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Buick CenturyModel year report

1997 Buick Century Problems

Complaints
106filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
94,944miles, 22 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 1997 Buick Century (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about windshield wipers that stop working or park in the wrong position during rain, and about power steering that locks or stiffens, usually when turning left. Seat belt retractors and rear belts that will not pull out, plus intermittent power window and horn problems, also come up repeatedly. Many reports describe failures at moderate to high mileage, with a number of complaints filed long after purchase.

  1. Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

    Windshield wipers stop working or park upright

    • 10 complaints (9%)
    • median 49,400 mi at 7.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
    • filed 1997–2007

    Complaints describe wipers that quit during rain, often the passenger-side or driver-side arm only, leaving the driver to pull over. Several owners report that when switched off the blades stop mid-windshield or swing to an upright position, blocking the view. Some had the wiper motor or linkage fittings replaced or retightened, and several say they were told their vehicle was not covered by the wiper linkage recall because of its VIN. Reported across a wide mileage range, from roughly 16,000 to over 120,000 miles, typically in rain or wet conditions.

    Recall 99V348000

    What to check: Test the wipers in every speed and delay setting, including the off position, and check whether they park correctly. Ask whether the 99V348000 wiper linkage campaign was ever performed on the vehicle.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Windshield wipers have been standing straight up when in an off position for 6 or 7 years. Found the campaign and then the recall and tried to get a remedy from the on several occasions as well as GM ,to no avail..I was made to buy a motor for the windshield wipers and that worked for a little while. Then last summer or fall I went back to the dealer because now the issue looked to be a recall, and they told me there was, but not for my VIN#, and I was made to pay $70 for the adjustment..it is now not working again ,and I am very frustrated. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10186993, filed 2007-04, 36,000 miles

    “I have a 1997 Buick Century with windshield wiper problems. By way of history, I have had to take this vehicle to the shop twice (and I believe possibly a third time) because the windshield wipers would not function. Each time, the problem related to some fitting that had to be retightened (I was never shown the precise part by the repair personnel). Now, although the windshield wipers will work properly in the rain, when they are turned off, they go to the upright position, obscuring the windshield. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10013643, filed 2003-03
  2. Steering

    Power steering locks or stiffens when turning left

    • 13 complaints (12%)
    • median 102,000 mi at 7.0 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2001–2014

    Owners describe losing power assist, often when turning left at low speed or pulling out of a parking space, with the wheel becoming very hard to turn or seeming to lock. Several complaints say a rack and pinion replacement was needed, and some mention a clicking or banging noise before or during the failure. A few owners were told their vehicle fell outside a steering recall based on VIN. Reports range from about 16,000 miles to over 140,000 miles, frequently noticed during low-speed left turns.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Turn the wheel fully both ways at low speed, listening for clicks or binding, and ask whether the rack and pinion has ever been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was making a left turn and the steering locked and there was a loud bang. I wasn't able to complete the turn causing me to drive off the road and onto a lawn. The steering wheel wouldn't go back to the correct position and it seemed to be in manual steering mode. I could barely move the wheel. The car is not drivable at this time.”

    NHTSA complaint #10401262, filed 2011-05, 143,314 miles

    “1) car needed towed to garage for starter failure. As it left the garage the steering locked up and sent car almost into oncoming traffic with 2 children in the car. There had been no other warnings of a problem. 2) it happens every time the steering is turned one direction then back to the other. It does not just come back. Especially to the left. I almost crashed 4 times just trying to get it home. 3) I filed an insurance claim on the tow company thinking they were responsible. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10260319, filed 2009-02, 129,100 miles
  3. Seat belts

    Seat belts will not retract or pull out

    • 11 complaints (10%)
    • median 43,000 mi at 4.6 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
    • filed 1998–2005

    Complaints describe seat belts that fail to retract fully, get caught in the door, or cannot be pulled out at all, most often on the rear belts. Owners report dealers replacing or adjusting the retractors, with the problem recurring in some cases, and one owner was told the belt was not covered by a recall and the warranty had expired. Mostly reported on vehicles with under 45,000 miles in the sample, though several complaints list no mileage.

    What to check: Pull each belt out fully and let it retract, front and rear, and confirm the buckle latches securely on every seating position.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Seat belts won't work and can only sit grandson in center seat in order to put restraint on him. Right side rear hasn't worked in over 1 1/2 years. Left side hasn't worked right since we got the car and now don't work at all. Our grandson lives with us, he is four years old and it is the law that he is to be in a car seat and restrained. The car is only used six months out of the year, hasn't been abused. I feel that dealer or manufacturer should replace, since we haven't had the car very long and is a safety item. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10007346, filed 2002-08, 43,000 miles

    “Both rear passenger and driver side seat belts are inoperative. Consumer is unable to pull out the seat belts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. The mechanic informed the driver that both seat belt retractors needed to be replaced. Please provide further details.”

