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1998 Buick Century Recalls & Complaints

4

open safety recalls on record

Critical

278 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.27 · 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.

Serious09E005000

Steering

BROKEN STEERING KNUCKLE COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy & full details

DORMAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE STEERING KNUCKLES FREE OF CHARGE AND REIMBURSE THE REPAIR FACILITY OR OWNER FOR LABOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 23, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DORMAN'S TOLL-FREE HOTLINE AT 1-800-523-2492 AND PRESS 5.

DORMAN IS RECALLING 979 STEERING KNUCKLES, DORMAN P/NOS. 697-902 AND 697-903, SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS<SUP>TM</SUP>" BRAND NAME, AND NAPA P/NOS. 7-8502 AND 7-8503 WHICH WERE SOLD FOR REPLACEMENT USE ON THE VARIOUS VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. A POTENTIAL MATERIAL OR DESIGN DEFECT COULD RESULT IN THE STEERING KNUCKLE BREAKING IN THE HUB AREA.

Serious99V356000

Exterior Lighting:Headlights

DRIVER VISIBILITY MAY BE IMPAIRED raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH AN OWNER'S MANUAL INSERT CONTAINING INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPTICALLY AIMING THE HEADLAMPS.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES DO NOT CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE VERTICAL HEAD LAMP ADJUSTING DEVICE MAY NOT BE CALIBRATED PROPERLY.

Moderate98V102000

Exterior Lighting:Headlights

IF THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES ARE REPLACED, CUSTOMERS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PROPERLY AIM THE HEADLIGHTS.

Remedy & full details

OWNERS WILL BE MAILED AN OWNER MANUAL'S INSERT WHICH CONTAINS THE APPROPRIATE INFORMATION.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE OWNER MANUALS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIREMENT INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE VEHICLE HEADLAMP AIMING DEVICE. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

Complaint volume

278 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

13Crashes
0Fires
12Injuries
0Deaths

Across 278 complaints. Severity Index 0.27.

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

Power Train · Automatic T…20 · 7%Unknown Or Other16 · 6%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…14 · 5%Exterior Lighting · Headl…14 · 5%Electrical System · Horn12 · 4%Engine And Engine Cooling…8 · 3%Steering8 · 3%Visibility · Windshield7 · 3%
  1. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 20 reports
  2. Unknown Or Other — 16 reports
  3. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 14 reports
  4. Exterior Lighting:Headlights — 14 reports
  5. Electrical System:Horn — 12 reports
  6. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 8 reports
  7. Steering — 8 reports
  8. Visibility:Windshield — 7 reports
  9. Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls — 7 reports
  10. Electrical System — 6 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 (2) · 1997 (4) · 1998 · 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.