Tl* - the contact owns a 1998 buick century. During january 2007 the contact noticed that the head lights were not on while driving. The contact tried to turn them on with the on off switch but that did not work. The high beams would turn on while holding the lever, but the normal head beams lights did not. The contact explained that after moving the light lever the normal headlight beams turned on. A month after the failure began the head lights completely stopped working on 2/25/07. The contact was going to take the vehicle to the dealer and have it inspected. The contact believed that this failure was too soon for a vehicle with an odometer reading of 119,000 miles and about 9 years old. The failure mileage was 118500.
1998 Buick Century: headlights failing or too dim
15 of the 217 complaints about the 1998 Buick Century describe headlights failing or too dim.
- owner complaints
- 15
- of this car's complaints
- 7%
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 2 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Headlights failing or too dim by model year
What owners say
Headlight lens developed a cloudy film. This reduced the light illumination, and resulted in poor visibility. The lens could not be cleaned. *ak the consumer believes the design of the lens is poor because it does not allow the consumer to clean the inside of the lens.
Intermittently the headlights operate poorly while driving at night time. Independent shop could not find nothing wrong. Dealer notified.
Headlights fail to luminate in the dark while driving. Driver would have poor visibility due to a lack of lighting. Took vehicle to two different dealers, and parts were replaced. Headlights were reaimed. Problem of poor visibility still exists.
Low bean from the head lights does not provide sufficient lighting, the light does not shine 50 feet in front of vehicle causing poor visibility..
Headlights are not bright enough which causes visual difficulty, and may result in a crash. Dealer cannot determine the cause. Please provide further information.
Head light is poorly distributed on road and has hunge dark spots directly in the path of the vehicle. Also it does not provide enough light to safely make a turn into drive way.
There was insufficient light when low beam light was on, causing poor visibility which amost resulted in 2 accidents. Dealer has adjusted low beam light twice, but defect still exists.
Water condensation always builds up on the inside of the headlight assembly after it rains, the dealership cliams that this is a normal occurrence and is not a problem. The problem is that this degrades the lighting intensity at night. This is a defective design because it also happens to my friends 2000 buick century. It can be vaildated by looking for watermarks on the inside of the headlight assembly.
The headlamp assembly has water condensation (water droplets) forming on the inside of the headlight assembly (if it rains for consecutive days) causing lower visabilty at night. It looks like it is a chronic problem, because my friends 2000 buick century has water residue marks on the inside of the headlight assembly.
Driver cannot see road unless the vehicle's high beams are on. Low beams do not function properly. Dealer has tried to adjust the vehicle's headlights, but problem still exists. *ak
Low beam head lights being used at 30 MPH in a unlighted road or street are unsafe. Dealer / manufacturer notified, and informed consume rthat nothing could be done and they meet the fmvss. Can the federal safety agency help or provide additional information in this matter.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- Driver visibility may be impaired increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Owners will be provided with an owner's manual insert containing instructions for optically aiming the headlamps.
Recall number 99V356000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- 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."
- Risk
- If the headlamp assemblies are replaced, customers may not be able to properly aim the headlights.
- Remedy
- Owners will be mailed an owner manual's insert which contains the appropriate information.
Recall number 98V102000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1998 Buick Century headlights
Is headlights failing or too dim a common problem on the 1998 Buick Century?
15 of 217 owner complaints about the 1998 Buick Century (7%) mention headlights failing or too dim. The model year with the most reports is 2003.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1998 Buick Century?
There are 2 recalls and 2 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1998 Buick Century
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