Page 2 of 2 · complaints 51–83 of 83

1996 Oldsmobile Ciera complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1996 record →

Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control
Filed Apr 10, 1998PA

ENGIN EIDLES WHEN IT IS COLD. IT HAPPENS WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND ENGINE IS COLD.

Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery
Filed Apr 6, 1998VA

BATTERY FAILED.

Visibility › Glass, Side/Rear
Filed Mar 27, 1998IL

AFTER VEHICLE WAS SITTING OVERNIGHT THE REAR WINDOW GLASS WAS FOUND SHATTERED. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Feb 13, 1998MI

VEHICLE IS AT A STOP, HAS FOOT ON BRAKES, VEHICLE WILL BEGIN TO JUMP/SUDDEN ACCELERATION. WILL STOP IF ENGINE IS TURNED OFF OR REACH SPEED OFF 10 MPH. DOES NOT MATTER IF IT'S IN REVERSE OR FORWARD. DEALER HAD IT FOR 6 TIMES. GM LAB SAID PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED, 3 WEEKS AFTER DEFECT STARTED TO OCCUR AGAIN. THIS IS A INTERMITTENT PROBLEM, COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK

Suspension
Filed Jan 7, 1998AZ

VEHICLE VIBRATION CAUSES VEHICLE TO GO OUT OF CONTROL OVER 65 MPH.

Vehicle Speed Control › Linkages
Filed Dec 30, 1997PA

FUEL PUMP FAILED.

Air Bags
Filed Dec 18, 1997WI

UNSPECIFIED AIR BAG COMPLAINT, NOT PROPER FOR SIZE OF CONSUMER.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Pedals and LinkagesCrash
Filed Nov 20, 1997CA

CONSUMER DROVE ABOUT 4 MILES THEN BEGAN TO PARK ONCE HE REACHED HIS DESTINATION. WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THE VEHICLE KEPT GOING, JUMPED A PARKING BLOCK AND LANDED IN THE STREET. CONSUMER REALIZED THAT FOOT SLIPPED FROM BRAKE PEDAL AND HIT THE GAS PEDAL. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. CONSUMER SAYS BECAUSE THE GROVES ON THE PEDAL ARE RUNNING SIDEWAYS AHD THE TOP IS SO SMOOTH THERE IS NO RESISTANCE FOR FEET SLIPPING. *AK

Wheels
Filed Sep 18, 1997CA

RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WOULD NOT HOLD AIR PRESSURE DUE TO WELDING FAILURE.

Suspension › Front
Filed Sep 4, 1997TX

FRONT END MISALIGNED/UNBALANCED. *AK

Structure › Frame and Members
Filed Aug 29, 1997CA

METAL WINDOW/DOOR FRAME TRIM IS LOOSE AND CREATES LOUD WIND NOISE.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum › Wheel Cylinders
Filed Aug 28, 1997CA

WHEEL CYLINDER FAILED, CAUSING NOISE WHEN BRAKING.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Jul 31, 1997NY

WHEN TRAVELING ABOUT 50 TO 60 MPH THE DASHLIGHT CAME ON, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND CUT OFF. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, VEHICLE AWAITING SERVICE. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Pads
Filed Jul 15, 1997NC

FRONT BRAKE PADS WORN.

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Jul 7, 1997NY

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN FRONTAL ACCIDENT AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS. VEHICLE WAS STRUCK ON FRONT RIGHT SIDE. SPEED IS UNCERTAIN AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. ALSO POSSIBLE STEERING LOCK UP IS IN QUESTION. *AK

Suspension › Front
Filed Jun 27, 1997OH

FRONT END SHAKES/VIBRATES WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 65 MPH. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited SlipCrash1 injured
Filed Jun 4, 1997OH

UPON APPROACHING VEHICLE APPLIED PRESSURE TO BRAKING APPARATUS, NO RESPONSE FROM ABS. *AK

Structure › Frame and Members
Filed Jun 2, 1997FL

DUE TO LACK OF WELDING, THE "A" PILLERS CAUSED VEHICLE TO VIBRATE.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery
Filed May 22, 199700

THE FUEL FEED LINE RUPTURED.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Gear Position Indication (prndl)
Filed May 19, 1997NC

THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ROUGHLY BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR.

Electrical System › Starter Assembly
Filed Apr 28, 1997CA

STARTER FAILED AND REPLACED.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control
Filed Apr 22, 1997MA

WHEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP THE VEHICLE WILL STALL AND WHILE DRIVING UP ON A HILL THERE WILL BE NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. DEALER REPLACED OXGEN SENSOR. ALSO IN COLD WEATHER THE DOORS ARE HARD TO OPEN. *AK

Fuel System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System › Injectors
Filed Apr 10, 1997CA

FUEL INJECTORS FAILED TWICE.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Mar 10, 1997NJ

VEHICLE STALLED.

Air Bags › Frontal
Filed Feb 28, 1997FL

CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT AIRBAGS PRESENT A SAFETY HAZARD FOR SHORT PEOPLE.

Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Feb 28, 1997TN

FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG IN A 25 MPH CRASH, RESULTING IN INJURIES. DUP OF 804572, ADDED ON 25-FEB-98. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Feb 3, 1997SD

NORMAL BRAKING, COMING TO A STOP SIGN APPLIED THE BRAKES TO STOP AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Dec 2, 1996TN

WHEN AVOIDING AN UNCONTROLLED VEHICLE, OWNER ROLLED INTO A DRIVEWAY THAT HAD A SLOPE. DRIVER LOST CONTROL AND RAN INTO HOUSE, DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED W/DOORS LOCKING AND FACIAL AND BODILY INJURIES. *AK

Structure › Body › Trunk Lid1 injured
Filed Oct 31, 1996CA

FAILURE ON THE BRACE THAT HOLDS THE SPEAKERS IN PLACE IN THE TRUNK, IS SHARP MEDAL WITHOUT ANY COVER, CONSUMER WAS PUSHING A BAG IN THE TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE AND THE MEDAL BRACE CUT THE CONSUMER'S FINGER. *AK

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Oct 11, 1996OR

DURING VEHICLE OPERATION THE VEHICLE STALLS, CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER.*AK

Structure › Body › Hood
Filed Apr 30, 1996MD

HOOD ASSEMBLY FAILURE, CANNOT LIFT HOOD, IT IS VERY HEAVY. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Apr 23, 1996CA

WHILE DRIVING EXPERIENCED DIMINISHED POWER ASSIST BOOSTER WHEN BRAKE ACTION SEEMED INEFFECTIVE, ALLOWING VEHICLE TO ROLL FORWARD, EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE.*AK

Unknown or Other
Filed Feb 28, 1996NJ

BUTTON TO SET THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING WAS VERY HOT AND BURNT DRIVERS FINGER WHEN TRYING TO ADJUST BRIGHTNESS. *AK

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

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