1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass complaints

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 57MPH. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*AK

TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 55 MPH.TRANSMISSION FAILED COMPLETELY WHILE IN THE MIDST OF TRAFFIC AT 55 MPH WITHOUT ANY WARNING.THERE WAS NO NOISES NO SLIPPING OR ANY OTHER INDICATIONS.ONE MINUTE EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE STOPS MOVING.IN HEAVY TRAFFIC THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY IF YOUR IN THE MIDDLE LANE AND YOUR CAR SUDDENLY FAILS WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS WHAT SO EVER.*AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 00V171000 CONCERNING INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. CONTACTED DEALER, WHO EMPHASIZED THAT THERE WERE NO PARTS AVAILABLE TO REMEDY PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO IMPACT WALL AT THE RATE OF SPEED 40-50 MPH, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE *AK

WHILE PUTTING THE VEHICLE INTO GEAR IT HAD TO BE PUT BETWEEN DRIVE AND NEUTRAL, THE DEALER STATED THIS WAS DUE TO A SHIFT ON THE DASHBOARD, WHEN PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE THE VEHICLE WOULD RACE, THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. *SLC

THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH FAILED. *SLC

WE HAVE REPLACED THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES MORE THAN EIGHT TIMES AND HAVE REPLACED THE ROTORS TWICE. WE HAVE TALKED WITH OTHER CUTLASS SUPREME OWNERS AND THEY HAVE REPLACED THEIR BRAKES JUST AS MUCH IF NOT MORE FREQUENTLY. THIS HAS RESULTED IN COSTLY REPAIRS. *AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED THE MANUFACTURER'S RECALL REGARDING THE AIR BAGS, THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO ALSO GET AN ON/OFF SWITCH BECAUSE OF HER HEIGHT AND HOW CLOSE SHE HAS TO SIT TO THE STEERING WHEEL. *SLC

VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF GEAR WHEN IT IS COLD. DEALER REPLACED A SOLENOID, BUT PROBLEM IS STILL REOCCURRING. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SHOP TO BE CHECKED FOR BRAKE PROBLEM, BRAKES WERE MAKING A LOUD SQEAKING NOISE. AT THAT TIME BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED. PRESENTLY, BACK BRAKES NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE SAME PROBLEM. VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 35,000 MILES. *AK

WE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM SHORT SHOPPING TRIP, PARKED IN DRIVEWAY, AND NOT MORE THAN 10 MINUTES LATER WE NOTICED THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS, PLUS DAMAGE WAS ALSO DONE TO OUR CARPORT AND THE BACKSIDE OF OUR OTHER CAR. THE FIREMEN, POLICE, AND INSURANCE COMPANY FELT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS MOST LIKELY AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, BUT THE DAMAGE WAS TOO SEVERE TO CONFIRM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, LEFT FRONT FIRESTONE FR721 TIRE P195/75R14 EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, TIRES WERE INSTALLED AT 23000 MILES, VEHICLE RECEIVED BODY DAMAGE DUE TO THE TIRE FAILURE. *SLC

CONSUMER IS NOT SATISFIED WITH RECALL (00V-171), RECALL REPAIR MAY TAKE UP TO SIX MONTHS FOR REMEDY TO BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. *MJS

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

RECALL NOTICE NO.00V171OO WAS SENT THE THE CONSUMER REGARDING UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, HOWEVER THE REPAIR IS NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME, CONSUMER IS NOT SATISFIED AND WOULD LIKE A DISCONNECTED AIR BAG DURING THE INTERUM PERIOD. *ETM *MJS

VEHCILE SHUTTERS WHEN TRYING TO TAKE OFF FROM A STOP, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, AND HE SAID IT WAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM.*AK

ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 52,000 MILES. DEALER NOTIFIED AND HAD REPAIRS DONE. CURRENTLY AT 107,000 MILES, TRANSMISSON FAILED AGAIN. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *AK *ML

A SECOND TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED AT 56,000 MILES. THERE WAS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ISSUED IN FEB. 1997, # 67-71-64. OLDSMOBILE DID NOT MAKE ANYONE AWARE OF PROBLEM. WILL NOT FIX PROBLEM BECAUSE OVER WARRANTY PERIOD, THOUGH THEY KNEW OF PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION EXISTED. A TRANSMISSION SHOULD LAST WELL OVER 150,000 MILES AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACED EVERY 52,000 TO 56,000 MILES. THEY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY ALL OWNERS OF THIS PROBLEM SO IT CAN BE FIXED BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRES. THEY SHOULD ALSO BE REQUIRED TO FIX ANY TRANSMISSION THAT HAS FAILED, BEACUSE OF THERE SELF DIAGNOSED PROBLEMS. *AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH WINDOW ON DRIVER'S SIDE DOWN. SIX HOURS LATER, VEHICLE'S DOOR WAS ON FIRE BEHIND THE PANEL. DRIVER'S DOOR LOCK MECHANISM, WHICH USED A REMOTE CONTROL, CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE KEY WAS NOT IN THE IGNITION & VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF.*AK

