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#BS-1981-BUICEN-46C9

1981 Buick Century

Based on reports from 1 owners and 3 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Recalls
3
TSBs
0
✅

Preliminary Verdict

Green Light

Based on 1 complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, and 3 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:drum:wheel CylindersHIGH

1 owners reported service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:drum:wheel cylinders issues.

+ 3 more items in full checklistUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:drum:wheel Cylinders (1 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:drum:wheel Cylinders1 (100%)

1981 Buick Century: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:drum:wheel Cylinders Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:drum:wheel Cylinders complaints account for 100% of all reports filed for the 1981 Buick Century, with 1 owners filing complaints with NHTSA.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (3 recalls)

81V009000Jan 1981

WHEELS

THE STEEL USED IN SOME COMPACT SPARE WHEELS IS TOO THIN. WHILE IN SERVICE THE WHEEL MAY FRACTURE, RESULTING IN A PARTIAL OR COMPLETE SEPARATION OF THE WHEEL AND TIRE FROM THE VEHICLE.

81V025000Mar 1981

SUSPENSION:REAR

THE BOLTS THAT ATTACH THE LOWER REAR CONTROL ARM TO THE FRAME MAY FRACTURE. THE REAR CONTROL ARM SUPPORTS AND POSITIONS THE REAR AXLE. FRACTURE OF THE BOLTS WOULD ALLOW THE CONTROL ARM TO DROP FREE.

81V036000Mar 1981

WHEELS:HUBCAP/COVER

"TX" HEAVY DUTY WHEELS MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED WITH LAMINATED STEEL. THE WHEEL DISC MAY FRACTURE AND THE WHEEL AND TIRE COULD PARTIALLY OR COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Buick Century is the 2000 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 1 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 3 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Buick Century Model Years

200520042003200220012000199919981997199619951994199319921991199019891988198719861985198419831982198119801979197819771976197519741973
View all Buick Century years →

1981 Buick Century: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1981 Buick Century?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1981 Buick Century is related to the service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:drum:wheel cylinders, with 1 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1981 Buick Century reliable?
The 1981 Buick Century has 1 complaints, 0 crash reports, and 0 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 1981 Buick Century problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1981 Buick Century have any recalls?
Yes, the 1981 Buick Century has 3 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Buick Century problems start?
Mileage data is limited for this vehicle. The full report analyzes available data to identify failure patterns by mileage range.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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