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1981 Buick CenturyProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1 owner complaint about the 1981 Buick Century, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls3Free fix at dealersOwner complaints10 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem1Service brakes, hydraulic

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through April 21, 1998. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1981 Buick Century has problems

1 complaint grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

3 recalls

1981 Buick Century recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Buick.

Best & worst years

1981 vs. every other Century year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Century median. How we score

'73'74'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1981 Buick Century, and the recalls they led to.

  1. POWER STEERING FAILUREDP86018 · closed Dec 19, 1986
    No recall
  2. BRAKE BACKING PLATEEA86006 · closed Nov 28, 1988
    No recall

Own a 1981 Century?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.