Research · complaint index
Buick Century years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 9 model years of the Buick Century by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. No single year stands far above the rest.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 19 | 1 | 0.1 | 2 | 1 | Fewest complaints |
| 2004 | 39 | 2 | 0.3 | 2 | 4 | Fewest complaints |
| 2003 | 130 | 5 | 0.9 | 2 | 4 | Typical |
| 2002 | 166 | 7 | 1.1 | 2 | 9 | Typical |
| 2001 | 152 | 6 | 1.0 | 5 | 9 | Typical |
| 2000 | 205 | 8 | 1.3 | 7 | 11 | Typical |
| 1999 | 241 | 9 | 1.5 | 5 | 18 | Typical |
| 1998 | 228 | 8 | 1.3 | 4 | 9 | Typical |
| 1996 | 83 | 3 | 0.5 | 2 | 6 | Fewest complaints |
- 200519 complaints · 2 recallsFewest complaints
- 200439 complaints · 2 recallsFewest complaints
- 2003130 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 2002166 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 2001152 complaints · 5 recallsTypical
- 2000205 complaints · 7 recallsTypical
- 1999241 complaints · 5 recallsTypical
- 1998228 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 199683 complaints · 2 recallsFewest complaints
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Oct 30, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 2005, 2004, 1996.
About this comparison
What Buick Century years have the most complaints?
No Buick Century model year drew more than twice the typical complaint rate among the 9 model years compared. The highest was 1999.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.