1990 Oldsmobile Ciera

Routine

Owners filed 20 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the vehicle speed control. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Vehicle Speed Control4
301
Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments2
000
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer1
000
Vehicle Speed Control › Linkages1
100
Vehicle Speed Control › Cables1
100
Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip1
000
Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner1
000
Seat Belts › Front › Webbing1
102
Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly1
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage95V173000
Filed Sep 15, 19952,216,325 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH REAR OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGES THAT MAY NOT WITHSTAND THE REQUIRED LOAD. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO.210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES."

Risk. CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE: IN A COLLISON, STRESS CAN CAUSE THE ATTACHMENT METAL TO TEAR AND ALLOW THE ANCHORAGE TO SEPARATE FROM THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY BELT MAY NOT PROTECT AN OCCUPANT IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING ANCHOR BOLTS WITH A NEW SHOULDER BOLT AND THREAD LOCKING ADHESIVE. ADDITIONALLY, NOISE CONTROL PATCHES WILL BE APPLIED AT EACH ANCHORAGE.

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner92V124000
Filed Sep 1, 1992319,181 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. THE POWER SEAT OR RECLINER WIRING HARNESS CAN BE PINCHED OR CAN CHAFE ON THE SEAT FRAME OR SPRING SUPPORT ROD, WEARING THROUGH THE WIRE INSULATION AND CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL SHORT.

Risk. THE HIGH CURRENT CAUSED BY THE ELECTRICAL SHORT WELDS THECIRCUIT BREAKER ELEMENTS TOGETHER IN THE CLOSED POSITION, LEAVING THE CIRCUITUNPROTECTED AND GENERATING SUFFICIENT HEAT TO BURN THE WIRE INSULATION ANDIGNITE THE SEAT CUSHION MATERIAL.

Remedy. REPAIR ANY ABRADED WIRING AND REROUTE THE WIRING HARNESS USING A WIRING HARNESS CLIP.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
Filed Aug 20, 2002NY

BEGAN NOTICING STEERING COLUMN WOULD NOT STAY LOCKED INTO DESIRED ANGLE. FURTHER NOTICED ENTIRE WHEEL WOULD HAVE SIDE-TO-SIDE MOVEMENT. AT THIS STAGE IT HAS ABOUT 1-INCH PLAY IN ALL DIRECTIONS, FEEL UNSAFE WHEN STEERING. REPAIR SHOP SAID IT IS COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS CAR; REPAIR INVOLVES REMOVING MOST UPPER COMPONENTS AND TIGHTENING 2 BOLTS AT BASE OF COLUMN AT DASHBOARD. BECAUSE OF COMPLEXITY OF DISASSEMBLY, REPAIR REQUIRES 2 TO 3 HOURS @ $75/HOUR NYC RATES. I FEEL THIS TYPE OF DEFECT SHOULD HAVE SOME RECOURSE THROUGH MANUFACTURER SINCE THIS IS A MAJOR DRIVEABILITY ISSUE WHICH COULD CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF NOT CORRECTED.*AK

Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments
Filed Apr 5, 2000KS

BACK DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE. WHILE DRIVING, DOOR MAY COME OPEN WHEN CHILDREN ARE IN THE BACK. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control › CablesCrash
Filed Dec 4, 1998LA

CONSUMER STARTED AUTOMOBILE AND THE PAWL WAS IN PARK. WHEN SHE PLACED IT IN DRIVE THE AUTOMOBILE SUDDLENLY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Oct 17, 1997MD

FUEL THROTTLE LINKAE SYSTEM PROBLEM.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed May 27, 1997MT

ENGINES STALLS.

Vehicle Speed Control › LinkagesCrash
Filed Mar 10, 1997MD

WHEN TAKING VEHICLE OUT OF PARK WITH FOOT STILL ON BRAKE, THE VEHICLE WENT INTO REVERSE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO INCREASE ITS SPEED, RESULTING IN A CRASH. *AK

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Nov 20, 1996NY

WINDSHIELD WIPERS INOPERATIVE, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY.

Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed Oct 28, 1996NY

A/C LEAKS DUE TO IMPROPER INSTALLATION AT FACTORY.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed Oct 18, 1996NY

WATER PUMP FAILED 3 TIMES.

Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments
Filed May 13, 1996NJ

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR FELL ALMOST 3 INCHES DUE TO RUSTY HINGE/POOR WELDING. *SD

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Feb 12, 1996MI

VEHICLE STALLED OUT AND BRAKE AND STEERING ABILITY IS LOST, DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS. TT

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed Jan 31, 1996AL

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE IS BROKEN. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

Vehicle Speed ControlCrash
Filed Nov 8, 1995CA

CONSUMER WAS BACKING OUT OF PARKING AND CAR ACCELERATED CAUSE AN ACCIDENT . TT

Seat Belts › Front › WebbingCrash2 injured
Filed Nov 1, 1995OH

DRIVER AND PASSENGER SHOULDER/LAP BELT DOES NOT LOCK UP UPON IMPACT; VEHICLE REARENDED, SHOVED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE; OCCUPANTS HIT WINDSHIELD AND STEERING WHEEL

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Aug 28, 1995FL

THE CAMSHAFT BROKE. TT

Vehicle Speed ControlCrash
Filed Aug 5, 1995MD

VEHICLE SUDDENLY LUNGED FORWARD FROM PARKED POSITION, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *SKD

Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Filed Jul 11, 1995TX

ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL. *AK

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed May 15, 1995NJ

SPOT WELDING ON FRONT BY CONSOLE BROKE LOOSE; BACK REST WIGGLES WHILE OCCUPIED; SPLIT BENCH SEATS; VEHICLE NEVER INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT. TT

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Mar 24, 1995OH

ABS ANTI-LOCK BRAKE FAIL WHEN DRIVING AND TRY STOP AT A STOP SIGN. TT

Vehicle Speed ControlCrash1 injured
Filed Jan 25, 1995MD

VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT/INJURY. TT

20 of 20 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1996
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
199683110Routine
199534100Routine
199446410Routine
1990 — this page20200Routine

Compare every Ciera year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Sep 15, 1995. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.