ENGIN EIDLES WHEN IT IS COLD. IT HAPPENS WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND ENGINE IS COLD.
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 →
BATTERY FAILED.
AFTER VEHICLE WAS SITTING OVERNIGHT THE REAR WINDOW GLASS WAS FOUND SHATTERED. *AK
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
VEHICLE VIBRATION CAUSES VEHICLE TO GO OUT OF CONTROL OVER 65 MPH.
FUEL PUMP FAILED.
UNSPECIFIED AIR BAG COMPLAINT, NOT PROPER FOR SIZE OF CONSUMER.
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
RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WOULD NOT HOLD AIR PRESSURE DUE TO WELDING FAILURE.
FRONT END MISALIGNED/UNBALANCED. *AK
METAL WINDOW/DOOR FRAME TRIM IS LOOSE AND CREATES LOUD WIND NOISE.
WHEEL CYLINDER FAILED, CAUSING NOISE WHEN BRAKING.
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
FRONT BRAKE PADS WORN.
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
FRONT END SHAKES/VIBRATES WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 65 MPH. *AK
UPON APPROACHING VEHICLE APPLIED PRESSURE TO BRAKING APPARATUS, NO RESPONSE FROM ABS. *AK
DUE TO LACK OF WELDING, THE "A" PILLERS CAUSED VEHICLE TO VIBRATE.
THE FUEL FEED LINE RUPTURED.
THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ROUGHLY BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR.
STARTER FAILED AND REPLACED.
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 INJECTORS FAILED TWICE.
VEHICLE STALLED.
CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT AIRBAGS PRESENT A SAFETY HAZARD FOR SHORT PEOPLE.
FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG IN A 25 MPH CRASH, RESULTING IN INJURIES. DUP OF 804572, ADDED ON 25-FEB-98. *AK
NORMAL BRAKING, COMING TO A STOP SIGN APPLIED THE BRAKES TO STOP AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
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
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
DURING VEHICLE OPERATION THE VEHICLE STALLS, CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER.*AK
HOOD ASSEMBLY FAILURE, CANNOT LIFT HOOD, IT IS VERY HEAVY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING EXPERIENCED DIMINISHED POWER ASSIST BOOSTER WHEN BRAKE ACTION SEEMED INEFFECTIVE, ALLOWING VEHICLE TO ROLL FORWARD, EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE.*AK
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.
Full record for the 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera → · Every Ciera year → · How the figures are calculated →