Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Buick Century owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
I attempted to back up out of the garage to go to an evening function. The car seemed to resist the reverse procedure. After exiting the car and continuing to receive continuing resistance to reverse or in drive I exited the car. I could see no problem with obstacles. My neighbor, who was walking her dog, said that the rear wheels were not turning. I attempted several times to go forward but could not. Therefore, I forced the car back into the garage with the rear wheels screeching at the forward movement into the garage. This is where the car is at present. In the garage Sunday morning 1/20/02.
Vehicle stalls in reverse for no reason. Vehicle also shifts erratically when put in any gear. Consumer states that when the vehicle is in any forward gear and upon stopping and putting the shift lever into reverse, the vehicle is not engaged in reverse and does not respond when depressing the gas pedal, consumer states that he has to move the shift lever around and back into reverse for it to engage, this has been an ongoing problem and the dealer has worked on this problem 3 times, just recently the dealer replaced the shift control cable and everything seems okay for right now.
Started engine,no reverse, no forward; turned engine off, waited 30 seconds or so; turned engine on, shifted to drive- OK, shifted reverse - OK. Brought to dealer on 4/5/99. Told today 4/9/99 that a "ring" in transmission popped out. My question is: "if a ring did pop out the first time I shifted, did it pop back in again after shutting of engine and restarting?" my mechanic at my local garage has heard of the same problem several times,but in those cases (GM cars) it was a problem with a computer part. Thank you..
Whenever trying to shift into reverse, it would not shift. Had taken vehicle to dealer & mechanic could not locate problem. The gauge indicates it's in reverse when its not. It's an intermittent problem. Buick reached an agreement with consumer for the following: the customer is being traded for a 1999 Buick. The customer is paying 10 cents per mile and the difference between sticker price.
Again nearly 20 times when reverse when activated, the car did not go into reverse but the engine roared louder. Until the gears were taken out of reverse and then put back did it finally engaged. This has happened nearly 20 times since aug 1999. Twice on dec 25,1999, when reverse did not engage, car stalled when taking out of reverse gear. It has not reoccurred with the stalling out.
Had shifted vehicle into reverse when the dashboard lights came on. Was unable to steer forward or reverse. Turned vehicle off after shifting into park. Vehicle reset itself. It's was intermitten problem. Would hesitate at 50-55mph. At an intersection vehicle would stop running. Took to dealership & mechanic suspected electrical problem. On diagnostic machine & nothing found.
Started car, put in reverse and vehicle didn't move. Also, when putting into reverse the gear indicator jumped into neutral then reverse. Contacted dealer and repaired the modular, but still having the same problem. Can't duplicate the problem when it was at the dealer. Problem still continues.
When shifting transmissiom from park to driver or any other gear, the gears will not engage. Cause unknown. Dealer replaced transmission cable which did not correct the problem. Took vehicle to dealer a second time, transmission cable was adjusted, and the problem seems to be fixed.
Transmission complaints in other Century years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 1998 Buick Century?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 1998 Buick Century, 12% of the model year's 218 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (20 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Buick Century transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 1998 Buick Century, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Buick Century transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 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.