Most common 2003 Buick Century problems
Share of the 127 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 →
What 2003 Buick Century owners say
Lights all 49 →
Turn brights on and radio/clock light goes off. No headlights on during day driving, radio/clock light randomly goes on and back off. Head lights briefly gone off during night driving 3 different times only for maybe 5 seconds, but it only takes a second for a deer or object to appear at night or a car ahead braking suddenly. Speedometer back light does not illuminate for night driving. Trac off and anti lock warning lights continuously stay on, I have had my brakes replaced throughout the years of owning the car since October 2007 and the warning lights do not reset themselves as they should, they continuously stay on since 2009. I am tired of dealing with all of these electrical and lightening issues with this car. I have tried to find GM recall for these problems. Please tell me where and how I can have these defects fixed.
Purchased on 2004, used, the 2003 vehicle has consistently had the head lamps go out when in highbeams are activated. The dealer said this is a short and said it would cost me to fix them and this happens to many of these vehicles. Major safety issue when you are driving at night and the lights go out. Clicking the low beams on turn the lights back on. Since this seems to be a known issue, why is there. To a recall on this? This happens while the vehicle is in motion at all speeds. (only in the dark, since this is when the high bea,s are used!)
Electrical system all 23 →
I had driven my 2003 Buick Century at least halfway into a parking space in a parking lot when it suddenly lurched forward like a bat out of hell, leaping up over a curb on an upward slope, swiping a cement lightpost on the left, crashing into another car across its left front, bumping down over a curb, then crashing up and over two more curbs. With divine help I was able to avoid other cars and steer it to a stop, then drive gingerly into the original parking space. Since I was originally in the process of slowing to a stop, my right foot was on the brake at all times. I had never heard of many automakers' infamous "sudden unintended acceleration" manufacturing defect and had no idea what was happening as the car went from 1 or 2 MPH to full throttle instantly. …
Horn button is part of air bag. The horn button shorts out and the horn blows all the time. Have to remove fuse to stop horn blowing. Had to replace air bag to fix. In a few months the problem reoccurred. Its too expensive to replace air bags so I am left without a horn this is a safety issue. Can the manufacturer provide a fix? The internet shows this is a very common problem for a lot of GM cars.
Brakes
Turn brights on and radio/clock light goes off. No headlights on during day driving, radio/clock light randomly goes on and back off. Head lights briefly gone off during night driving 3 different times only for maybe 5 seconds, but it only takes a second for a deer or object to appear at night or a car ahead braking suddenly. Speedometer back light does not illuminate for night driving. Trac off and anti lock warning lights continuously stay on, I have had my brakes replaced throughout the years of owning the car since October 2007 and the warning lights do not reset themselves as they should, they continuously stay on since 2009. I am tired of dealing with all of these electrical and lightening issues with this car. I have tried to find GM recall for these problems. Please tell me where and how I can have these defects fixed.
In January of this year my 2003 Buick Century began with panel lights flashing on and off at various times making the gauges and speedometer impossible to read. Very expensive estimate to fix. Then in February was driving home at night and the ABS light came on. Took to shop and they couldn't get it to do it. After third time had it repaired. Took whole driver side wheel assembly to get sensor $500. In March driver side window began going up and down by itself. Took it to shop and they are unable to find a problem. The car only does it when the panel lights flash on and off. Bad vibration in the car around June. Had all four tires replaced and new brakes and rotors. On August 4, 2011 vibration started again, then started a popping noise in the front end when starting and stopping. Car vibrates so bad you can not hold steering wheel at 45-50mph. …
2003 Buick Century engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Buick Century a good car?
Based on 127 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Century rates average: 13% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Century at the same age. 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 2003 Buick Century?
The lights — 49 complaints, 39% of all complaints for this model year, most often about headlights › high/low beam dimmer switch. Next are the electrical system (23) and brakes (16).
How many recalls does the 2003 Buick Century have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2003 Buick Century. You can still confirm with your VIN using our 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 2003 Buick Century problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 65,000 miles; 36% 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.