Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Buick Century owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
5/15/2017, $1,197.66 repair for intake manifold gasket. On October 23, 2008, the california superior court granted final approval to the class action lawsuit, but nothing is available to those of use that did not have a problem until after that suit. Https://www.girardgibbs.com/dexcool/
About a month ago the check engine light came on. Because of the cost to have a mechanic hook up the obdii monitor I didn't take the vehicle in right away, hoping it was simply due to a dirty sensor or loose gas cap (which has been the root cause before in other vehicles). Shortly after the check engine light incident the temp gage and heater started acting funny. Starting in the morning the heater only provided lukewarm air at best. Then the temp gauge would spike really fast and the coolant alarm would come on. Then right away the gage would normalize and there would be no problems the rest of the trip. The temp gage would be in the normal range. The problem only happened a couple of times then appeared to go away. Yesterday the problem re-surfaced except the temp gauge didn't normalize and there was a smell of antifreeze coming from the engine compartment. …
The temperature light came on and the gauge read hot on my 2001 Buick Century at the beginning of a 200 mile trip. I took the next exit, found a station with a mechanic and asked to have him check the water level in the radiator. He said the Buick Century has a history of this particular problem and advised that I watch the temperature gauge and take the car to the dealer upon my return home. When I arrived at my destination, my son informed me that he had the same problem with his wife's 1999 Buick Century, added a sealant to the radiator and it seemed fine. When I got home and took the car to the dealer to have the radiator checked, the service manager immediately informed me that the problem was probably not the radiator and that the upper portion of the engine would have to be removed to the tune of approximately $700. …
Our well maintained 2001 Buick Century with a 3.1 l v6 has developed an intake maniold leak at under 75,000 miles. The car has been wonderful since purchased new - until now. Internet research has revealed that GM used a "plastic" intake manifold and it has been problematic. It was also revealed through research into gasket manufacturers that the 100,000 coolant is more corrosive that GM anticipated. Now, where does the responsibility lie for the manufacturer (Buick div) to take ownership as a responsible corporate citizen and provide some replacement cost relief to the customer? I currently own 3 general motors vehicles, however only 1 with the problematic intake manifold design. I look forward to hearing from someone soon. As a marketing manager for a major company, I can assure GM that customer loyalty is what drives my business success. …
The 2001 Buick Century was not shifting well and ran out of transmission fluid. When the reservoir for transmission fluid was refilled the fluid ran out quickly and I took the car into the local dealer to be repaired. They told me all the fluids were mixing and that if it was not fixed the antifreze and water would have leaked into the oil and blew the motor because the lower intake maniforld gasket was bad. The bill from the dealer accounts for leaking transmission fluid lines and the li manifold gasket. These were expensive repairs and the reason I decided to report them was that my son and daughter-inlaw both have new GM vehicles and have replaced the intake manifold gaskets on one of them 2 times and the other 1 time for a total of 4 intake manifold gaskets for out family. They have a 2001 and a 2002 alero. Now my daughter is also describing what May be the same problem.
We bought are Century like 3 months ago with 109K on it we noticed the transmission was shifting hard when car is warmed up or restarted GM current knows about just feeling it not there problem well it is a costly one to car owns as I read on the internet over 50 thousand complaints for this issue I feel GM has to recall this issue its there mistake not mine are Century other wise is a fine car but dash is out for odo and that GM cutting corners as well its poor penmenship on their behalf as car makers and we love them but we need them to do more and be like the old GM good and honest thanks hope to get resolved soon as I might add it does when it normal temp and when a restart happens shift really hard 2nd and 3 rd gear not normal I got a cost of $890.00 to fix 6,3 hours of labors to fix tc and other sensor in transmission on car.
The teflon scraped off, along with stumbling and hesitation. The engine was replaced. Upon the replacement of the catalytic converter, metal shavings were found in the front screen. The new catalytic converter removed all of the stumbling and hesitation. The old catalytic converter showed evidence of antifreeze and was defective at time of the new engine replacement under factory warranty. A new catalytic converter should have been installed at the time of the engine replacement. The defective engine debris and obvious head gasket leak contributed to the catalytic converter failure. General motors should pay for replacement of their poorly diagnosed catalytic converter, place in used spark plugs and wires. General motors would not give a 100,000 mile warranty for the new engine. The chassis mileage was 94K miles.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Buick Century. The vehicle's intake manifold gasket failed at less than 100,000 miles on a brand new engine. The contact smelled anti-freeze and brought the vehicle to a mechanic who conducted pressure testing. The failure was diagnosed as the manifold gasket. It is a replacement engine and it is demonstrating the same failure as the original engine that was replaced at 35,000 miles by arbitration order. Buick has refused to pay for any failed components concerning this motor, including replacing the catalytic converter. The converter was plugged from the original motor failure along with the subsequent failure from the intake manifold gasket on the new motor. The power window regulator failed in January of 2007 for the second time. The current mileage is 145,000 and failure mileage was 100,000.
Car heater would not warm up. Temperature would then fluxuate between hot and cold. Took the car to the dealership, the dealership diagnosed the problem as intake manifold gasket failure. Coolant mixed in with oil in the engine. Dealership service department required to keep car overnight to fix the problem. Needed a rental car and no loaner was available. GM agreed to split the cost of the intake manifold gasket repair 50/50, but would not cover the cost of a rental car. Effect of this gasket failure at this time is unknown and effect to engine and components. Car has 68,500 miles. Original owner off car has kept up with all scheduleed maintenance.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Buick Century. While the vehicle was undergoing an oil change, the contact was informed that dexcool coolant was placed in the water tank instead of antifreeze. The manifold on the water block, which is the gasket between the water tank, did not have the correct type of gasket and deteriorated the water due to oil in the tank. The failure is called a "pink milkshake". This also occurs when there is oil in the water reservoir. The repair would cost $800. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 38,000.
Engine complaints in other Century years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2001 Buick Century?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2001 Buick Century, 21% of the model year's 145 complaints. The component named most often is engine (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Buick Century engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2001 Buick Century, though it has 3 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 2001 Buick Century engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles, and 10% 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.