    NHTSA complaint #10111736, filed 2005-02
  4. Electrical system

    Horn hard to press

    • 10 complaints (9%)
    • typically at 1.6 yrs old
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 1998–2000

    Several owners report that the horn button is small or requires excessive effort to press, making it difficult to sound while turning. Some complaints describe the dealer replacing the horn and air bag assembly with only slight improvement, or saying the horn area could not be modified. Reports cluster in the late 1990s on vehicles with no mileage listed.

    What to check: Sit in the car and press the horn from a normal driving hand position, including while turning the wheel, to see how easily it sounds.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Due to design and location of horn assembly, which is connected to air bags, and upon attemtping to sound off horn in an emergency situation when making a left or right hand turn, buttons are hard to locate. Consumer has contacted dealer. The whole air bag and horn assembly was replaced . The horn blowing is slightly improved but still impossible to blow when trying to turn.”

    NHTSA complaint #870858, filed 2000-09

    “It's very difficult for consumer to honk the horn because the bottom horn is so small and so hard that he couldn't operate it. Causing consumer to have an accident. *akthe service manager told to the consumer that the only way to correct this problem was to replace the entire car and that the horn area could not be done.”

    NHTSA complaint #831329, filed 1998-11

Buying note. On a car this age, check the wipers and power steering carefully on a test drive, since those are the most frequently reported problems, and confirm the wiper linkage campaign was completed. Inspect all seat belts and ask for any records of steering rack or wiper motor work.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 106 consumer complaints for the 1997 Buick Century. 22 of the complaints include a mileage, and 32% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 94,944 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 17 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Body and structure (4), Fuel system (3), Tires (3), Vehicle speed control (3), Other or unknown (2), Transmission and drivetrain (2), Engine (1), Interior lighting (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Electrical system: “The electronic display module second time after replacing in my 1997 Buick Century does not display and the part cost $300-500 and its not something like a bulb and nobody want s to address this issue .”

NHTSA complaint #10058279, filed 2004-02

Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): “I was on 275w. When my right window wiper arm started to stop then it died, my husband told to see what I could find out on repairing it and cost on the computer, I ran across this little thing on the computer about 1997 Buick Century's and the right windshield {component: visibility: windshield wiper/washer linkages} well when I read all of it that describes what happen to my wiper. When I called everybody said no not your car, and I said I don't understand because the same thing is wrong with mind.”

NHTSA complaint #10152401, filed 2006-03, 124,636 miles

Seat belts: “The front passenger's side seat belt retracts after clicking the seat belt in to stay connection. The passenger would hold the seat belt retractor. This caused the seat belt to tighten. The consumer took the vehicle to dealer for inspection, and the mechanic told the consumer that the seat belt was not recalled for this vehicle, and the warranty expired. The consumer informed the mechanic of this problem and they adjusted it twice but the problem recurred.”

NHTSA complaint #10091607, filed 2004-11

Steering: “Started car and backed out of parking space. Steering wheel would hardly turn wheels to the left; no power assist. Started moving forward and turning right, then power assist resumed. Also, steering shudder occurs after rounding corners and accelerating. Local dealer service rep states car needs new rack & pinion assembly and is a common problem in centuries and regals 4-5 years old.”

NHTSA complaint #10005824, filed 2003-02, 38,120 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

32% of the 22 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 43,000 and 118,900 miles.

5%0–105%10–2523%25–509%50–759%75–10045%100–1505%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (22 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 94,944 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’971717’00’03’06’10’13’17
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 1997 Buick Century → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 17 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 17 bulletins →

Other model years of the Buick Century

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20051968,9770—21—Rising
20043973,0000—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200312763,5460—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200215462,0000—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200114554,8003—21Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200019360,9355—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199923556,5003—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199821857,9722—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199710694,9442——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19968075,5501—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19959992,5001—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199410688,5006—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199354123,0002—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19924594,5003—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19913845,0822—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199033—2—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198940110,0001—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198816—3—21—Stable
19872890,0000—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198622100,0002—20—Stable
19857—0—19—Not enough data
19848—3—20—Not enough data

All Buick Century model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 1997 Buick Century?

Owners of this model year most often write about windshield wipers that stop working or park in the wrong position during rain, and about power steering that locks or stiffens, usually when turning left. The issues reported most often: Windshield wipers stop working or park upright; Power steering locks or stiffens when turning left; Seat belts will not retract or pull out.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 1997 Buick Century have?

NHTSA recorded 106 consumer complaints for the 1997 Buick Century as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 1997 Buick Century is reported most often?

Electrical system is named most often, in 20 complaints (19% of the total), followed by visibility with 16.

Has the 1997 Buick Century been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 1997 Buick Century reported?

Among the 22 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 94,944 miles and the middle half falls between 43,000 and 118,900 miles; 32% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.