Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
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).
1998 Buick Century custom - the electric rear window stopped working and dropped open and won't close. An examination of the window revealed that the harness is made up of two steel cables attached together by a small piece of plastic. Surprise, the plastic broke! In December 2003, the same year that the back window broke, the driver's side window broke and it is the exact same piece that broke in the back window. Only this time it broke while my daughter was in the center lane of I-75 and we're fortune that she wasn't in a serious accident. The falling of the window at high speed created a scary distraction that narrowly missed causing a potentional bad accident. It have been told to me by a body shop as well as a Buick saleman that this is a common defect. It is not only dangerous but conveniently costly to repair. …
We have a 1998 Buick Century with less than 50,000 miles. The information in complaints 10137627 and 10134068 are very similar to our two experiences. In June 2004 the drivers side window just fell and could not go back up. The rear window on the side did the same thing a year later. Both were spontaneous. Each repair was about $500.00. I submitted a complaint to Buick which was summarily dismissed because the car is "old" and it has only happened to each window once. (as an aside my wife's brother has the same year make and model and it has happened to three of his windows. The two vehicles were purchased from the same dealer about 4 months apart) I have accessed some information mentioned in the other complaints so I need not repeat it here. I believe Buick has in inherent defect which should be repaired or changed at no cost. It was however replaced with the same hardware. …
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
Power window and mirror issues in 1998 Buick Century. I have been dealing with this problem since 2004, I've been told by multiple mechanics that it's a known issue with the Buick Century, why is there no recall? The windows keep coming off the track, I drive on smooth roads and follow the speed limit, so what is going on???? My power mirrors haven't worked since 2004. Drivers side window is the one that's given me the worst headache, put in a new motor thinking that's why it was sticking and then it quit working again. Please look into this issue, it's not safe.
Windshield wipers are not functioning properly. My left wiper bangs a few inches up then smacks back down. This is not snow related because I've learner to cover all aspects of the wipers and windshield because of my first time waiting for snow to melt. This has been ongoing since I acquired the car from my grandmother in dec. 2008. She purchased the car, but is too old too keep up with recalls and such. I see there are many other complaints and I was almost in a crash with my children due to a sudden rain shower causing the visibility to be awful.
After a snowfall, the windshield wipers would not park, stood straight up and obstructed my view. I called Buick and was told to take it to my dealership and it would be repaired. When I picked up the car, they told me that the previous year's model had been recalled for this problem. They would not repair the wipers. I have been told by two mechanics that my car has the exact issue as the previous model. I find that this is a danger to myself, my children and other drivers/passengers and feel that it should be on the recall list.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Buick Century. The contact stated that both rear electric windows do not operate. He stated that the windows cannot roll up once they are down. The contact notified the manufacturer, but they have not responded. He has replaced the regulator component, which cost an estimated $350. When the window was replaced, the mechanic failed to offer an explanation as to the cause of failure. Presently, the left rear window still malfunctions. The current mileage was 72,000 and failure mileage was 22,225.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Buick Century. The contact attempted to roll up all four windows but only the rear driver's side window responded. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was told that the window motors and tracks would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure recurred intermittently on the front passenger side window. The failure mileage was 11,000 and the current mileage was 50,000. Updated 4/1/11 updated 1/13/2012
Dt: contact owns a 1998 Buick Century. Power windows were defective. The contact took the vehicle to dealer. All 4 windows stopped working. Within 2 months all 4 windows have been checked . The dealer worked on 3 windows . They failed at 70, 000 miles . The contact did not want to pay for windows to be fixed.
In sudden downpour (approaching tornado) outside of nashville this a.m. Visibility was severly reduced with wipers on lower setting. When wipers turned to high to increase visibility wipers locked and stripped, forcing driver to pull off the interstate and wait for the rain to stop. This is the second time this has happened. The first incident was in March 2001 - right after purchasing the used vehicle. We encountered heavy rain at interstate speed of approximately 55 MPH. The wipers locked together and the mechanism stripped the right wiper so that it would no longer function. Upon resuming driving with just the left wiper, the left wiper then proceeded to go off the windshield entirely and driver had to pull off the on the side to tighten bolt. …
NHTSA investigations
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…
Window & Wiper complaints in other Century years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 1998 Buick Century?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 1998 Buick Century, 11% of the model year's 218 complaints. The component named most often is windshield (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Buick Century window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof 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 window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles, and 30% before 25,000 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.