1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

Defect. CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES HAVE LOWER PINION BEARINGS IN THE POWER RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IN WHICH THE RETAINER TABS WERE NOT CRIMPED PROPERLY. THESE RETAINERS COULD FAIL AND PERMIT THE BALL BEARINGS TO ESCAPE.

Risk. IF THIS OCCURS, THE PINION SHAFT CAN BE FORCED UPWARD DURING LEFT TURNS AND BACK DOWN AS THE STEERING WHEEL IS MOVED BACK AND TO THE RIGHT. IF THE PINION SHAFT MOVES FURTHER, THE DRIVER WILL NEED TO EXERT MORE EFFORT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, SIMILAR TO A VEHICLE WITHOUT POWER ASSISTED STEERING. IF THE PINION SHAFT MOVES EVEN FURTHER, THE DRIVER WILL REQUIRE MUCH HIGHER EFFORT TO TURN LEFT AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL AS MUCH AS INTENDED. WITH THE MAXIMUM PINION SHAFT MOVEMENT, WHICH REQUIRES INTERNAL GEAR COMPONENT DAMAGE, THE DRIVER CAN ENCOUNTER HIGH RESISTANCE TO TURNING LEFT, FOLLOWED BY UNINTENDED POWER ASSIST TO THE RIGHT. IN ANY OF THESE CONDITIONS, A CRASH COULD OCCUR.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW LOWER PINION BEARING UNLESS INSPECT OF THE EXISTING BEARING INDICATES THAT REPLACEMENT OF THE GEAR ASSEMBLY IS NECESSARY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 5, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537; OR PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668.

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CORROSION OF THE AIR BAG INFLATOR'S INTERNAL WIRING, WHICH CAN OCCUR OVER TIME, COULD CAUSE THE INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG. THIS DEPLOYMENT COULD OCCUR DURING VEHICLE START-UP, WHILE THE VEHICLE IS PARKED OR IDLING, OR WHILE IN OPERATION.

Risk. IF THE CONSUMER IS TOO CLOSE TO AN INFLATING AIR BAG, SERIOUS INJURIES COULD OCCUR.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE INFLATORS ON THESE AIR BAGS.

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE FOR A REGULAR MAINTENANCE TO INDEPENDENT SHOP, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING COOLANT, INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS REPLACED AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE OF $410.00. *AK *NM

WHILE DRIVING THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT HOT. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC BEFORE THE VEHICLE OVERHEATS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS SERVICED THE VEHICLE 4 TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE, IN WHICH THE THERMOSTAT, THE WATER PUMP, THE RADIATOR AND THE INTAKE GASKET WERE REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. *LA

THE CONSUMER IS DISABLED WHICH PRECLUDES HER FROM DRIVING 30-40 MILES TO THE NEAREST OLDSMOBILE DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN A RACK AND PINION RECALL AND THE CONSUMER WANTED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE THE NEAREST CHEVROLET DEALER TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE CHEVROLET DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT THAT THE REPAIRS COULD NOT BE DONE THERE. *PH *CB

THE CONSUMER HEARD A TICKING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE NOISE BY THE DEALERSHIP THEY NOTICED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE OIL. THIS OCCURS BECAUSE THE MANIFOLD IS MAKE OF PLASTIC. *NM

CAR PROBLEMS WITH 1996 CUTLASS KEEPS STALLING I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED INTAKE GASKET PUT NEW BATTERY IN AN HAD OTHER REPAIRS THIS CAR ONLY HAS 96000 MILES. *AK

WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TOWARDS THE RIGHT IT LOCKED UP AND CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE INSPECTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE RACK AND PINION AS STATED IN THE RECALL. *JB

THIS HAPPENED SOME TIME AGO BUT I RECENTLY READ OF AN INVESTIGATION THAT YOU HAVE UNDERTAKED AND DECIDED THAT THIS MAY BE RELEVANT. I ALSO HAVE SEEN SERVICE BULLETINS FOR THIS ISSUE. WHILE DRIVING, THE ACCELERATOR CABLE BECAME DETACHED FROM THE ACCELERATOR AND I LOST ALL ACCELERATION WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON A FREEWAY IN MORNING TRAFFIC. IT SEEMS THAT THIS SHOULD RISE TO THE LEVEL OF A RECALL. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO THE REGULAR LANE OF TRAFFIC AND THEN TO THE BERM BEFORE THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND BEFORE I WAS REAR ENDED BY THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME. SINCE THERE IS DECELERATION WITHOUT BRAKE LIGHTS, THIS IS A VERY HAZARDOUS SITUATION. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE WRECKER, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE ADVISED ME THAT THE CABLE WAS INSTALLED WTIHOUT A CLIP AND THAT THE MANUFACTURERER WAS AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL DEFECT BUT HAD NOT RECALLED THE VEHICLES FOR THIS PROBLEM.

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. DRIVER HAD MANAGED TO PULL OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD AND STOPPED VEHICLE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE CAUSE OF STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UP.*AK

STEERING IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN DURING LOW SPEED LEFT HAND TURNS. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT.

