111 of the
2,393 complaints filed about the Buick Century
are about the seat belts —
5% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 1997.
MY SISTER OWNED VEHICLE ABOVE UNTIL I PURCHASED IT IN 2004 FROM HER. SHE NOR I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY RECALL LETTERS FROM GM ON THE 7 RECALLS THAT YOUR RECORDS SHOW THAT NEEDED TO BE CORRECTED OR REPLACED. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO CHECK INTO THIS AS TO WHY WE DIDN'T RECEIVE NOTICES FROM GM. I HAVE NOT HAVE ANY INCIDENTS,BUT WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY RECALL NOTICES. NOR DID MY SISTER THE PREVIOUS OWNER . THANK YOU . [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #10606427 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT BULBS WERE POSITIONED TOO CLOSE TO THE PLASTIC COVER LENS CAUSING THE PLASTIC COVER TO FOG. THE FAILURE WOULD CAUSE REDUCED VISIBILITY OF THE ROADWAY AND THE CONTACT BELIEVED THE FAILURE COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE. THE DEALER ADVISED THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO ASSIST WITH THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,617. UPDATED 12/21/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING, THE ROTORS, TIRES AND SEAT BELTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 12/3/10
NHTSA complaint #10350759 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BUICK CENTURY. HE STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER, FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS WERE UNABLE TO LATCH ACROSS THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY OF NOT BEING ABLE TO PROPERLY RESTRAIN HIS CHILDREN IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER ADVISED HE WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANC0E AND THERE WAS NOT A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 104,000.
NHTSA complaint #10340400 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THERE IS A PART MISSING ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO USE. I FIND THAT DRIVERS ARE UNWILLING TO FISH THE BUCKLE OFF OF THE FLOOR, AND THE BUCKLE OFTENTIMES WEDGES ITSELF BETWEEN A SEAT LEVER AND THE DOOR. A DRIVER SOMETIMES HAS TO OPEN THE DOOR, EXIT THE CAR, AND RETRIEVE THE BUCKLE FROM ITS HIDING PLACE. DRIVERS (I.E., MY KIDS) ARE VERY DISCOURAGED FROM USING THE BELT. ALL CARS I'VE EVER OWNED HAD LIFETIME WARRANTIES ON SEAT BELTS, AND WERE FIXED PROMPTLY BY DEALERSHIPS WHEN PROBLEMS OCCURRED. MY LOCAL GM DEALER SAYS NOT SO WITH GM CARS. BUICK IGNORES MY EMAIL QUERIES, AND CALLS TO BUICK ARE MET BY CALL CENTER EMPLOYEES WHO ARE PROGRAMMED TO ASK ENDLESS QUESTIONS ABOUT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION (PII) ON ME. NO HELP.
NHTSA complaint #10335883 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I HAVE A 1998 BUICK REGAL WITH REAR SEATBELTS THAT JAM INSIDE AND CANNOT BE RE-EXTENDED. I HAVE PAID $200 TO HAVE THE BACK SEAT REMOVED AND THE SEATBELTS REALIGNED SO THAT THEY WORK. I WAS WARNED AT TIME OF REPAIR THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS MODEL CAR AND IT WOULD PROBABLY REOCCUR. DESPITE OUR GREAT CARE IN USING THE REALIGNED BELTS, THE PROBLEM DID IN FACT REOCCUR AND NOW BOTH REAR BELTS ARE JAMMED AGAIN, WITH THE RESULT THAT OUR CHILDREN CANNOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED IN THE CAR AND WE CANNOT USE IT WHEN TRAVELING WITH THEM (UNLESS WE PAY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AGAIN). MY MOTHER HAS A BUICK REGAL ROUGHLY THE SAME AGE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS.
NHTSA complaint #10282883 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WAS TOO TIGHT AND CAUSES HER TO CHOKE. SHE NOTICED BRUISES ON HER NECK. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SEVERAL DEALERS REQUESTING THAT THEY ADJUST OR CHANGE THE SEAT BELT. THE DEALERS STATED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ADJUST OR CHANGE THE SEAT BELT DUE TO THE DESIGN. THEY FURTHER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES WITH THE SEAT BELT. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY STATED THAT SOMEONE WOULD REVIEW THE REPORT; HOWEVER, THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST SINCE THERE IS NO RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
NHTSA complaint #10268378 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR SEAT SAFETY BELTS WERE INOPERABLE. HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 00V228003 AND 01V109000, ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD REPAIR THE SEAT BELTS AT THE ESTIMATED COST OF $500. NO REPAIRS HAVE YET BEEN MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,028.
