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1996 Buick Century Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Critical

110 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.52 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical07E021000

Fuel System, Other:Storage:Tank Assembly:Pressure Relief Devices

FUEL MAY LEAK, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE.

Remedy & full details

DELPHI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE UPR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 23, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT DELPHI AT 877-411-8770.

CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, P/NOS. FP10020-11B1, FP10026-11B1, AND FP10027-11B1, SOLD AFTER JANUARY 9, 2007, AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE UNIVERSAL PRESSURE REGULATORS (UPR) WERE PRODUCED WITHOUT AN O'RING AND RETAINER.

Serious95V173000

Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage

CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE: IN A COLLISON, STRESS CAN CAUSE THE ATTACHMENT METAL TO TEAR AND ALLOW THE ANCHORAGE TO SEPARATE FROM THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING ANCHOR BOLTS WITH A NEW SHOULDER BOLT AND THREAD LOCKING ADHESIVE. ADDITIONALLY, NOISE CONTROL PATCHES WILL BE APPLIED AT EACH ANCHORAGE.

THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH REAR OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGES THAT MAY NOT WITHSTAND THE REQUIRED LOAD. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO.210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES."

Complaint volume

110 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

7Crashes
1Fires
10Injuries
0Deaths

Across 110 complaints. Severity Index 0.52.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Vehicle Speed Control7 · 6%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…7 · 6%Engine And Engine Cooling…6 · 5%Suspension · Front5 · 5%Structure · Body · Door5 · 5%Steering · Rack And Pinion5 · 5%Visibility · Glass, Side/…4 · 4%Power Train · Automatic T…4 · 4%
  1. Vehicle Speed Control — 7 reports
  2. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 7 reports
  3. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline — 6 reports
  4. Suspension:Front — 5 reports
  5. Structure:Body:Door — 5 reports
  6. Steering:Rack And Pinion — 5 reports
  7. Visibility:Glass, Side/Rear — 4 reports
  8. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 4 reports
  9. Air Bags:Frontal — 3 reports
  10. Steering — 3 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (1) · 1996 · 1997 (4) · 1998 (4) · 1999 (5) · 2000 (7) · 2001 (5) · 2002 (2) · 2003 (2) · 2004 (2) · 2005 (2)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.