Tl* the contact owned a 1998 buick century. While the vehicle was being operated, the brakes and steering column seized. As a result, the vehicle was involved in a front end crash. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and deemed destroyed. A police report was filed. The contact sustained short term memory loss, a concussion, and several unknown injuries that required medical attention. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign numbers: 09e005000 (steering) and 03v527000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was not provided.
1998 Buick Century steering problems
24 complaints (11% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 72,000. 4 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 24
- of this car's complaints
- 11%
- typical mileage
- 72,000
- crashes
- 4
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Rack and pinion6
- Hydraulic power assist system3
- Steering wheel/handle bar1
- Rack and pinion: rack1
- Linkages: knuckle: spindle: arm1
- Linkages1
- Hydraulic power assist: pump1
- Hydraulic power assist: power steering fluid1
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
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 1998 Buick Century owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick century. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The power steering was not functioning. However, the driver was able to maintained control the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 buick century. The contact stated he intermittently had to apply heavy force to the steering wheel in order to turn the wheel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was told the failure was resulting from the lower pinion bearings. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 132,500 and the current mileage was 133,000.
The power steering on my buick only has power assist when turning to the right. When turning to the left the steering binds.
1998 buick century steering failed & cannot turn left event happened at low speed in parking lot and no damage resulted. Dealer will not cover repair of vehicle with a 'w' designation. Although there is evidence that they to have same steering related defects as cars that received recall or service bulletin.
While driving 60 MPH, the vehicle was hit by another vehicle on the front passenger side. The consumer stated that both frontal air bags did not deploy upon impact. The driver sustained minor injuries as a result. *nm the consumer tried to avoid the accident but the steering wheel locked up and the vehicle shut off. *sc
While driving less than 5 MPH and turning left into a parking space, the vehicle lost power. This made it hard to steer and turn the vehicle. Once the vehicle was inspected, the consumer was informed that rack and pinion steering needed to be replaced. *ak *sc
When making a left hand turn steering failed without warning.
Steering rack separated when turning left. A recall was issued, however this was not included in the recall due to VIN. *ak incident almost caused a collision with an approaching vehicle.
Ignition would not turn, causing the vehicle not to start. Vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the ignition was replaced. Currently, power steering fluid leaked.
Questions about the 1998 Buick Century steering
Does the 1998 Buick Century have steering problems?
Owners have filed 24 complaints about the steering of the 1998 Buick Century, 11% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 1998 Buick Century steering problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 72,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 1998 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 1998 Buick Century problems
Brakes 29Electrical 26Transmission 26Visibility 25Engine 23Lights 23Fuel system 12Seat belts 12Body 11Airbags 10Suspension 8Tires 6Acceleration 5Seats 3Locks 2Wheels 2
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