to how to obtain free vehicle repairs. The consumer was involved in an accident in which the air bag partially deployed and caused injury to the drivers head. The consumer and his wife are on a fixed income.
Started car and gasoline started gushing out from beneath the car between the driver's door and the front wheel-well. As the car was partly in the garage, I drove it out of the garage and turned the engine off. This stopped the flow of gasoline.
Driving towards a stoplight and the brake pedal went to the floor on a 1996 buick century. Pumping gave only partial rear braking. Drove to friend's house (during which the brakes worked normally the whole way).
The contact stated that the driver's side seat belt was too tight and causes her to choke. She noticed bruises on her neck. She took the vehicle to several dealers requesting that they adjust or change the seat belt. The dealers stated that they were unable to adjust or change the seat belt due to the design.
I have a 1996 buick that recently developed a problem with the power steering. The rack in the rack and pinion steering system will not allow the car to turn left. I researched this problem on the internet and found many instances of this problem with many general motors vehicles.
Automatic door locks will lock when the car is in gear and idling. Driver mistakenly got out of car with the car in gear and idling. The automatic door locks immediately locked the driver out of the car. Driver had to bust window to shut the car off before car rolled into building.
Consumer requested his vehicle be included in the power steering recall. The consumer had extensive power steering work performed on the vehicle. The consumer was informed that his vehicle was assembled with a w body which was the body for the basis of the recall.
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 4,081 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Century has 70 complaints (26 years in the data). This year has 80, about average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- 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 199033 sources
- Century 199138 sources
- Century 199245 sources
- Century 199354 sources
- Century 1994106 sources
- Century 199599 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 1996 Buick Century?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, fuel system, steering. Total complaints: 80. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (10%), vibration (10%), steering or power steering problems (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 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 1996 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 1996 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.