1999 Buick Century Custom 2000 from North America - Comments

Well, this car has had a lot of problems since I bought it. Let's start with the alignment. The steering wheel has consistently been cocked to the left -- whether or not there is a crown in the road. I took it to the dealer for an alignment, but the problem persisted. I took it back and described the problem. They realigned it, but the problem persists, so I give up.

The power windows failed at 60,000 miles.

Transmission has a lot of problems. In fact, now that I've searched the Internet, I've found the exact same comments. Soon after I bought the car it began shifting harshly, so I took it to the dealer, and they reported that it had a bad PC Solenoid valve. I had it replaced to the tune of $615.00. But the problems persist -- harsh shifting and shuddering.

Soon after the above mentioned "repair" the car broke down in a disturbing manner. It began vibrating and grinding. I pressed the brakes, but they did not work, nor did the power steering. It finally stopped, and remained stalled. The dealer refused to repair the car because it did not throw any codes.

The car now has 62,000 miles.

First off, let me say that I did buy this car used with 52,000 miles on it. For example, I knew the alignment was off when I bought it, however I also expected that when I paid $82.00 for a realignment the problem would be solved -- it is not. I did not buy it expecting it to be cherry, but these problems are just intolerable. I've now read at least a dozen comments of Century 2000 owners who report the exact same transmission problems. I can't believe any car made post-1980s would have these problems.

My previous car was a 1995 Dodge Intrepid -- what a dream. Lasted for 177,301 miles, and did not have problems until 135,000 miles. I regret my switch to a General Motors product.

On an up note -- the seats are very comfortable.

The ride is smooth.

Very ergonomically laid out with a lot of features.

I like the styling, smooth and stately.

A little late I know. But my Century had the same problem of pulling to the left. However, it turned out not to be the alignment, but the tires themselves. I took it to the tire place to have re-aligned, and they said "Lets take a look at your tire."

The guy showed me my tires were deformed on the side walls. Suffice it to say, 4 new tires cured the alignment problem.

I realize it's been 3 years since this review, but hopefully the poster still has it. I agree with the comment above (1st May 2007, 15:38) ; it may very well be the tires. Interestingly, I saw a used Century last month at a dealership which had tires the size actually meant for the Regal. The Regal is the sportier and more powerful version of the Century that's no bigger, but too alike to tell the difference from a distance. Anyway, the Regal needs bigger tires due to its V6 being more powerful (195-200 hp for LS, or 240 for GS) than the Century's (160-175 hp). So, whoever outfitted this set perhaps used the Regal LS as a reference point. If the original poster still has the car, he or she might want to have its tires checked to make sure they're the right size. I mean, the same-generation Century, *not* the Regal or any other Buick, should be referenced to ensure the specifications are correct.