Most common 1998 Buick Century problems
Share of the 218 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Buick Century complaints by model year
Best Century years: 2005, 2004, 1996. Years to avoid: 1999, 1998, 2000. Compare all years →
1998 Buick Century recalls (2)
Exterior lighting › Headlights
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles do not conform to the requirements of FMVSS no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the vertical head lamp adjusting device May not be calibrated properly.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with an owner's manual insert containing instructions for optically aiming the headlamps.
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."
Remedy: Owners will be mailed an owner manual's insert which contains the appropriate information.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 1998 Buick Century:
Power rack and pinion steering failure
GM conducted a safety recall (NHTSA # 02V286) to address a steering defect pertaining to a lower pinion bearing (lpb) within the rack and pinion steering gear (r&p). The recall covered 1,159,156 model year 1997-1998 Pontiac grand prix vehicles built between March 1, 1996 and October 31, 1997, 1996-1998 Pontiac trans sport, Chevrolet lumina apv, Chevrolet venture, Oldsmobile silhouette minivans, and Chevrolet…
Windshield wiper
Incidents of wiper failure (owner reports and warranty) are very high, and many of the reports indicate that the failures are still occurring in 1999.
Windshield wiper
By letter dated December 12, 1999, GM notified NHTSA of its plans to conduct a safety related defect campaign to remedy 155,149 of the subject vehicles.the vehicle population for the campaign includes the 1997 Buick regal/century and Pontiac gran prix models built during the period from the start of production through May 1, 1997.GM determined that the wipers installed prior to this date could stop working, usually…
Power rack and pinion steering failure
GM's letter to NHTSA dated December 11, 2003, expands its original recall (NHTSA 02V286) to include certain w-body vehicles: 96-97 olds cutlass supreme; 98 olds intrigue; 97-98 olds cutlass; 97-98 Chevy lumina, monte carlo and malibu; 96 Pontiac grand prix; and 96-98 Buick regal.the number of vehicles recalled is 750,283.GM determined that failure of the rack and pinion is related to damage of the lower pinion…
What 1998 Buick Century owners say
Brakes all 29 →
Tl* the contact owned a 1998 Buick Century. While the vehicle was being operated, the brakes and steering column seized. As a result, the vehicle was involved in a front end crash. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and deemed destroyed. A police report was filed. The contact sustained short term memory loss, a concussion, and several unknown injuries that required medical attention. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign numbers: 09e005000 (steering) and 03V527000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was not provided.
My brakes stopped working because all the fluid suddenly drained out of the system and it is reported to me by a dealer that this is due to corrosion of the brake lines on my 1998 Buick Century. I am told that the brake lines need to be replaced and that makes sense to me, however, it would seem that this May be a safety problem beyond my car. Why would Buick use materials in a brake line that would corrode so badly that it would fail in only 11 years when the car could easily last much longer than that? I now have my car in my garage with no brakes. I will be looking for someone to repair my brake lines but thought that if this is not unique to my car someone would like to review their condition before I have the car repaired. Thank you
Electrical system all 26 →
My vehicle's window controls and lock controls are no longer working, when locking the door or the window will go down but will not come up. The rest of the windows control throughout the car will not work as well. The lighting in the car flickers if you would push the lot or the window control. Anterior light is no longer working. None of this works even when parked or driving down the road.
I first noticed the engine shutting off in January of 2014, especially going down a hill. The engine shuts down at different speeds and the air bag light stays on. At first I thought that there was moisture in my gas tank, but after filling up a couple of times and putting in some gas dryer, the problem continued. I usually shift to neutral and start the engine while the car is still moving. I took my remote and other keys off the key ring. It still shuts off the engine with just one key in the ignition switch, but not as much. Can you tell me how I can remedy this problem with my 1998 Buick Century? Will this be at my own expense?
Transmission & drivetrain all 26 →
The vehicle drifted to the left, noises seemed to have been coming from the steering, the power steering locked up, the rack and pinion had gone out and leaked, the A/C control was inoperative, the seat belt button latch had fallen and the button was missing, the wheel alignment was out of specifics, the driver door was hard to open, the panel had moved when the window was rolled down, the power window(s) were inoperative, the shifter goes in and out, the right front door exterior trim was hard to open, the passengers seat coushin was too soft and had collapsed, and the door's mirror was loose. The service dealer had found no problems with the steering. Scc
Inititially the problem was thought to be the transmission and the transmission was rebuilt, along with clutches that were burned up. I picked the car up and drove it for about 30 minutes and at 30 miles per hour the car would not shift into the next gear. I immediately returned the car to the transmission specialist, bracey's auto repair who does the work for r.e. Davis and mr. Bracey checked the pressure on the modulator and replaced the modulator. He then did a test while driving the car and discovered that the pressure wasn't where it should be. He kept the car another day because he needed to maybe replace a piston. When I picked the car up he discovered a pin hole in the drum that was from a poor weld during assembly. Mr. Bracey gave me the part with the poor weld and is writing a description of the problem for me.
1998 Buick Century engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 27 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Buick Century a good car?
Based on 218 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 Century rates avoid: 2.0× as many complaints as a typical year of the Century at the same age. It is one of the Century years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Buick Century?
The brakes — 29 complaints, 13% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the electrical system (26) and transmission & drivetrain (26).
How many recalls does the 1998 Buick Century have?
There are 2 recalls for the 1998 Buick Century, the most recent from December 17, 1999 (headlights). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Buick Century?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2005, 2004 and 1996. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 1998 and 2000. See the full Buick Century years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 Buick Century problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 58,000 miles; 37% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.