Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61-75, 76-90, 91-105, 106-120
Same transmission problem which began around 45,000 miles. Buick replaced the solenoid without charge, but by the low 70,000 mile range the problem returned. Buick refused to fix it the 2nd time and sent me a certificate for $1000 off on my next Buick if I bought a new car within a year. Didn't want to purchase a new car and probably will not buy another Buick because of what I view as a lack of response.
The problem with replacing the solenoid is that it is a band-aid fix; the problem according to mechanics I have talked to is actually a valve which should be replaced.
I own a 2000 Buick Century and had many problems with it. The a/c compressor, accumulator and blower resistor had to be replaced at 55,000 miles!!! Rear brake problems needed to replace shoes and leaking cylinders at 63,000 miles Also had problems with thermostat and had coolant leak. The lower intake manifold gasket had to be replaced along with a new water pump very expensive job. The driver's side switch also had to be replaced because power windows would no longer work. The car now has 74,000 miles and has been properly maintained There should have been recalls on these costly repairs that were needed. PLEASE inform nhtsa @1-888-327-4236 if anyone has also experienced these problems.
Glad I came to this site! I too have a 2000 Buick with a transmission problem. Mine started around 38K miles, which of course was after the warranty ended. For the first few thousand miles, it came and went... restarting the engine helped... but now at 94K, still not wanting to pay the big bucks to fix, I deal with it. Would love a recall!!!
I will add to the growing list. I have a 2000 Lesabre with the same problem. I was lucky and didn't get the problem until around 74,000 miles. It has been very intermittent, but chronic for the past year. I plan to call the National Transportation Safety Board number listed in a previous comment. Originally, I was told that it may be electrical and could be a bad battery connection, but with the battery under the back seat, I haven't tried that cross-my-fingers fix yet.
I have a Buick 2000 century too. It seems like we are all in the same boat. Transmission jerks and I also have thermostat problems. The car has 74000 miles on it, I will also call the GM. See what happens.
Regarding jerky shifting I'd had the same problem on mine twice. Bad solenoid both times and partly a loose wiring. Seem that the solenoids get out of sync or something. A solenoid is simply an electrically controlled valve controlled by the shifting electronics. Why do they last for such a short time on this car. These should last the lifetime of the car. It's not a wear item.
Anyone else have diagnosed their shifting problems. Anyone having the same solenoid problem?
I also have a 2000 Buick Century and just started experiencing the intermittent transmission hiccups at about 80k miles. An engine restart usually takes care of it.
Is this something that will cause the transmission to fail at some point? or just annoying?
I also am having an issue with the heating/cooling system either being on high or off... no in-between...
Wow I can't believe we all have the same problems with our transmission on the Buick Century 2000 I have a hard shifting problem as well the temperature gauge goes to the half way point and when I come to a stop the winning begins when I continue on the car bangs into gear I have to shut the engine off for a few minutes to cool it down this is getting very annoying and yes I do love my Buick what a beautiful ride this should be a GM recall and yes I am going to phone the number listed on the previous page thank you so much for all the great comments I was getting very frustrated on what the problem was and now I see it is a quick band aid fix for GM and they should be suppling the band aids for all the 2000 Buick Century's.
My husband and I bought his mother's 2000 Buick Century, and it has been a nightmare ever since.
We have had nothing but electrical problem after electrical problem. She had the car for five years, and not one problem with it at all, and then we bought it, and it was all down hill ever since then.
Two years later, we have fixed all the windows and now the passenger door lock has gone out, and now the head lights go off and on, and the only way to get them to stay on is to turn on the high beams.
I will never buy another American made car; my next car will definitely be a Toyota.
I hate to say that I won't buy an American made car, but I need something that is built to last, and American made cars just cannot stand up to the other cars that are not American made.
We, too bought our 2000 Century after consulting a reputable consumer magazine. Upon purchasing we noticed a hard shift and called the person we bought it from. He agreed to pay half of the bill for a new solenoid. Three years later we have experienced the same problem and have just footed the bill for a complete re-build of our transmission. Now, the air conditioner no longer cools. I will also call the number and will write a letter to Buick, along with a copy of my bill asking to be reimbursed. With GM cutting salaries of unionized workers by almost one half, they should be able to fix these problems now.
My 2000 Buick Century now (100,000 miles) has the same transmission problem (intermittent whining/ hard shifting). I'm relatively happy with my car, but I do have a question. Do I need to change the transmission solenoid valve to avoid catastrophic failure, or can I survive for a long (albeit indefinite) time with the intermittent problem being solved by shutdown and restarts??
By the way, it seems from the previous notes, the transmission may be a symptom, not the problem. The computer telling the solenoid what to do may be the real problem. Has anyone had a computer change or update? Did it solve the symptom? How much does that cost?
I own a 2002 century and have 52,000 miles on it and am also experiencing a hard shift to second and third gears, shutting the car off and restarting seems to correct the problem temporarily. Does anyone know if this will cause further damage if left like this?
Ditto, 2000 Buick Century, 56,xxx miles and hard shifting. I was recently quoted around $2,000 to rebuild the transmission and the mechanic told me "do not drive it in this condition". Little did he know it's been doing this for over a year before he told me this. He claimed it has a "Pressure Leak" but did give me that same code I saw on the previous page. (P1811)
We also have a 2000 Buick Century. I just found another website suggesting that a GM transmission has a history of the Torque Converter Clutch relay or apply valve sticking when hot causing a harsh shift condition. A company called Sonnax makes a replacement valve and kit to fix this condition. Has anyone tried this replacement kit with success? It sounds cheaper than having the transmission worked on.
I Have a 95 buick park ave. It's isn't plagued with the valve problem like the later GM vehicles. It has 122,000 miles on it and 108,000 when I got it. It was smooth when I first got it, but then it started to shift hard from 1st to 2nd gear. But about 2 weeks ago On my way home from work I took it up to 90-95mph (I'm 19) for about 5-10 minutes. Ever since then It has been shifting smoothly through all the gears. I don't know much about transmission so I guess in theory the pressure of the tran. oil at that speed cleared up the valves. Whatever the case my car drives like a new car.