1987 Buick Century Custom from North America - Comments

The oil light blinks to the beat of the music on the radio.

It sometimes stalls when stopped on a hill.

The headliner is starting to sag.

The horn doesn't work.

It's starting to rust on the bottom of the doors.

I got this car for free from a relative

therefore I don't have any payment or late payment fees to worry about.

Although this car has a few odd mechanical quirks that baffle those who try to diagnose them, I've had worse cars that I've actually paid for so I won't complain.

The oil pressure warning light literally blinks on and off to the beat of the music on the radio. The garage cannot come up with an explanation other than "Enjoy the light show" or

"Make like Homer Simpson and put some electrical tape over it"

It sometimes stalls when stopped on a hill. Won't do it for the mechanics, therefore no apparent reason for this problem.

The headliner is sagging which basically happens to every GM car at some point. Nothing a staple gun can't take care of though.

All in all this has been one of the better cars I've owned. The ride is smooth, the seats have held up well unlike some of my previous cars, it has plenty of power under the hood, and my favorite thing about it is that it does not have power windows or anti-lock brakes. Those are 2 options that I do not like due too bad experiences with my previous Buick Regal.

I plan on completely redoing the car once the winter is over. I figure I'll let the elements do their winter damage and then fix the rust and give it a major tune up. I like my Buick Century and hope to enjoy it for a long time.

I originally wrote this review and have now figured out what caused the stalling problem. If any other Buick Century owners have experienced stalling and had the engine checked out and deemed OK, than you have a clogged up Catalytic Converter. Which isn't an expensive part, but it ends up being costly in the end since "You really should replace the whole exhaust system" when 8 out of 10 times the muffler and tailpipes are still fine.

My good ole Century keeps chugging along and its still getting me from point a to point b without too much trouble other than the Cat converter and worn out oil pump. People tell me this car doesn't look as old as it really is. I have some people ask if I'm still in love with it as ever. I tell them "I probobly could be if it was in a little bit better shape"

I Love my 1987 Buick century, but the door rust is getting bad, the paint chips off easily causeing rust. and the door handel on the drivers side won't open? other than that it's a great and cheap car to have!

I really like my 1987 century. I would also really like to know why the fuse for the radio/clock/glove-boxlight/interior light/car lighter has blown out 3 times in 1 day and will not hold for more than 10 minutes. I also wish I knew why it sounds like a diesel engine. I don't want to lose this car. I want to order parts and fix it, but I don't know with what I need to fix it.

You have a short somewhere in the radio/ clock/ glove box light/ interior light/ car lighter circuits. It shouldn't be too hard to find with a tester.

The diesel sound could be valve chatter or ping. If it's ping you may have carbon build up. Use "Lucas oil fuel treatment" for a few tanks and see if it improves. New plugs and wires could help too.

Good Luck.

Hi! Thank you so much for answering my letter! You won't believe what the problem was! I found a penny in my lighter!!! Why?? I guess because someone (my children or some elves) figured it fit there perfectly! One more question (at least for this day) why does my 87 buicks engine idle so high and sound like a diesel engine? Could it be a tune-up? Wait... one more question... my driver side front door needs me to lift and shut hard in order to close. 20 years old may have taken its toll? Can I get something for it? And can I -a girl- fix it (slightly mechanically inclined) or should I take it somewhere? Thank you for your time!!! I'm done now.

Wow! I figured it was a short, but the last thing I would have thought of is a coin in the lighter socket. Good job finding it!

I suppose you have rough idling and first you should have a tune up. It involves replacing the ignition wires and plugs and a new air filter. If that alone does not help, try the Lucas Oil Fuel Treatment and upper cylinder lubricant. Buy a quart at an auto parts store and put a good squirt in the tank after you filled up.

If it is still running rough after two or three treatments it could need a cleaning of the Mass Airflow sensor. It is also possible that there is a small hole in the exhaust system.

The sagging door is an age thing. In some cars you can replace the hinge pins, in others you have to replace the hinges them selves. With this job the door will be at least partially off (one hinge or pin at a time). You would need help with aligning the door so you can reinsert the pins or bolts.

I would talk to a body shop first.

Good luck.

Hi, me again. I just read through all the comments and figure they are all by the reviewer. Since this is a very old car you could try to use the higher viscosity oil (10W-30 rather than 5W-30) or that "Lucas Oil Stabilizer". It really could make a difference with the Diesel noise and low oil pressure. But you should contemplate that an engine replacement might be needed soon. It is probably not worth it, because you can get a fresher Century for cheaper. Good luck!

I just bought a 1987 century with 29000 org miles on it. the person who owned the car was elderly and passed on and only used it 4 local errands. The car is clean in and out, but the paint has faded. I hope this car will do me justice because my 92 buick sabre took me to the cleaners.