Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM | |||||
| 020139002 | 03/01/2002 | 631232 | Some customers may comment on the time it takes the right side door glass to defog. *slc | 05/21/2002 | |
| 020139001 | 02/01/2002 | 629522 | Subject regarding hvac temperature difference side to side and/or diagnostic trouble codes b0361, b0441 set. *tt | 04/02/2002 | |
| 97121797022 | 12/17/1997 | 54475 | Subject on hvac manual climate control mode selector first phase owner notification letter mailing. *yc | 04/20/1998 | |
| 97110197022J | 11/01/1997 | 54185 | Customer satisfaction campaign on hvac manual climate control mode selector. *yc | 03/30/1998 | |
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - REAR WINDOW | |||||
| 030844005B | 01/01/2005 | 030844005C | 10005588 | Poor radio reception or radio static/ increased interference with rear window defogger on or some rear window defogger grids may be inoperative. *tt | 03/04/2004 |
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - CONTROLS/WIRING | |||||
| 01650 | 01/01/2004 | 10007236 | Manual dual zone fan and mode knob replacement. service vme. *tt | 06/04/2004 | |
| VISIBILITY - POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | |||||
| 849602 | 09/01/1998 | 603828 | Some customers may comment the radio clock gains an excessive amount of time. *yc | 03/08/1999 | |
| 839607 | 10/01/1998 | 602985 | Comments on switching between local stations or cross talk in metropolitan areas with several strong am stations. *yc | 01/25/1999 | |
| 98849602A | 10/01/1998 | 84-96-02 | 602750 | Some customers may comment on radio clock gains an excessive amount of time. *yc | 01/11/1999 |
| VISIBILITY - REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES - EXTERIOR | |||||
| 111001 | 10/11/2001 | 627977 | Information on diagnosing wind noise from the outside rearview mirror area. *tt | 03/01/2002 | |
| 000851001 | 09/01/2000 | 6092333 | Some customers may comment that the black plastic housing around the outside rear view mirror turns chalky or is dull in color. *tt | 12/05/2000 | |
| VISIBILITY - SUN ROOF ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 030867004 | 06/01/2003 | 10002878 | Parts availability for sunroof repairs. *tt | 09/30/2003 | |
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD | |||||
| 731066A | 07/01/1998 | 731066 | 615088 | Some owners may comment that the door glass sticks in the full up position. this condition mainly happens in warm weather. *tt | 12/27/2000 |
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | |||||
| 98738205A | 04/01/1998 | 601123 | Condition with windshield wiper arms/blades park at incorrect location. *yc | 07/01/1998 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY | ||||||
| EA99024 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 08/20/1999 | 01/13/2000 | WINDSHIELD WIPER | ||
| Incidents of wiper failure (owner reports and warranty) are very high, and many of reports indicate that the failures are still occurring in 1999.failure reports also indicate that the problem is not limited to freezing weather conditions. | ||||||
| PE99028 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 04/16/1999 | 08/20/1999 | WINDSHIELD WIPER | ||
| Alleged that the windshied wipers fail, particularly during cold weather operation | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY | |||
| 03/04/2008 | 11000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 1998 buick century. the contact attempted to roll up all four windows but only the rear driver's side window rolled up. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was told the window motors and tracks needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the failure has since recurred intermittently on the front passenger side window. the failure mileage was 11,000 and the current mileage was 50,000. sm. | |||
| 10/30/2003 | 72000 | 1 | |
| Power window and mirror issues in 1998 buick century. i have been dealing with this problem since 2004, i've been told by multiple mechanics that it's a known issue with the buick century, why is there no recall? the windows keep coming off the track, i drive on smooth roads and follow the speed limit, so what is going on???? my power mirrors haven't worked since 2004. drivers side window is the one that's given me the worst headache, put in a new motor thinking that's why it was sticking and then it quit working again. please look into this issue, it's not safe. *tr | |||
| 12/08/2008 | 23000 | 1 | |
| Windshield wipers are not functioning properly. my left wiper bangs a few inches up then smacks back down. this is not snow related because i've learner to cover all aspects of the wipers and windshield because of my first time waiting for snow to melt. this has been ongoing since i acquired the car from my grandmother in dec. 2008. she purchased the car, but is too old too keep up with recalls and such. i see there are many other complaints and i was almost in a crash with my children due to a sudden rain shower causing the visibility to be awful. *tr | |||
| 09/19/2001 | 54696 | 12 | 12/18/1997 |
