Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2002 Buick Century, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine and engine cooling25
- Exterior lighting24
- Electrical system24
- Visibility21
- Service brakes, hydraulic14
- Steering11
- Service brakes8
- Air bags8
- Engine8
- Vehicle speed control7
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 11 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 46 2002 Century vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 33 people died inside them, and 6 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2002 Buick Century failed the safety check 2.63% of the time — 31% more often than the average 2002 passenger car (2.00%). Median odometer at inspection: 91,792 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 11.3 L/100 km (about 21 mpg US), CO₂ 260 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Century · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.2 | 9.0 | 11.3 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2002 Buick Century.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Buick told its dealers about the 2002 Buick Century: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 637385 | SOME VEHICLES HAVE EXHIBIT THE TILT STEERING COLUMN LOCKING. *TT |
| 637216 | INFORMATION REGARDING THE JUNE EDITION OF EMERGING ISSUES FOR VARIOUS MODELS. *TT |
| 637207 | THIS MESSAGE DEALS WITH WIND NOISE AT THE RIGHT OR LEFT LOWER A-PILLAR OR OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR LOCATION. *TT |
| 636704 | INFORMATION REGARDING THE JD POWER RESULTS FOR 2002 MODEL YEAR. *TT |
| 636682 | SUBJECT REGARDING WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT DUE TO WATER LEAKS AND / OR STRESS CRACKS. *TT |
| 636636 | SUBJECT REGARDING POOR RADIO RECEPTION WITH OR WITHOUT REAR DEFOGGER OPERATION, NORMALLY WITH THE RADIO TUNED TO AM AND UNDER 800 KILOHERTZ. *TT |
| 636626 | SIR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES B0041 WHICH A LEFT FRONT DRIVERS SEAT OPEN DEPLOYMENT LOOP OR B1001 OPTION CONFIGUARTION ERROR. *TT |
| 636558 | A CONDITION MAY EXIST WHERE THE PRINDLE DISPLAY IS NOT LEGIBLE WHEN MOVING FORM A DARK AREA TO A LIGHTED AREA, WHEN THEVHECLE IS STARTED INSIDE A GARAGE, THE HEADLAMPS ARE TURNED ON AUTOMATICALLY AND THEN THE VEHICLE IS BACKED INTO THE SUNLIGHT. *TT |
| 636532 | THE ENGINE CRANKS WITH THE IGNITION KEY IN THE WRONG POSITION OR INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER ENGINE FUNCTIONS ARE INOPERATORE OR THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED. *TT |
| 636475 | INFORMATION ON REFINISHING ALUMINUM WHEELS. *TT |
| 636448 | VEHICLES WITH THE CJ2 AUTOMATIC AIR CONDITIONING AND WITHOUT THE U20 CLUSTER WHICH IS THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER AND THE CJ2 AUTOMATIC AIR CONDITIONER DISPLAYS THE CELSIUS AND NOT FAHRENHEIT. *TT |
| 635008 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON (SES) INDICATOR IS ILLUMINATED AND THAT WHILE THE LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED, TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ARE EXTREMELY HARSH. *TT |
| 635006 | INFORMATION ON SERVICING 4T65-E TRANSAXLE SPACER PLATE AND GASKETS FOR VARIOUS MODELS FROM 1997 THROUGH 2002. *TT |
| 634997 | INFORMATION ON SERVICING 4T65E TRANSAXLE SPACER PLATE AND GASKETS. *TT |
| 634985 | CONCERNS WITH SLIPS, HARSH UPSHIFT OR GARAGE SHIFTS, LAUNCH SHUDDERS, FLARES, ERRATIC SHIFTS AND INTERMITTENT CONCERNS, DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1811 OR P0748 SET. *TT |
| 634954 | SUBJECT REGARDING REVISED DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0713. *TT |
| 634931 | SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0716 AND / OR P0717, P0730, P0753, P0758, P1860, P1887 OR OTHER MISCELLANEOUS TRANSMISSION TROUBLE CODES SET. *TT |
| 634708 | SUBJECT REGARDING REVISED LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD INSTALLATION. *TT |
| 634678 | SUBJECT REGARDNG THE ADDITION OF DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE U1500 FOR GENERATION 4 ONSTAR. *TT |
| 634563 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS PARK IN THE OUTWIPE (VERTICAL) POSITION. *TT |
| 634305 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT OF A WIND RUSH NOISE COMING FROM ONE OR BOTH OUTSIDE REAR VIEW MIRRORS. *TT |
| 634242 | CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM REGARDING BRAKE BOOSTER POWER PISTON. *TT |
| 634236 | CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM BULLETIN REGARDING VEHICLES WITH BRAKE BOOSTER CONTAINING CERTAIN INTERNAL PARTS THAT ARE NOT TO SPECIFICATION. *TT |
| 631267 | INCORRECT TRANSMISSION SHIFTS, POOR PERFORMANCE OF ENGINE, TRANSMISSION SLIPPING, SES LAMP ILLUMINATED, DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0756 AND P0757. *SLC UPDATE. *TT |
| 631232 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ON THE TIME IT TAKES THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR GLASS TO DEFOG. *SLC |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)