Buick Century VIN Check — Free Recall & Complaint Lookup

Quick answer

The most-reported Century run is 2G4WS52J711 (2001 builds) with 18 complaints, 6.7× the typical run. Service brakes problems make up 15% of reports; 2003 is the worst model year at 5.6 complaints per run; NHTSA lists 37 recall campaigns for Century model years 1981–2005.

Which build runs owners report most

A production run is the first 11 characters of the VIN: plant, model year, body and engine. The Buick Century has 494 of them on record. The five runs at the top of this table hold 6% of every Century complaint on file.

FIG.01·Buick Century — complaints by production run
Production run (VIN 1–11)	Year	Complaints	Involved a crash	Fire
2G4WS52J711••••••	2001	18	2	—
2G4WS52JXY1••••••	2000	16	—	—
2G4WS52M2X1••••••	1999	15	1	—
2G4WS52MXX1••••••	1999	15	2	—
2G4WS52J931••••••	2003	14	—	1
2G4WS52M4W1••••••	1998	14	—	—
2G4WS52J0Y1••••••	2000	14	2	—
2G4WS52M8W1••••••	1998	14	—	—
2G4WS52J221••••••	2002	13	1	—
2G4WS52J011••••••	2001	12	3	—
2G4WS52M6W1••••••	1998	12	—	—
2G4WS52J921••••••	2002	12	—	1

ROWS 12·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records, grouped by VIN prefix

Each of the other 482 Century runs has 12 complaints or fewer. ForCar has checked 11 Century VINs so far, most often 2003, 1998, 2005 builds; 2 of them belong to one of the 12 runs above.

Which model years to check twice

Complaints per production run, so a year that simply sold more does not top the list. On the Buick Century the gap between build years is 5.6×: a 2003 car draws 5.6 complaints per run, a 1985 one 1.

FIG.02·Buick Century — complaint rate by model year
Year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Crashes
2005	2.1	17	8	1
2004	2.4	31	13	4
2003	5.6	101	18	4
2002	4.3	121	28	5
2001	4.7	109	23	8
2000	4	148	37	8
1999	4.9	162	33	15
1998	4.1	186	45	8
1997	2.9	90	31	4
1996	1.7	58	35	4
1995	2	67	33	7
1994	1.8	83	46	19
1992	1.2	32	26	7
1991	1.2	21	17	4
1990	1.1	25	22	1
1989	1.1	29	26	6
1988	1	11	11	—
1987	1.1	22	20	1
1986	1.1	19	18	1
1985	1	6	6	—

ROWS 20·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

Heaviest year here is 2003 at 5.6 complaints per run; lightest is 1985 at 1.

What to inspect on this car

One system accounts for 15% of everything Buick Century owners report: Service Brakes, 176 of 1,348 complaints. Start the pre-purchase inspection there.

FIG.03·Buick Century — most-reported systems
System	Complaints	Involved a crash	Fire
Service Brakes	176	18	2
Engine And Engine Cooling	172	1	8
Electrical System	154	3	9
Hydraulic	150	15	1
Exterior Lighting	132	—	—
Power Train	126	5	—
Steering	124	8	2
Visibility	116	—	1

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

Recalls to check against your VIN

NHTSA has 37 recall campaigns on the Buick Century; the 6 below cover build years 1984 to 2005. These are for the model and year; whether one is still open on a given car, only that VIN can tell.

FIG.04·Buick Century — recall campaigns
Campaign	Component	Model years
07E021000	Fuel System, Other:storage:tank Assembly:pressure Relief Devices	1996–2005
09E005000	Steering	1997–2005
95V173000	Seat Belts:front:anchorage	1989–1996
06E043000	Fuel System, Gasoline	1984–1988
01V109000	Seat Belts	2000–2001
00V371000	Air Bags:side/window	2000–2001

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA recall campaigns

The Century against its rivals

The Century draws 2.7 complaints per production run; the Infiniti Q45 1.7 and the Infiniti I35 5.1.

FIG.05·Buick Century VIN check vs rivals
Model	Complaints	Runs	Per run	Involved a crash
Buick Century	1,348	494	2.7	7.9%
Infiniti Q45	162	96	1.7	11.1%
Infiniti I35	178	35	5.1	6.7%

ROWS 3·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

How serious were they

Of the 1,348 reports on the Buick Century, 7.9% involved a crash against 5.8% across all vehicles, above the norm.

FIG.06·Buick Century — complaint severity
Outcome	Buick Century	All vehicles
Complaints filed	1,348	1,115,966
Involved a crash	107 (7.9%)	64,194 (5.8%)
Involved a fire	27 (2%)	26,974 (2.4%)
Injuries reported	112	58,013
Deaths reported	2	2,728

ROWS 5·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

Crash-related reports run 36% above the all-vehicle rate.

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How this check works

The file behind this page holds 1,115,966 complaints filed with NHTSA between 1981 and 2026, across 298,921 production runs. The Buick Century share of that is 1,348 complaints over 494 runs, 0.12% of everything on record.

Everything on the Buick Century

Recalls71 campaigns Fuel economy27 mpg best Reliability3.5/5 Common problems2,040 complaints DimensionsSize, weight, generations Cargo space42 cu ft Used prices245 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car1981–2005

Frequently asked questions

How do I check a Buick Century VIN for free?

Enter the 17 characters above. ForCar matches the first eleven, the production run, against 1,348 NHTSA complaints from 494 Century runs and 37 recall campaigns. No account, no card.

Which Century production run has the most complaints?

2G4WS52J711, a 2001 build, with 18 complaints, 2 of them after a crash. The typical Century run has 2.7.

Which Century years have the most complaints?

Per production run, 2003 is heaviest at 5.6 complaints per run and 1985 lightest at 1.

Does the Century get more complaints than the Infiniti Q45?

Yes: 2.7 complaints per production run for the Century against 1.7 for the Infiniti Q45.

How many Century complaints involve a crash?

7.9% of 1,348 reports, against 5.8% across all vehicles; 27 involved a fire.

Complaint and recall records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Per-run rates computed by ForCar. Federal data covers safety only — title, odometer and insurance history are not included. Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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