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2003 Buick Century Custom Sedan 4-door 3.1l on 2040-cars

Year:2003 Mileage:160000
Location:

Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States

Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Advertising:

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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Auto blog

GM recalls 500K Chevy Camaros for ignition-switch defect

Fri, 13 Jun 2014

General Motors issued a recall for more than a half million Chevrolet Camaros on Friday morning because of an ignition-switch safety hazard that mirrors the one at the center of the company's current crisis.
The problem affects Camaro models from the 2010 to 2014 model years. Approximately 464,712 cars are impacted in the United States, and 511,528 overall in North America. GM will alter the Camaro key to a more standard design, and will notify car owners with a recall notice in the mail.
In an announcement, the company said the ignition switches on the Camaros are fundamentally different parts than the older ignition switches found on defective cars that are responsible for killing at least 13 people and causing 54 crashes.

GM sees 'strong year' in 2018, then gold in Chevy Silverado for 2019

Tue, Jan 16 2018

DETROIT — General Motors said on Tuesday it expects earnings in 2018 to be largely flat compared with 2017, but that profits should pick up pace in 2019 as its revamped line of high-margin pickup trucks hits the U.S. market. The 2018 earnings outlook was above market expectations, sending GM shares up more than 3 percent in premarket trading. "GM had a very good 2017 as we continued to transform our company to be more focused, resilient and profitable," GM Chief Executive Mary Barra said in a statement. "We are positioned for another strong year in 2018 and an even better one in 2019." GM and its Detroit rivals, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, are bringing on new trucks at a time when overall U.S. new vehicle sales have been falling, but truck sales continue to grow as consumers abandon passenger cars in favor of pickups, SUVs and crossovers. GM on Saturday fired a new round in the battle for profits from one of the U.S. auto industry's most lucrative segments when it showed a new generation of its Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck at the Detroit auto show. The new Silverado, a highlight of the event, is the successor to GM's best-selling vehicle in North America. Sales of the current Silverado rose nearly 2 percent to 585,000 vehicles in 2017. In the coming months, the company will also reveal a revamped GMC Sierra pickup truck. U.S. new vehicle sales fell 2 percent in 2017 after hitting a record high in 2016, and are expected to drop further in 2018 as interest rates rise and more late-model used cars return to dealer lots to compete with new ones. GM said on Tuesday that while it retools a factory in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, to make the new pickup trucks, it will shift some production to an Oshawa, Ontario, plant in order to avoid missing sales in a hot market for the vehicles. The No. 1 U.S. automaker said it will record a $7 billion non-cash charge for its fourth-quarter 2017 earnings related to deferred tax assets. GM said it expects capital expenditure in 2018 of around $8.5 billion, about $1 billion of which will go toward funding self-driving car technology. Last week, the company said it is seeking U.S. government approval for a fully autonomous car — one without a steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator pedal — to enter the automaker's first commercial ride-sharing fleet in 2019. GM said it expects 2017 earnings per share at the high end of its previously forecast range of $6 to $6.50.

Opel Cascada close to getting green light for US

Fri, 13 Sep 2013

For a company with a long tradition of grand touring convertibles, it's almost unseemly that General Motors doesn't offer a properly relaxed four-seat convertible in North America. There's the Chevrolet Camaro, of course, but it's not big on rear-seat space and it doesn't offer that sort of serene demeanor that many open-air buyers crave. We're thinking of something more refined and, dare we say, elegant. Something a bit closer to the Opel Cascada.
The General's front-wheel drive convertible went on sale in Europe this year, and while it seemed like a natural fit for its Buick brand in America, it's never been sold here. That may be about to change, however. Back in June, CEO Dan Akerson hinted he'd like to see the Cascada available in the US, and now there's word from Edmunds that importation "could happen soon." That's according to an unnamed insider at the company.
It's almost unseemly that GM doesn't offer a relaxed four-seat convertible.