Acceleration complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The multi function switch does not work properly. When going around curves and corners you can't dim the headlights. Because the steering wheel doesn't allow the lever to go far enough to catch. Now my headlights will not turn on when the they are suppose to. My cruise control doesn't work. My A/C stops cooling when the speed reaches 60 MPH but if I move the m.f.s. (aka turn signal) it gets cool again for a few minutes. The other night my lights went off when I was meeting a car with its headlights on bright. It was a dark stretch of road. I almost ran in the ditch.
When driving the car increase speed without touching the pedal will keep increasing speed slightly making you hit brakes or pull over. I restart the car and sometimes this will stop it sometimes not. It is getting worse and I have had it to a dealer with no finding. I have contacted Buick through email and have not heard anything yet. The car will do this even in the city at speeds of 30 MPH we have to brake or it will go faster and faster. I have contacted all I know to and cannot find what is going on. I need some assistance before there is an accident.
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. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Buick Century. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration when shifted. As a result, the contact crashed into a curb and continued down a lawn. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front axel and the muffler fractured. In addition, a piece of the transmission detached and oil leaked from under the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. A police report was filed and there were no injuries reported. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 52,000. Updated 03/16/16 the consumer stated the electronic control system malfunctioned.
Intake leaking antifreeze - cost too much to repair for me. My only car to get to work. Replacing bearings today for sticking back brakes. All interior accessories are broken; cosmetic mirror, ashtray, center console, passenger windshield wiper stripped motor, 1 window working. Still owe on car but cannot fix everything. Any help ????
Tl contact owns a 2002 Buick Century. The contact was driving at 65 MPH with the cruise control set. Suddenly, the vehicle increased acceleration without warning. The brake pedal was applied several times and then the gear selector was shifted into the neutral position. The engine was turned off and restarted. The vehicle was able to resume normally. The failure occurred two different times. The contact stated on the third occurrence the cruise control was not engaged. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the technician informed that the failure could possibly be contributed to the cruise control module. The cruise control module was disabled. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000. Updated 10/01/2010. Updated 10/04/10
When I have cruise control on but not in use at that moment the car will engage cruise on its own. It does this at a high rate of acceleration with no Rhyme or Reason as to why. I have to be quick to get it to stop because of the high rate of speed. I do not use the cruise control anymore on my vehicle because of being unsafe. I have been lucky a couple of times I have not rammed into the vehicle in front of me through no fault of mine except for having cruise control on. No it has not been examined or inspected. The problem has not been confirmed by the dealership or and independent service center. It has been confirmed by various drivers of my car. None of them will use cruise control anymore.
Turned on speed control while driving on interstate, pressed set button to set the speed. The cruise indicator light came on. The car accelerated on its own. My speed went from 65 MPH to 80 MPH in a few seconds. I depressed the set button again to decelerate, but when I released the set button, the car immediately accelerated again. I depressed the brake to stop the acceleration & turned the speed control switch to the off position.
NHTSA investigations
Accelerator cable detaches from throttle
There is no summary currently available
Frequently asked questions
Which Buick Century years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2001 (19), 1999 (14), 1996 (8), 2002 (7) and 1995 (6) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 13% of all complaints for the 2001.
Is there a recall for Buick Century acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for any Buick Century model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Buick Century acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 81,000 miles; 27% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the cruise control (9 mentions), followed by the accelerator pedal (7).
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.