Buick Century brake failure problems

Filed Apr 19, 2022 · Fuel system · TN

While letting off the gas in order to break, the accelerator pedal went to the floor on its own for about 3 seconds. Pushing on the break stopped the accelerator.

Filed Sep 7, 2019 · Brakes · 40,000 miles · DE

Front and rear brake lines failed leaving me with no brakes. I was driving at low speed. The rear brake line was the first to go. The front burst and about 4 weeks later the cause was rust and corrosion. Both times the pedal went to the floor.

Filed Jun 16, 2016 · Brakes · 45,000 miles · NJ

Total brake failure, due to brake line corrosion. Fortunately happened first thing in the morning while only about 1000 feet from home and while driving at low speed was able to safely stop.

Filed Sep 10, 2014 · Brakes · 123,980 miles · MI

Applied brakes for the stop sign and the pedal went all the way to the floor. As it turned out the brake line had rusted out and fluid was lost.

Filed Nov 15, 2013 · Brakes, Engine · 39,847 miles · NH

When to court on 11/12/13. Was told if I did not take the car I would get charged storage. Went to the garage were the car was. At the court house was told car needs rotors. They took the car out of the garage and parked it running. I got in it stepped on the pedal and it went down on the floor with the brake light on. Had to get the car out so I got it to my home. Beside structural damage from rocker panel filled with spray foam no brakes. You take corners and the car bangs from the frame moving. This car is suppose to have 39000 miles on it. The steering wheel is worn out and the struts bang and bounce. This car is now sitting in my yard. I would like a dot person check this car for true mileage. I ran my own garage and did state inspections and I really think some one altered the mileage. My inspection number was 1495 back in april 2000.. Updated 11-25-13

Filed Sep 25, 2013 · Airbags, Brakes · 124,430 miles · VA · crash

I was traveling in heavy stop and go traffic traveling at about 40mph when the vehicle in front of me stopped, I applied the brakes hard but the vehicle did not stop and I tried to sway into the shoulder but hit the vehicle in front of me. There was plenty of space to stop but the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. Note: the air bags did not deploy.

Filed Jun 18, 2011 · Brakes, Electrical · 130,000 miles · PA

Driving towards a stoplight and the brake pedal went to the floor on a 1996 buick century. Pumping gave only partial rear braking. Drove to friend's house (during which the brakes worked normally the whole way). We pulled the driver side tire and discovered that the fibrous finely woven tube cover (fiberglass?) to the extremely thin and fragile wires to ABS sensor looked burnt. Cutting it off we discovered the wires inside had shorted out. When we cleared the short and individually wrap insulated the wires, the ABS warning light then came on. A gravel skid test revealed no ABS at all. We found that dead shorting the wire to the sensor with a jumper wire will cause the ABS warning light to go out, but obviously disables the ABS. We replaced the sensor (which requires that the whole bearing/stud assembly to be replaced), and then the ABS light went out. A gravel skid test revealed the ABS working fine and he says the normal braking is now better too. Some research reveals that the ABS detects no tire turning during a skid via the sensor, and releases hydraulic pressure to the brakes until the tire is detected by the ABS as turning. We think that when a short to the sensor occurs, the sensor can't detect the tire turning again and thus the ABS unit never stops bleeding fluid pass the brake (and the initial short may even set off the ABS without an actual skid occurring - that is without the sensor ever sensing a tire not turning). Anyone having random near-total or total loss of brakes on this type of vehicle might do well to examine the wires and terminals leading to the ABS sensors - and replace suspicious units (we paid about $90 for a unit from a common auto parts chain). A gravel skid test might also reveal an ABS system not working even though there is no ABS warning light lit. Replacing the bearing/stud/ABS sensor assembly is moderately hard.

Filed Oct 1, 2010 · Brakes · 69,528 miles · CT

Brake failure, front brake line corrosion (rust through) resulting in complete loss of brake fluid. Thankfully no accident resulted. Correction required new brake line replacement and replacement of lost fluid, etc this failure is the same type which occurred to our 2000 buick century. In that car first the front brake line failed (like the 1999 did), and about a year later the rear brake line failed with the same corrosion problem. The incident happened out of state and the repair shop manager stated "this has become a common problem and that he has replaced many failed brake lines.

Filed Jul 23, 2010 · Brakes · 150,000 miles · VA · crash

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 buick century. While driving 40 MPH the contact applied the brakes and heard a grinding metal sound coming from the brakes. The brakes failed to engage properly causing the contact to crash into a vehicle. There were no injuries. A police report was written for the incident. The vehicle was currently being diagnosed by the repair shop. There were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 150000. The VIN was not available. Updated 10/05/10 *bf updated 10/07/10

Filed Jul 11, 2010 · Brakes · 4,500 miles · PW

2009 while my sister was pulling into the hospital parking garage with my mother, driving mom's 2001 buick century, the brakes failed and went to the floor, no pedal, no brakes. Had towed back home. Mechanic said had rusted brake line. Thank god my mother was not driving, she would not have been able to get the car stopped. Well friday july 9th 2010 my sister taking my mother to dr appt with car full of kids,again the brakes failed and had no brakes to stop the car. I guess the man upstairs sure takes care of mom, it sure as heck is not gm. A recall should be issued for this long known problems with the rusty brake lines. Brake lines should last alot longer than 45,000 miles. There are recalls for brake lights, how about one for these brake lines.