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1999 Buick Century Recalls & Complaints

5

open safety recalls on record

Critical

287 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.44 · 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.

Critical99V170000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

THIS SHORT CAN CAUSE EXTREME HEATING OF THE FLEXIBLE BRAKE PIPE WHERE IT CAN MELT A NEARBY FLEXIBLE PLASTIC FUEL HOSE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A GROUND CABLE FROM THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE (EBCM) TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BODY RAIL.

SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WITH THE KEY IN THE "ON" POSITION, EXHIBIT A CONDITION IN WHICH THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) MOTOR SHORTS TO ITS CASE AND GROUNDS THROUGH A FLEXIBLE BRAKE FLUID PIPE.

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.

Moderate04V375000

Exterior Lighting:Headlights

LESS ILLUMINATION MAY REDUCE THE ABILITY OF THE DRIVER TO READ OVERHEAD SIGNS WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL NEW LOW BEAM HEADLAMP BULBS IN BOTH OF THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080. NOTE: IF THE BULB NEEDS REPLACEMENT IN THE FUTURE, GM BULB NUMBER 89024715 IS AVAILABLE FROM A DEALER, OR THE EQUIVALENT SYLVANIA BULB IS 9006HP, WITH ORANGE LETTERING ON THE BULB.

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES DO NOT CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." SOME OF THESE VEHICLES DO NOT MEET THE OVERHEAD SIGN ILLUMINATION REQUIREMENTS.

Complaint volume

287 this model-year 7 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

20Crashes
5Fires
18Injuries
0Deaths

Across 287 complaints. Severity Index 0.44.

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

Engine And Engine Cooling17 · 6%Exterior Lighting · Headl…15 · 5%Visibility · Power Window…15 · 5%Unknown Or Other14 · 5%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…13 · 5%Vehicle Speed Control12 · 4%Engine And Engine Cooling…12 · 4%Engine And Engine Cooling…10 · 3%
  1. Engine And Engine Cooling — 17 reports
  2. Exterior Lighting:Headlights — 15 reports
  3. Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls — 15 reports
  4. Unknown Or Other — 14 reports
  5. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 13 reports
  6. Vehicle Speed Control — 12 reports
  7. Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System — 12 reports
  8. Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe — 10 reports
  9. Visibility:Windshield — 9 reports
  10. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 8 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 (4) · 1999 · 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.