VEHICLE DID NOT GIVE ANY WARNING THAT THE BATTERY WAS DISCHARGING. THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 55MPH ON INTERSTATE 95 IN MA. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AS I EXITED THE ROAD. SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED IN 4 YEARS. NO ICONS CAME ON TO WARN ME. FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE TO HAVE CAR STALLED AT EXIT WITH TRUCKS EGRESSING THE ROAD.

WHEN MAKING TURNS AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU DRIVE OVER A SLIGHT BUMP THE HEATER FAN WILL TURN ON BY ITSELF OR IF LISTENING TO THE RADIO THE STATION WILL CHANGE BY ITSELF. ALSO WHILE DRIVING THE AUTO DOOR LOCKS WILL SUDDENLY CLICK.THIS VEHICLE HAS TEMPERATURE AND RADIO CONTROLS INSTALLED ON STEERING WHEEL. WHEN I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN TO SERVICE THE RECALL IN REGARDS TO THE AIR BAG DEFECT I INFORMED THE DEALER OF THE PROBLEM THINKING IT MAY RELATE TO THE DEFECTIVE AIR BAG WIRING BUT I WAS TOLD THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS AND WERE ONLY REQUIRED TO FIX THE PROBLEM AT HAND WHICH WAS THE AIR BAG INFLATER.

WE GOT A LOW COOLANT LIGHT ON OUR DASHBOARD, AND FOUND THE COOLANT RESEVOIR TO BE COMPLETELY EMPTY. THIS WAS LESS THAN 3K MILES SINCE THE COOLANT SYSTEM WAS SERVICED - DRAINED, REFILLED, AND NEW RADIATOR HOSES INSTALLED. AFTER REFILLING, WE FOUND A SMALL COOLANT LEAK ON THE GROUND UNDER THE ENGINE (WHEN PARKED ON A DRY SURFACE INDOORS - NORMALLY THE CAR IS IN THE DRIVEWAY, WHERE SNOW, ICE, AND RAIN MAY HAVE MASKED A LONG-TIME SMALL LEAK). ON 3/3/03, OUR LOCAL MIDAS REPAIR SHOP FOUND THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS FAILING, CAUSING THE LEAK. IT WAS REPLACED (ALONG WITH THERMOSTAT AND SOME OTHER GASKETS, WHICH WERE LITTLE ADDITIONAL EXPENSE), AT A COST OF OVER $900. NOTE THAT THIS IS THE VEHICLE PRIMARILY USED BY MY (PREGNANT) WIFE AND OUR 2 YEAR OLD SON, AND THAT I MYSELF WORK ABOUT 30 MILES FROM HOME, SO WE WERE HEADED FOR INCOVENIENCE AT BEST, DISASTER AT WORST. NOTE THAT THE VEHICLE USES DEXCOOL COOLANT, AS REQUIRED BY THE MANUFACTURER FOR PROPER TREATMENT OF ITS ALUMINUM RADIATOR.*JB

THE ACCELERATOR CABLE BROKE IN HALF, WHICH CAUSED THE GEARS TO STICK. *JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT AFTER RECALL WAS DONE THE AIRBAG SENOR LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CHARGE TO DO A TEST TO SEE WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. MR

WHILE STARTING UP THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A PUFF OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE RESTART ON IT OWN THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. NLM

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 TO 40 MPH, CONSUMER'S WIFE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE ABS MODULATOR FAILED CAUSING TOTAL FAILURE OF THE BRAKES.*AK *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ENGINE LIGHT WILL STAY ON. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO LOCAL DEALER WHERE A FAULTY MODULE WAS REPLACED POSSIBLY RELATING TO THE RADIATOR HOUSING. CONSUMER CONTINUES TO RECEIVE RECALL O-00058S NOTICES AFTER THE DEALER SAID THEY DID THE RECALL WORK. MANUFACTURER SAID THAT THERE IS NO RECORD OF THE WORK BEING DONE. MANUFACTURER TOLD CONSUMER THAT THEY NOW SHOW THAT RECALL WORK HAS BEEN DONE AND THE MATTER IS CLOSED, HOWEVER, WHEN CONSUMER ASKED FOR A WRITTEN STATEMENT OF THE RECALL WORK PERFORMED, THEY REFUSED TO SEND A LETTER AND REFERRED CONSUMER BACK TO THE DEALER WHO RECENTLY STILL SENT REMINDER CARDS TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR THE RECALL WORK TO BE DONE. *TT

NHTSA# 00V171000 & MFR'S# 00058/INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT: CONSUMER STATES DEALER (TERRY CAPITAL OLDSMOBILE CADILLAC SUBARU; TRAVERSE CITY, MI; PHONE# 231/947-9090) INFORMED THAT THE RECALL REPAIRS WAS DONE, BUT THE MANUFACTURER STATES THAT THE RECALL WAS NOT DONE. DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR MANUFACTURUER RECALL. *AK *YH

VEHICLE STALLED AT ANY TIME/ ANY SPEED. MECHANIC REPLACED WIRING HARNESS, WIRES WERE MELTED. VEHICLE HAS NOT STALLED SINCE. CONSUMERS CONCERN WAS THAT SAME QUALITY WIRES MIGHT FAIL IN OTHER LOCATIONS OF VEHICLE.*AK