FaultScore

2004 Buick Century headlight problems

11 of the 51 complaints about the 2004 Buick Century are about the lighting — 22% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 69,000 miles.

C

11

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Exterior Lighting 7 63.6%
Headlights 3 27.3%
High/Low Beam Dimmer Switch 1 9.1%

Lights across every Buick Century year

1997 10 6.2%
1998 23 14.3%
1999 24 14.9%
2000 16 9.9%
2002 27 16.8%
2003 50 31.1%
2004 11 6.8%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 170,000 miles Aberdeen, MS

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

NHTSA complaint #11101549 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 62,000 miles Bellevue, NE

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT NIGHT. ( I MAY HAVE FLASHED MY HIGH BEAMS TO SIGNAL A TRUCK THAT IT WAS SAFE TO CHANGE LANES BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. INTERIOR LIGHTS STILL WORKING WHEN THIS HAPPENED. NOTHING I DID WOULD BRING HEADLIGHTS BACK ON. VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM!! CAR MILEAGE APPROXIMATELY 62,000. 12/21/2017 DATE.

NHTSA complaint #11056001 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 76,000 miles Novi, MI

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

WHILE IN MOTION THE HIGH BEAM WILL GO OUT AND LOW BEAM WITH IT - NO LIGHTS AT ALL. YOU MUST PUSH OR PULL THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER TO TURN THE LIGHTS ON AGAIN.

NHTSA complaint #10853169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 130,000 miles Rush City, MN

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

WE WERE DRIVING AT NIGHT AND HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT RANDOMLY, THIS IS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. IT DID NOT SEEM TO MATTER IF THE LIGHT SWITCH WAS ON OR IN THE AUTOMATIC POSITION.

NHTSA complaint #10670582 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 177,000 miles Wilmette, IL

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

WHEN I TURN ON THE HIGH BEAMS THE HEADLIGHTS WILL OCCASIONALLY TURN OFF COMPLETELY, INSTEAD. TO TURN BACK ON THE VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHTS I HAVE TO PULL THE HIGH BEAM LEVER BACK AND FORTH MULTIPLE TIMES. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN BACK ON THE HEADLIGHTS I ENGAGE THE HAZARDS SO THAT OTHER VEHICLES CAN STILL SEE ME ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA complaint #10638839 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 38,700 miles Saco, ME

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SWITCHING FROM HIGH BEAMS TO LOW BEAMS, ALL OF THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD FAIL. THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT HE NEEDED TO HAVE THE HIGH AND LOW BEAM SWITCH REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 38,700. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS SERIOUS ELECTRICAL ISSUES. THE CONSUMER STATED EVERY TIME HE STARTED THE VEHICLE, ANOTHER COMPONENT FAILED. UPDATED 01/10/12

NHTSA complaint #10437493 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 125,887 miles Charlotte, NC

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

DRIVING ON A COUNTRY ROAD THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. HIT THE DIMMER SWITCH AND THEY CAME BACK ON. IT DID THIS ABOUT THREE TIMES. FOUND OUT THAT IF WE TRIED TO USE THE DIMMER SWITCH THAT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. THEN IT GOT TO THE POINT THAT THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU COULD USE THE BRIGHT LIGHTS WAS TO HOLD THE SWITCH. TWO WEEKS LATER WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE TURNED ON THE BLINKER TO TURN AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AGAIN. HAD TO PULL THE LIGHT SWITCH ON AND LUCKILY THEY CAME BACK ON. TONIGHT WE TOOK THE CAR OUT AND THE LIGHTS KEPT GOING OUT. THIS IS ON A 2004 BUICK CENTURY.

NHTSA complaint #10248861 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 37,000 miles Henderson, NV

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

SOMETIMES WHEN YOU TURN HIGH BEAMS ON HEAD LIGHTS WILL GO OFF AND YOU WILL HAVE TO PLAY WITH DIMMER SWITCH TO GET THE LIGHTS TO COME BACK ON.

NHTSA complaint #10220993 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 33,500 miles Thebes, IL

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE 2004 BUICK CENTURY HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. ON 02/15/07 AT 30 MPH ON A RURAL HIGHWAY THE HEADLIGHTS BLINKED OFF AND ON, AND THEN THEY WENT OUT AGAIN AND STAYED OFF FOR ABOUT 1/2 MILE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CURRENT ODOMETER READING WAS 33,800 MILES. ON THE NEXT DAY HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE BUICK DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE DUSK DAWN SENSOR. AFTER THE REPAIRS HE DROVE THE VEHICLE, AND THE NEXT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF AGAIN. THE CONTACT HASN'T DRIVEN THE VEHICLE SINCE THE LAST EVENT WITH THE LIGHTS TURNING OFF. THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS GIVEN CASE# 71-495164830.

NHTSA complaint #10185274 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 25,000 miles Bolivar, TN

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. SHE HAD TO ENGAGE THE DIMMER SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES IN ORDER FOR THE HEADLIGHTS TO WORK PROPERLY. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A GM DEALER, AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE DIMMER SWITCH. THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. THEY PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH DID NOT DETECT ANYTHING. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. NO FURTHER REPAIRS OR CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME.

NHTSA complaint #10142380 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Midland, MI

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

THE CONSUMER READ ABOUT DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS AND WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE 2004 BUICK REGAL. *BF

NHTSA complaint #10107066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

← Full 2004 Buick Century report