2003 Buick Century Custom Sedan 4-door 3.1l on 2040-cars
Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
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You're bidding on a 2003 Buick Century that I'm selling for my daughter. The car was originally purchased by my grandmother on 1/23/2003 in Carlsbad, CA, where it spent the first 6.5 years of its life. I inherited the car in November, 2009, and drove it for work, so most of the miles on the car are highway miles. During the time I drove the car, it was always garage-kept. In April 2013, I passed the car down to my daughter, and it was stored outside during that time. Mechanically, the car is very sound--it runs, handles, and stops great. The tires are in good shape. AC blows cold. The car has approximately 160,000 miles, but I can't verify the exact mileage because the odometer LED stopped working about 4 months ago. I've researched how to repair this, and it's a matter of replacing two resistors on the circuit board for the LED, which I, frankly, don't want to tackle. I'm sure a Buick dealer would be able to repair it as well. To help with mileage verification, I've posted the most recent Valvoline bill from 4/4/13, with a mileage of 122,579 on it. The car has had more recent oil changes, but my daughter wasn't as diligent about saving receipts as I was, so I don't have more recent records. The car has an aftermarket JVC stereo in it, with CD and USB input--the speakers are stock Buick.
THE GOOD: This car was "born in the desert" in California, so the body on this car is extremely good, especially for the car's age. There is a very small bit of rust just behind both front wheels, but it's surface rust only (photos attached). This is the only real rust I can find on the car. I've had mechanics remark on how good of shape the body is in. Mechanically, as I mentioned, there is very little wrong--cold AC, and the engine pulls strong. There is a VERY occasional transmission slip, but I had it in a Buick dealer for three days to get it diagnosed, and they couldn't get the trans to even do it so they could diagnose the issue--that's how seldom it happens. They said the car's computer didn't record any transmission issues in its log. The interior is really good--no rips, and minimal wear. THE BAD: My daughter is a smoker, and there is a smoky smell to the interior. I've shampooed the upholstery, and there is still some "smokiness". If you're sensitive to smoke, this is probably not your car. As with any car of this age, there are small, nagging issues: the left rear door spring popped out and won't hold the door open (the spring is in the car), the rear window switches occasionally don't work, the odometer light issue I described above. There are a couple of dents in the body--one in the hood, and one in the left-front fender (photos attached). My grandmother did get in a minor fender-bender when she owned the car, and my understanding is that the hood, grill, and left front fender were replaced at that time. I don't have more details about it, as she's since passed away. I've been as up-front about the car as I can be--it's a good, solid car, and I think the buyer will be very happy with it. It's been comfortable and reliable for us. I'll be happy to answer any questions anyone has. Buyer requirements: deposit must be paid within 48 hours of close of auction, and must be paid in full within 7 days of close of auction. I cannot arrange delivery of the car--it is pick-up-only at our home in Kentwood, MI. I cannot accept a check as payment. |
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GM announces 3 new recalls affecting 1.7M vehicles in North America [w/video]
Mon, Mar 17 2014Still embroiled in the ongoing ignition switch recall, General Motors announced today three more discrete recalls, affecting a grand total of 1,546,900 vehicles in the US. The Detroit News reports that some 1.7 million vehicles are affected overall in North America. The first and largest of the trio of new recalls concerns some 1.18-million Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia crossovers from the 2008-2013 model years, Chevrolet Traverse from 2009-2013 (pictured above) and Saturn Outlook vehicles from 2008-2010. All of the crossover utilities may have an issue with the wiring harness for their seat-mounted side airbags. Apparently, the vehicles are equipped with a Service Air Bag warning light that, if ignored, "will eventually result in the non-deployment of the side impact restraints." Those restraints include the side airbags, a front-center airbag if the vehicle is so equipped and seatbelt pretensioners. Dealers of affected vehicles will be instructed to remove driver and passenger side airbag wiring harness connectors, and then "splice and solder the wires together." The second recall affects 303,000 Chevrolet Express (pictured right) and GMC Savana vans from model years 2009-2014, and with gross vehicle weights under 10,000 pounds. Said vehicles do not comply with a head impact requirement for unrestrained occupants, and will need a reworking of the instrument panel material to be sent back on the road. It doesn't sound as though there's a quick fix for this one, as the GM press release states: "Unsold vehicles have been placed on a stop delivery until development of the solution has been completed and parts are available." Finally, the third recall affects 63,900 Cadillac XTS luxury sedans from model years 2013 and 2014. A brake booster pump may be susceptible to corrosion by way of the relay, potentially causing and electrical short, overheating, melting of plastic components and even engine fires. GM says it is aware of two engine fires in unsold XTS models and two cases of melted parts. Repairs for the issues affecting the XTS have not not mentioned by GM in the release. The Detroit News is also reporting that along with news of the triple-recall, GM is taking a $300-million credit to help pay for the repair costs, and to deal with the ongoing costs associated with the ignition switch recall. In an attempt to explain just what GM has been doing in the face of these very serious issues, newly minted CEO Mary Barra has addressed the issues in a new video.
Repo man pays off elderly couple's car just in time for Thanksgiving
Mon, Nov 28 2016Repo men get bad raps for a good reason; no one likes having their car taken away. At least one guy in the repossession game proved folks in his profession aren't all bad when he helped an elderly couple hold on to their wheels right before Thanksgiving. According to the Belleville News-Democrat, unexpected bills and the rising cost of prescription medications pushed Stanford and Patty Kipping's fixed income to the breaking point. Unable to keep up with the $95 dollar a month payment on their 1998 Buick, they fell into arrears and the bank sent a repo man out to their home in Red Bud, Illinois to reclaim the car. Jim Ford, co-owner of Illini Recovery Inc., hooked up the old Buick and dragged it away, but later that night his conscience caught up with him. "When I got home that night, I said to myself, 'They are a real nice elderly couple. I gotta do something. I can't just take their car,'" Ford told the News-Democrat. Ford did do something, something surprisingly humane. He set up a GoFundMe and, within just a few short hours, he raised more than $3,500 dollars. This was enough money to pay off the Kipping's loan with a little left over for some maintenance. Ford and a friend then hooked the car back up and towed it back to the Kipping's home. Ford presented the couple with their trusty Buick, and threw in a thousand dollars in an envelope and a frozen turkey for Thanksgiving. "It was a miracle come true," Patty told the paper. "We didn't know what we were going to do." "I got up this morning and I looked up at the sun and I said, 'I hope we get our car back,'" added Stanford. "It's just unbelievable."Related Video: News Source: Belleville News-Democrat Auto News Weird Car News Buick repossession repo man
GM re-recalls 11k SUVs
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