Automatic transmission has very harsh shift between 1st and 2nd gears and also between 2nd and 3rd. Seems to happen after warmed up and on highway for awhile.
Buick Century harsh shifting problems
12 of the 1,688 owner complaints about the Buick Century describe harsh or hard shifting, most of them for the 2000 model year.
- owner complaints
- 12
- worst model year
- 2000
- typical mileage
- 70,000
By model year
- 20041
- 20021
- 20011
- 20007
- 19991
- 19971
Often reported together
Fuel gauge 2Power windows 1Loss of power 1Jerking 1Hesitation 1
Trouble codes mentioned
P1811 1
What owners say
I have a 2000 buick century limited and the transmission harsh shift 1234, when hot and sometimes cold, I know that it needs a new 1234 up shift solenoid and to be inspected for failed parts etc, also the odometer,fuel gauge,and window regulators/motors have failed, the odometer is out and fuel gauge floats and windows have failed due to bad design of motors/regulators and my airbag light is on and each 4t65- e trans and many buick trans like the one above has harsh shift and could cause damage and cause trans to fail. And the problems above will be found in many buick century and gm should fix the issues above for free it is a danger for the trans to fail and odometer/gear shift select to fail because most people will not know what gear they are in, and the trans could lock and cause a wreck or a huge injury or worst. And the trans 1234 up shift pressure control solenoid not keeping the right pressure could damage the trans, and even if the trans is bought used it still has this problem and is the same 4t65-e trans and gm needs to fix this for free there are many complaints and issue with the 2000 buick century,regals etc with this type of trans. And should be fixed right away before it becomes a costly repair or wreck! And the trans should be checked for any other failures. For free.
The transmission on my 2000 buick century has a hard shift condition that was diagnosed at 2 different transmission shops as a pressure control solenoid failure that is very common with this car. One of the shops said the problem will reoccur even with replacement of the part unless a shift kit is installed.after researching this issue on line it becomes apparent that the shops are correct in their diagnosis. Why has this issue not been a recall!
Bought 2000 buick century and like many other complaints on the list I have repaired the manifold, water pump, fuel filter at 83,000. I have experienced the whinning and hard shifting the entire time I owned the car. I had intermittent dash light failure which is real dangerous since you can't see the speedometer or anything on the dash. My brakes have failed to brake and I went out into traffic - luckily no accident and there was a median I could steer into! I haven't had a working gas gauge for years. Last night going 70 MPH I felt 3 chugs and lost power. Again luckily I was at a freeway exit and could coast off the freeway. So my 3 most expensive bills (and none of the problems have been solved -$1800. For brake calipers, rotors and pads. $1100 for wire set, manifold set, fuel filter and water pump. $350 for headlamp switch and dash light problems. I am putting no more money into this car and up until last night I was looking for a buick but never again. I didn't put the mileage down when these incidents happened because the symptoms are ongoing!!! It looks like 1000's of complaints have been ignored through the years and the brake issue as well as shutting down going 70 MPH are both safety issues which should have been addressed in a recall many years ago!!! I am devastated by the facts I learned researching the computer last night. I am on a fixed income and now without a car too. What reports do I believe when shopping for a new car?????? Down below where you date the incident luckily I can say no to all of the questions (but by the grace of god!)
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 buick century. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the transmission made a clunking noise on an intermittent basis. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired by a dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 buick century. She stated that there was a loud clunking noise in the vehicle. Upon having her wheel bearings repaired, she found the stabilizer bar had broken off of the tire. She then attempted to order the part from an automotive store and was told that there was a defect in the replacement part. No repairs were made to the vehicle to correct the failure to date. The current and failure mileages were 188,376.
Automatic transmission jerks and clunks when shifting gears.
This is in reference to consumer complaint # odi case number 10061519. I have experienced the same complaint of the sloshing of the gas within the tank, but my complaint goes one step further , there is a clunk clunk associated with the sloshing.
Transmission slipping. Hard shifts in all gears. Transmission had been rebuilt at dealership in november 2002 after it had totally went out at 46000 mile and going out again at 83000.
Two hundred miles away from home I started having tansmission problems on my 2000 buick century, limited edition, with 33,000 miles on it. Brought the car brand new and maintained it religiously. Shifting was extremely harsh. Did ok going 55 - 65 miles an hour on the freeway. Non freeway driving it went back to harsh shifting, whining engine, slow acceleration. Took it in to the dealer next am. Was told my car was out of warranty, and that pressure control solenoid valve needed to be replaced to the tune of $750. After talking with the assistant service manager, they agreed to a 50-50 split. However, I feel gm is solely responsible. They were aware of this two years ago. Fortunately, I wasn't stranded in the desert in 100 degrees temperature with my young grand children. It is my understanding that gm had issued a bulletin regarding this defective part. The pcs solenoids were made of a softer metal than the hole they ride in after a while they wear and start hanging up. The gm bulletin states, "slips, harsh shift or grage shifts, launch shudders, flares, erratic shifts and intermittent concerns, dtc p1811 or po748 set (replace pressure control solenoid valve assembly) #00-07-30-002b-(02/19/2002)."
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- The reverse servo apply pin may bind in the case which could cause reverse band distress (loss or slipping of reverse), reverse band drag in drive range (poor performance -- poor power), or the transmission to remain in reverse while the shift indicator shows neutral gear position.
- Risk
- If the transmission remains in reverse while the shiftindicator shows neutral, the vehicle may unexpectedly move rearward and resultin a vehicle accident.
- Remedy
- Replace the transaxle where required.
Recall number 91V214000 · Recall details
Questions about the Buick Century harsh shifting
Which Buick Century years have harsh or hard shifting problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2000 (7 complaints), 1997 (1 complaints) and 1999 (1 complaints).
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