AI Damage1998 Buick Century: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Buick Century filed 218 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 218
- involving a crash
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 12% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 4 Visibility 11% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 10% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 29 complaints (13% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 26 complaints (12% of all).
- Powertrain: 26 complaints (12% of all).
- Visibility: 25 complaints (11% of all).
- Steering: 24 complaints (11% of all), 4 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.
- 3.1 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 218 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 | 29 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 24 | 4 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| Equipment | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 5 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick century. While attempting to merge onto a highway she crashed into another vehicle. She was hospitalized for injuries. None of the air bag deployed. The failure and current mileages were unknown.
I bring in my tires for air pressure, and tell me " that the tires cracking".
The consumer stated that both frontal air bags did not deploy upon impact. The driver sustained minor injuries as a result. The consumer tried to avoid the accident but the steering wheel locked up and the vehicle shut off.
But yet it happened again, due to the brakes failing and now I was involved in an accident.
Consumer was involved in a 40 mph frontal collision in which driver's/passenger's air bags did not deploy. Cause unknown. Please give any further details.
Consumer was involved in a rear end collision and was forced into another vehicle in which neither driver or passenger side air bags deployed, causing injuries to both driver and passenger. Consumer has contacted the dealer. Dealer stated vehicle had over 5000 dollars worth of damage to the front end.
Investigator provided me with a copy of gm monthly newsletter issued 11/17/97 regarding power steering fluid leak from magnasteer acutator pigtail area for 1998 w,c,g &h body vehicles. The leak originates from the wiring harness for the magna steer actuator, causing vehicle to oversteer.
My vehicle's window controls and lock controls are no longer working, when locking the door or the window will go down but will not come up. The rest of the windows control throughout the car will not work as well. The lighting in the car flickers if you would push the lot or the window control.
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 1,853 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 5% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Century has 70 complaints (26 years in the data). This year has 218, above 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.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
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 199680 sources
- Century 1997106 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 1998 Buick Century?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 218. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (7%), windows, sunroof (6%), headlights and tail lights (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 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 1998 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 1998 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.