NHTSA complaint #10260968 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BUICK CENTURY. NONE OF THE REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLES FUNCTION. THE REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY WOULD NOT RELEASE. THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY HAS FAILED. NORMALLY, THE CONTACT GETS SOME SILICONE AND FIDDLES WITH THE VEHICLE FOR THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE SHE CAN GET THE SEAT BELT TO LOOSEN UP AND COME OUT. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INFORMED IF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 01V109000 AND 00V228003 (SEAT BELTS) APPLY TO HER VIN. IN ADDITION, ALL FOUR WINDOW MOTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, AND THE FRONT WINDOW MOTORS WERE REPLACED TWICE. CURRENTLY, THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW IS ROLLED DOWN AND WILL NOT ROLL BACK UP. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,786 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000.
NHTSA complaint #10229065 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BUICK CENTURY WITH AN ODOMETER READING OF 95000 MILES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT WEBBING DID NOT PULL FROM THE RETRACTOR. WHEN SHE TRIED TO USE HER SEAT BELT THE WEBBING WOULD NOT PULL OUT FROM THE RETRACTOR. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND FOUND THAT THE RETRACTOR FAILED, AND THE DEALER REPAIRED IT. *AK UPDATED 03/07/07.
NHTSA complaint #10182450 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DT: THE CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE FRONT SEAT BELTS FAILED TO LOCK. THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS PUSHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON OCTOBER 5, 2005, AND A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP THEY CHECKED THE VEHICLE. AT FIRST, THE DEALER SAID THAT THE SEAT BELTS WERE ALRIGHT. THEN, HE TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE WITH THE CONTACT, AND THE SEAT BELTS WORKED ON/OFF. AFTERWARDS, HE THOUGHT THAT THE SEAT BELTS WERE NOT SUPPOSE TO LOCK WHEN BEING HIT FROM THE REAR. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE CONTACT SHOULD TURN VEHICLE OVER TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *AK UPDATED 11/29/05.
NHTSA complaint #10139267 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DT: 1997 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONSUMER HAS BEING HAVING PROBLEMS WITH SEAT BELTS JAMMING. THIS OCCURRED FOR 7 YEARS. T 2 OUT OF 4 SEAT BELTS WORK. THE 2 SEAT BELTS BACK SEAT WILL NOT WORK.
NHTSA complaint #10137616 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2001 BUICK CENTURY DEVELOPED PROBLEMS WITH THE SEAT BELT CONSTRICTING THE CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THE SEAT BELT CONTINUED TO TIGHTEN AND THE CONSUEMR'S DAUGHTTER TRIED TO PULL IT. THE SEAT BELT HAD TO BE CUT TO FREE THE CHILD FROM THE SEAT BELT.
NHTSA complaint #10131272 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
IT WOULD BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO UNLOCK THEM SELVES FRONT THE REAR SHOULDER BELT. CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO USE FORCE TO UNLATCH THE BELT BUCKLE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK THE REAR SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM THE RETRACTOR. THE CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS A HAZARD TO HER REAR PASSENGERS.
NHTSA complaint #10113309 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BOTH REAR PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELTS ARE INOPERATIVE. CONSUMER IS UNABLE TO PULL OUT THE SEAT BELTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT BOTH SEAT BELT RETRACTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #10111736 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTS AFTER CLICKING THE SEAT BELT IN TO STAY CONNECTION. THE PASSENGER WOULD HOLD THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR. THIS CAUSED THE SEAT BELT TO TIGHTEN. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS NOT RECALLED FOR THIS VEHICLE, AND THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE CONSUMER INFORMED THE MECHANIC OF THIS PROBLEM AND THEY ADJUSTED IT TWICE BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK *NM *SC
NHTSA complaint #10091607 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE REAR SEAT BELTS ARE JAMMED INTO THE RETRACTOR MECHANISM. THE REAR SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED. THE DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE. *AK BUICK REFUSED TO FIX THE SEAT BELT BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE. *SC
NHTSA complaint #10074158 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.