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#BS-1997-BUICEN-46C9

1997 Buick Century

Based on reports from 132 owners and 4 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
132
Crashes
4
Fires
2
Recalls
4
TSBs
92
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 132 complaints, 4 crashes, 2 fires, and 4 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

power window controls not working

1 complaints • Severity 4/10

$X,XXX
2

blown head gasket

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

transmission stopped working

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Electrical System:hornHIGH

12 owners reported electrical system:horn issues — failures commonly reported around 100K miles.

!Inspect the Seat Belts:front:retractorMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

2
0–30K
6
30–60K
3
60–90K
6
90–120K
5
120–150K
1
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (6 reports) • Median: 100K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Electrical System:horn (12 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

Electrical System:horn12 (9%)
Seat Belts:front:retractor8 (6%)
Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer6 (5%)
Steering:rack And Pinion5 (4%)
Exterior Lighting:headlights4 (3%)
Steering4 (3%)
Electrical4 (3%)
Airbags4 (3%)

1997 Buick Century: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Electrical System:horn Issues

Electrical System:horn complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 1997 Buick Century, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 100,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 100K-mile mark.

Seat Belts:front:retractor Issues

Seat Belts:front:retractor complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1997 Buick Century, with 8 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to seat belts:front:retractor-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer Issues

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 1997 Buick Century, with 6 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to visibility:windshield wiper/washer-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Steering:rack And Pinion Issues

Steering:rack And Pinion complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1997 Buick Century, with 5 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to steering:rack and pinion-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

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

Complaint trend by year

12
00
8
01
9
02
6
03
15
04
7
05
2
06
1
07
2
09
1
10
1
11
1
12
1
13
2
14
1
15
2
17

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1997 Buick Century. Recent trend: increasing.

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 (4 recalls)

07E021000Apr 2007

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES

CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, P/NOS. FP10020-11B1, FP10026-11B1, AND FP10027-11B1, SOLD AFTER JANUARY 9, 2007, AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE UNIVERSAL PRESSURE REGULATORS (UPR) WERE PRODUCED WITHOUT AN O'RING AND RETAINER.

09E005000Feb 2009

STEERING

DORMAN IS RECALLING 979 STEERING KNUCKLES, DORMAN P/NOS. 697-902 AND 697-903, SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS<SUP>TM</SUP>" BRAND NAME, AND NAPA P/NOS. 7-8502 AND 7-8503 WHICH WERE SOLD FOR REPLACEMENT USE ON THE VARIOUS VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. A POTENTIAL MATERIAL OR DESIGN DEFECT COULD RESULT IN THE STEERING KNUCKLE BREAKING IN THE HUB AREA.

98V102000May 1998

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE OWNER MANUALS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIREMENT INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE VEHICLE HEADLAMP AIMING DEVICE. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

99V348000May 2000

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS MAY STOP WORKING DUE TO A SEPARATION BETWEEN THE DRIVE PIN AND CRESCENT IN THE CRANK ARM ASSEMBLY.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

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

Unlock

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. 132 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 4 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 →

1997 Buick Century: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1997 Buick Century?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1997 Buick Century is related to the electrical system:horn, with 12 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1997 Buick Century reliable?
The 1997 Buick Century has 132 complaints, 4 crash reports, and 2 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 1997 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 1997 Buick Century have any recalls?
Yes, the 1997 Buick Century has 4 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?
Based on 23 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 100,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
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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10 sections of AI analysis based on 132 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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