When I backed out of parking space, I turned steering wheel with a "hard left." car made clicking noise.
1997 Buick Century steering problems
15 complaints (14% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 102,000.
- owner complaints
- 15
- of this car's complaints
- 14%
- typical mileage
- 102,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Rack and pinion5
- Rack and pinion: rack3
- Steering wheel/handle bar1
- Rack and pinion: pinion shaft1
- Hydraulic power assist system1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Buick Century steering problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Buick Century steering
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Power rack and pinion steering failure
Gm's letter to the federal safety agency dated december 11, 2003, expands its original recall (the federal safety agency 02v286) to include certain w-body vehicles: 96-97 olds cutlass supreme; 98 olds intrigue; 97-98 olds cutlass; 97-98 chevy lumina, monte carlo and malibu; 96 pontiac grand prix; and 96-98 buick regal.the number of vehicles recalled is 750,283.gm determined that failure of the rack and pinion is related to damage of the lower pinion bearing and the level of the pinion bearing pre-load spring force.gm states, higher rack pre-load spring force (133 lb.) is the design characteristic most closely associated with higher bearing damage rates in most of the vehicle applications that used the general bearing company (gbc) bearing.all of the vehicles covered in the expanded recall have the 133 lb spring force.the 96 lumina/monte carlo and 97-98 century w-body vehicles included in this investigation utilize a lower spring force and are not included in the recall.
EA03019
Power rack and pinion steering failure
Gm conducted a safety recall (the federal safety agency # 02v286) to address a steering defect pertaining to a lower pinion bearing (lpb) within the rack and pinion steering gear (r&p). The recall covered 1,159,156 model year 1997-1998 pontiac grand prix vehicles built between march 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, 1996-1998 pontiac trans sport, chevrolet lumina apv, chevrolet venture, oldsmobile silhouette minivans, and chevrolet cavalier and pontiac sunfire sedans built between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997.odi opened this rq after receiving reports that other vehicles were exhibiting the same symptoms as the recalled vehicles.based on odi's review of technical and complaint data collected during the rq, the w-cars are associated with either a higher steering complaint rate or a higher lpb failure rate than the other vehicles investigated under the rq and are above or near the rates for the recalled vehicles.thus, odi will further examine the w-cars (1996-1997 oldsmobile cutlass supreme, 1996-1998 buick regal, chevrolet lumina, chevrolet monte carlo, 1997-1998 buick century, and 1998 oldsmobile intrigue) under a new investigation, engineering analysis (ea)03-019.
RQ03001
What 1997 Buick Century owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I was making a left turn and the steering locked and there was a loud bang. I wasn't able to complete the turn causing me to drive off the road and onto a lawn. The steering wheel wouldn't go back to the correct position and it seemed to be in manual steering mode. I could barely move the wheel. The car is not drivable at this time.
1) car needed towed to garage for starter failure. As it left the garage the steering locked up and sent car almost into oncoming traffic with 2 children in the car. There had been no other warnings of a problem. 2) it happens every time the steering is turned one direction then back to the other. It does not just come back. Especially to the left. I almost crashed 4 times just trying to get it home. 3) I filed an insurance claim on the tow company thinking they were responsible. They looked at it and said they found nothing wrong, that nothing was bent. After getting on line and investigating, I learned of this steering problem. It matches it perfectly. I had someone knowledgeable of mechanics look at the car and they said the steering gear rack needs replaced and not to drive the car as it is. It is to dangerous to drive. I also just had new intake manifold gasket from the decool problem gm has. Now I have a car that I can't drive and can't afford to fix. Nobody assumes liability and I think gm should have had this recalled and corrected.
1997 buick century-steering locks up randomly causing loss of vehicle control.
1997 buick century-steering locks up randomly causing loss of vehicle control.
Power steering locked up when making left turns. The steering wheel either locked, did not go into the full turns or was very difficult to turn. Dealership indicated that there was a defect in the rack and pinion as described in steering gear bearings recall 03v527000. However, this vehicle was not included in the recall due to VIN.
1997 buick century power steering started to lock up when steering to the left. *mr vehicle was towed and a new rack and pinion was installed. Consumer requested reimbursement for the repair but was denied because vehicle was not part of recall.
When turning corners steering wheel sticks. Consumer has to pull hard to straighten the wheel up. *ak repair was performed on steering including replacement of steering rack.
1997 buick century, while driving to a soccer game I began to experience an intermittent loss of power steering. After the game I turned left to exit my parking spot and while turning at low speed I heard a clicking noise and the steering wheel became locked. It took all my strength to turn the wheel straight. I took the vehicle to my friend whom is a certified mechanic (but no longer works for gm) and he advised me that the lower pinion was destroyed which caused damage to the entire gear assemble and power steering pump. I had him replace the defective parts at a cost of $800 plus dollars. Subsequent to this time I am now again experiencing intermittent loss of steering. My mechanic advised its possible that the rebuilt steering gear placed in my repair contains the same defective pinion bearing because gm may not have communicated the faulty problem to the part suppliers whom rebuild the gear assemblies. In light of the recent news about gm steering gear problems and pending recalls for car models other that the buick century I wish to file a complaint with gm to reimburse me for the initial repair and the subsequent follow-up repairs that I will need.
The vehicle lost power steering when making a left turn in the driveway. This was caused by a failure in the steering rack and pinion.
Questions about the 1997 Buick Century steering
Does the 1997 Buick Century have steering problems?
Owners have filed 15 complaints about the steering of the 1997 Buick Century, 14% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 1997 Buick Century steering problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 102,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Buick Century steering?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Buick Century have bad steering?
The Buick Century model years with the most steering complaints are 1998 (24 complaints), 1997 (15 complaints) and 1999 (13 complaints).
Other 1997 Buick Century problems
Electrical 20Visibility 16Seat belts 15Lights 10Engine 8Airbags 6Brakes 6Suspension 5Body 4Acceleration 3Fuel system 3Tires 3Transmission 2Wheels 1
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