| The vehicle drifted to the left, noises seemed to have been coming from the steering, the power steering locked up, the rack and pinion had gone out and leaked, the a/c control was inoperative, the seat belt button latch had fallen and the button was missing, the wheel alignment was out of specifics, the driver door was hard to open, the panel had moved when the window was rolled down, the power window(s) were inoperative, the shifter goes in and out, the right front door exterior trim was hard to open, the passengers seat coushin was too soft and had collapsed, and the door's mirror was loose. the service dealer had found no problems with the steering. scc | |||
| 10/27/1997 | |||
| Vehicle has poor visibility while driving. owner cannot see over front hood while driving, possible design flaw. *ak | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - CONTROLS/WIRING | |||
| 12/12/1997 | 1 | 10/10/1997 | |
| Defroster control switch failed. *yc | |||
| 04/15/1998 | 1 | 10/24/1997 | |
| Heater control switch failed. | |||
| VISIBILITY - POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | |||
| 03/04/2008 | 11000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick century. the contact attempted to roll up all four windows but only the rear driver's side window responded. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was told that the window motors and tracks would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the failure recurred intermittently on the front passenger side window. the failure mileage was 11,000 and the current mileage was 50,000. | |||
| 07/29/1999 | 22225 | 2 | 08/27/1997 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 buick century. the contact stated that both rear electric windows do not operate. he stated that the windows cannot roll up once they are down. the contact notified the manufacturer, but they have not responded. he has replaced the regulator component, which cost an estimated $350. when the window was replaced, the mechanic failed to offer an explanation as to the cause of failure. presently, the left rear window still malfunctions. the current mileage was 72,000 and failure mileage was 22,225. | |||
| 10/11/2005 | 49933 | 2 | 10/29/1998 |
| We have a 1998 buick century with less than 50,000 miles. the information in complaints 10137627 and 10134068 are very similar to our two experiences. in june 2004 the drivers side window just fell and could not go back up. the rear window on the side did the same thing a year later. both were spontaneous. each repair was about $500.00. i submitted a complaint to buick which was summarily dismissed because the car is old and it has only happened to each window once. (as an aside my wife's brother has the same year make and model and it has happened to three of his windows. the two vehicles were purchased from the same dealer about 4 months apart) i have accessed some information mentioned in the other complaints so i need not repeat it here. i believe buick has in inherent defect which should be repaired or changed at no cost. it was however replaced with the same hardware. our grandchildren ride in car seats in the back of the car and this failure could endanger them. your assistance in this matter is appreciated. *jb | |||
| 07/09/2004 | 77071 | 4 | 01/22/1998 |
| Dt: contact owns a 1998 buick century. power windows were defective. the contact took the vehicle to dealer. all 4 windows stopped working. within 2 months all 4 windows have been checked . the dealer worked on 3 windows . they failed at 70, 000 miles . the contact did not want to pay for windows to be fixed. *ak *nm | |||
| 06/01/2005 | 1 | 02/28/1998 | |
| Dt: contact stated front driver side and two rear window regulators broke, causing the windows to stay down. the window regulators were being replaced. *ak | |||
| 12/04/2003 | 48000 | 2 | 08/18/1999 |
| 1998 buick century custom - the electric rear window stopped working and dropped open and won't close. an examination of the window revealed that the harness is made up of two steel cables attached together by a small piece of plastic. surprise, the plastic broke! in december 2003, the same year that the back window broke, the driver's side window broke and it is the exact same piece that broke in the back window. only this time it broke while my daughter was in the center lane of i-75 and we're fortune that she wasn't in a serious accident. the falling of the window at high speed created a scary distraction that narrowly missed causing a potentional bad accident. it have been told to me by a body shop as well as a buick saleman that this is a common defect. it is not only dangerous but conveniently costly to repair. they don't make the plactic connector, which would be very easy to install, but only sell the entire harness for $375 + tax. i have writen and spoke with gm in detroit. they have offered me an additional $1500 towards a new car or they will pay 50% of repairing the window. this sounds to me like they are very well aware of the problem but it is going to take your organization to insist upon a total recall.*ak | |||
| VISIBILITY - REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES - EXTERIOR | |||
| 09/14/2004 | 1 | ||
| The above the dashboard was leaking black fluid this caused the mirror go black. the driver was able to drive to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed that the driver that the heat caused the problem and a replacement of a recall was not for this vehicle. the consumer has to rendered payment for the part and labor. please fill in additional information., | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD | |||
