Problems · by component
2003 Buick Century exterior lighting problems
48 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 Buick Century cite exterior lighting, 37% of all 130 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
48
37% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the exterior lighting
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“THE VEHICLE'S GAS TANK WON'T HOLD MUCH AND CLICKS AS IF FULL. ALSO, WHEN ON UNEVEN PAVEMENT OR GROUND, THE ⛽ GAS WARNING LIGHT COMES ON, EVEN AFTER GAS WAS JUST PUT IN. IN ADDITION, AT TIMES I SMELL A "BURNING ELECTRICAL" SMELL AND THE HEADLIGHTS GO OUT, THE BRIGHTS FAIL TO "CLICK" ON OR GOES OFF BY ITSELF. THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS HAVE TO BE TURNED MANUALLY TO BLINK. ALL TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES AND THIS DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE BACK TURN SIGNALS WORK AND LIGHT UP, BUT NOT THE FRONT & BLINK AT A FASTER RATE. EVEN ONE SIDE HEADLIGHT ENGAGEMENT WAS REPLACED AND THE PROBLEMS STILL EXIST.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK CENTURY. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE MAINLY OCCURRED WHILE SWITCHING FROM LOW TO HIGH BEAM AND VICE VERSA. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. *TT*JB”
“BRIGHT LIGHTS WON'T STAY ON AND SOMETIMES IF YOU CAN GET THEM TO COME ON THEY WILL GO OUT WHILE DRIVING. WAS ON A CITY STREET AND TURNED RIGHT , THEY WENT OFF. SINCE THEN YOU CAN HOLD THE BRIGHT LIGHT SWITCH, BUT WHEN YOU TURN LOOSE THEY GOES OFF.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK CENTURY. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO RESPOND. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,704.”
“TURN BRIGHTS ON AND RADIO/CLOCK LIGHT GOES OFF. NO HEADLIGHTS ON DURING DAY DRIVING, RADIO/CLOCK LIGHT RANDOMLY GOES ON AND BACK OFF. HEAD LIGHTS BRIEFLY GONE OFF DURING NIGHT DRIVING 3 DIFFERENT TIMES ONLY FOR MAYBE 5 SECONDS, BUT IT ONLY TAKES A SECOND FOR A DEER OR OBJECT TO APPEAR AT NIGHT OR A CAR AHEAD BRAKING SUDDENLY. SPEEDOMETER BACK LIGHT DOES NOT ILLUMINATE FOR NIGHT DRIVING. TRAC OFF AND ANTI LOCK WARNING LIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY STAY ON, I HAVE HAD MY BRAKES REPLACED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS OF OWNING THE CAR SINCE OCTOBER 2007 AND THE WARNING LIGHTS DO NOT RESET THEMSELVES AS THEY SHOULD, THEY CONTINUOUSLY STAY ON SINCE 2009. I AM TIRED OF DEALING WITH ALL OF THESE ELECTRICAL AND LIGHTENING ISSUES WITH THIS CAR. I HAVE TRIED TO FIND GM RECALL FOR THESE PROBLEMS. PLEASE TELL ME WHERE AND HOW I CAN HAVE THESE DEFECTS FIXED.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK CENTURY. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT COVERS CAUSED A HAZE OVER THE HEADLIGHTS, WHICH PREVENTED THEM FROM ILLUMINATING CORRECTLY AT NIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE TECHNICIAN TO CLEAN OR REPLACE THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT COVERS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 185,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.”
Showing 6 of 48 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 13, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.