Problems · NHTSA complaints

2000 Buick Century problems

Owners filed 205 complaints about the 2000 Buick Century with NHTSA between Mar 2000 and Jul 2020. The most-cited component is power train (47).

Complaints
205
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
11
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
11
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train47
  2. Visibility31
  3. Service brakes, hydraulic29
  4. Electrical system20
  5. Engine and engine cooling20
  6. Exterior lighting14
  7. Steering12
  8. Air bags10
  9. Seat belts9
  10. Suspension7
  11. Fuel system, gasoline6
  12. Engine6
  13. Vehicle speed control4
  14. Structure4

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
200024
200130
200217
200315
200419
200516
20066
200714
200813
20099
201010
20117
20123
20134
20147
20150
20163
20172
20182
20193
20201

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

47 reports
“DEFECTIVE ODOMETER READINGS, GEAR INDICATORS DISAPPEARED. THE ODOMETER READING DISAPPEARED, AND THE GEAR INDICATOR DISAPPEARED ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I HAVE NO WAY TO READ MY ODOMETER, NOR DO I KNOW WHAT GEAR I AM IN, PRND21. NOW I CAN ACCIDENTLY BE IN REVERSE AND NOT EVEN KNOW IT. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION, AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS. MECHANIC CHARGES $100.00 TO FIX, AND ALSO STATES THEY CAN INSERT ANY ODOMETER READING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE. THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL. I NO LONGER HAVE A VALID ODOMETER READING FOR MY YEARLY INSPECTIONS, OR IF I WERE TO SELL MY VEHICLE. I COULD DRIVE IN 1ST GEAR AND BURN UP MY TRANSMISSION AND SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSTATE AND CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR BE RUN OVER FOR DEAD STOPPED ON ROADS. MY INSTRUMENT PANEL HAS NOT HAD AN ACCURATE FUEL GUAGE READING IN YEARS, IT COMES AND GOES. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT GAS USAGE BY MILEAGE, NOW THAT IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE. I MUST FILL UP WEEKLY JUST SO I KNOW I WONT RUN OUT OF GAS. THE CAR ONLY HAS 55,000 ORIGINAL MILES ON IT. THIS IS JUST NOT RIGHT. I EXTREMELY UPSET ABOUT THIS AND DONT KNOW HOW TO GET IT FIXED PROPERLY AND COVERED FROM THE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 12, 2018Power train, Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Interior lightingODI 11084851

Visibility

31 reports
“2000 BUICK CENTURY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE WINDOW MOTOR/ REGULATOR REPAIRS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE WINDOW REGULATOR WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 11, 2016VisibilityODI 10852650

Service brakes, hydraulic

29 reports3 crashes1 related recall
“2000 BUICK CENTURY. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEMS WITH ABS CONTROL MODULE BRAKING SYSTEM *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THE 1999 MODEL FOR THE EXACT PROBLEM. ON OCTOBER 23,2007, THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND A TROUBLE CODE OF C1218 APPEARED. THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED AND THE HYDRAULIC BRAKING SYSTEM WAS PURGED AND FLUSHED AND THE CODE WAS CLEARED. THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN IN DECEMBER 2007 INTERMITTENTLY, AT THAT TIME A CODE CAME UP AS B0041. THE ABS COMPUTER MODULE WAS REPLACED AND THE HYDRAULIC BRAKING SYSTEM WAS PURGED AND FLUSHED AGAIN. IN JULY 2010, THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN, BUT INTERMITTENTLY AND AS OF AUGUST 2011, IT IS ON ALL THE TIME. THE MECHANIC RECEIVED A CODE OF C1218 AGAIN. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 17, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10429911

Electrical system

20 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BUICK CENTURY. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WITHOUT WARNING. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN THE HIGH BEAM SWITCH WAS ACTIVATED, THE CHECK ENGINE, ABS, AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 7, 2019Electrical system, Exterior lightingODI 11206049

Engine and engine cooling

20 reports1 crash
“VERY HARD TRANSMISSION SHIFTING RETURNING FROM A LONG-DISTANCE TRIP / "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. MECHANIC REPORTS DTC P1811 ERROR CODE AS WELL AS OTHER ERROR CODES. MECHANIC REPLACED BOTH TCC SOLENOID AND PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID TO RESOLVE SHIFTING PROBLEM. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 13, 2011Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10430030

Exterior lighting

14 reports
“OUR DAUGHTER WAS NEARLY KILLED BY A DRIVER WITH THEIR LIGHTS OFF. MANY DRIVERS OF LATE MODEL CARS ARE NOT AWARE THAT THEIR LIGHTS ARE OFF BECAUSE THEIR DASH IS LIT AND THEIR DRIVING LIGHTS ARE ON. THERE ARE NO ALERTS TELLING PEOPLE THEIR LIGHTS ARE OFF!!!!! OUR SEAT BELTS MAKE NOISE, IF A CAR DOOR IS OPEN IT ALERTS US. I HAVE OBSERVED THAT APPROXIMATELY 10-20% OF CARS ON A STREET OR FREEWAY ARE DRIVING WITH THEIR LIGHTS OFF. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE SOLVED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE COMPLAINED WITH NO RESULT. IF THERE IS NO ACTION I WILL BE FILING A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN THE NAME OF MY DAUGHTER AGAINST THE NTSB TO DEMAND ACTION. PLEASE RESPOND.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 4, 2019Exterior lightingODI 11266048
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.