| 03/01/1998 | |||
| Under certain conditions, condensation collects on the outside of the windows reducing visibility through these windows to near zero and making it impossible to see approaching traffic. the glazing materials around both windows (weatherstripping) do not make contact with the surface of the windows during raising or lowering. therefore, the condensation cannot be removed from the exterior of the windows without exiting the car and manually cleaning the surface. for example, when the condensation collects while i am traveling on a highway, it is necessary for me to stop on the side of the road, get out of the car, and clean the surface of both windows in order to proceed safely. the dealer was first notified of this defect within 60 days of my purchase. at that time, i was advised by the dealer's repair shop that the windows were not aligned properly and that adjustments were made to correct the problem. the shop reported that the corrections were made to correct the defect, but the defectb was not corrected. i have taken the car to other dealers and returned to the original dealer on several occasions during the past two years in an attempt to have the defect corrected. each time i have received a different response. in september 1999, i notified the manufacturer (buick division of gm) of this and other safety defects, but i did not receive a response. late last month i returned again to brown's buick to seek repairs, and i have now been told that the windows are operating as designed. i believe that the failure of the window systems and related materials to clear the condensation that periodically collects on the exterior surface creates a safety hazard to me and to others on the road. although the manufacturer and the dealer have had several opportunities to correct the defect, no correction has been made. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1998 | |||
| Ppg, the manufacturer of the 1998 and 1999 buick century windshields is manufacturing the windshileds with a latent defect, which causes the windshield view to be hazy when driving directly into the sun. it appears that the laminate layering between the glass sheets has failed. i also noticed this same defect on a 1999 century as well. dealer was notified and confirmed the defect but general motors customer zone rep was unwilling to proceed further. the defect will probably not cause any accidents, but may impair or distort a person's clarity of view, when driving into the sun. | |||
| When the wiindow is rolled down the inside of the door comes into the driver. when the window is rolled up, it will jerk /am and pull the door to its normal condition. the dealer has been notified. *ak | |||
| 06/10/1998 | 06/09/1998 | ||
| On a sunny day the front windshield reflects the whole dashbroad which causes poor visibility. also, the front and the back windshield cloud up very badly from bright light and going into a darker area. the dealer is not able to detect a problem with the windshield. ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Driver experiencing glare in windshiled. | |||
| 1 | |||
| The windshield angle and design results in vision being obscured due to reflection. | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | |||
| 09/11/2002 | |||
| Consumer states that while driving and no warning the windshield wiper will work intermittently and it will hard for the consumer to see during rainy weather. dealer notified. mr | |||
| 04/28/2002 | 2 | 12/01/2000 | |
| In sudden downpour (approaching tornado) outside of nashville this a.m. visibility was severly reduced with wipers on lower setting. when wipers turned to high to increase visibility wipers locked and stripped, forcing driver to pull off the interstate and wait for the rain to stop. this is the second time this has happened. the first incident was in march 2001 - right after purchasing the used vehicle. we encountered heavy rain at interstate speed of approximately 55 mph. the wipers locked together and the mechanism stripped the right wiper so that it would no longer function. upon resuming driving with just the left wiper, the left wiper then proceeded to go off the windshield entirely and driver had to pull off the on the side to tighten bolt. the primary driver of this vehicle remembered the first incident and never uses the higher wiper settings so has not incurred any further problems. the auxiliary driver, myself, had forgotten that this was a problem. not being able to use the highest setting makes for dangerous visibility in heavy rain though and the design of the wiper operation should be investigated as even being able to safely pull off the interstate is severely hampered. *ak | |||
| 11/02/1999 | 2 | 11/01/1997 | |
| At 7:00 pm (dark and heavy rain), windshield wipers in motion and right wiper locked into left during heavy rain creating zero visibility. | |||
| 2 | 02/03/1998 | ||
| In rainy weather conditions the windshield wipers became inoperable, cause unknown. in addition, while driving on highway vehicle went completely dead due to short in electrical system. *ak | |||