I PURCHASED THE CAR AT CONGRESSIONAL OLDSMOBILE, THEY COULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AFTER 2 VISITS IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY, 2000. I TOOK THE CAR TO CONGRESSIONAL 2 TIMES, WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM FIRST. ON FEBRUARY I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH POHANKA DEALER, 4601 ST. BARNABAS ROAD, MARLOW HEIGHTS, MD 20748. THEY PUT A DOOR ASSEMBLY IN MY CAR. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THIS DEALER 7 TIMES AND IT HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED PROPERLY YET. I HAVE CALL JIMMY HICKS TWICE, HE DOES NOT EVEN RETURN CALLS. THEY USUALLY KEEP MY FROM 1 TO 4 DAYS AND I GET IT BACK AND IT DOES THE SAME AS IT DID, WHEN I BROUGHT IN THE VERY 1ST TIME. THEY PUT PARTS IN THAT DON'T WORK LIKE A MODULE, DOOR HANDLE, TAKE THE DOOR ASSEMBLY OUT AND PUT IT BACK IN. MY DOOR GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I COULD NOT OPEN IT FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE AFTER THE PUT THE DOOR ASSEMBLY IN. MY PROBLEM IS THE INTERIOR LIGHTS COME AT WILL, WHICH INCLUDES THE DOME LIGHT AND LIGHTS UNDER THE DASHBOARD. IF YOU GO OVER A BUMP THEY FLICKER ON AND OFF. I HAVE TO KEEP THE DOME BULB OUT OF THE CEILING AT ALL TIMES, OTHERWISE THE BATTERY WILL RUN DOWN. THE DOME LIGHT IT OUT AS I WRITE THIS COMMENT AND HAS BEEN OUT FOR OVE A MONTH. THERE IS NO DIALOGUE WITH JIMMY HICKS, THE SERVICE MANAGER AT POHANKA. HE SIMPLE WILL NOT RETURN PHONE CALLS. I CALL 3 TIMES IN ONE WEEK, HE DID NOT CALL BACK. I HAVE CALLED GM 6 TIMES AND I VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH ENTIRE SITUATION. NO CUSTOMER SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGHT WHAT I HAVE BEEN THROUGH TO GET A CAR REPA

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON; DIAGNOSTIC RAN - REPORTED BAD AIR PUMP WHICH WAS REPLACED. WITHIN DAYS LIGHT CAME BACK ON. DIAGNOSTIC RAN AGAIN; SAME CODE=BAD AIR PUMP. MECHANIC SAID THE PUMP IS A BAD DESIGN. THE PUMP ALLOWS WATER TO GET INTO PUMP WHICH THEN GETS INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING DAMAGE AND THE LIGHT TO COME ON. $500 LATER - NO RESOLUTION; SAME PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A NORMAL STOP CONSUMER NOTICED A GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE BRAKES. ALSO, IN ORDER TO STOP, EXCESSIVE FORCE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. IN MANY CASES, VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

HAS GMC EVER OFFERED A REPLACEMENT ON THIS ITEM? IT IS OBVIOUISLY A FLAW. I HAVE SEEN MANY LIKE THIS. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS, THE FRONT LEFT STRUT WAS REPLACED BEFORE THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. *SLC

ENGIN ECHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE DEALER SAID THE AIR PUMP HAD FAILED. EVEN THOUGH MY CAR IS TECHNICALLY OUT OF THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD BY A FEW MONTHS, IT HAS NOT REACHED 36,000 MILES YET (3 YRS/36,000 MILE WARRANTY). I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT IF THERE ARE REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR PUMP ON THE 1996 CUTLASS.

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE ACCELERATING TO ENTER HIGHWAY LOST ALL POWER. ACCELERATOR CABLE BROKE-LEAVING MY WIFE AND SON STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH TRAFFIC COMING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS(ENTRANCE TO HIGHWAY WAS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD)

DEALERSHIP WOULDN'T EVEN GIVE ME THE NAME OF THE REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM WITH. DEALERSHIP QUOTED CLOSE TO $2000 TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AND IT WOULD TAKE 2 WEEKS. HAD IT FIXED BY A MOM AND POP FOR $950

ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATES WHEN DRIVING ON AN INCLINE OR DURING REGULAR DRIVING. DEALER NOT AWARE OF PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. RECALL WAS ISSUED ON THE SAME MAKE/MODEL. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS EXLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED, FOUND METAL IN FILTER AND PAN. MJS

WHILE BRAKING BRAKE PEDAL "FREEZES," CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH BRAKE SYSTEM. WHENEVER VEHICLE IS AT A PARKED POSITION AND SITTING FOR A WHILE, THEN WHEN BACKING UP THE CONSUMER CAN HEAR SHOT OF AIR GOING THROUGH THE SYSTEM WHICH CAUSES A BACKWARD SURGE (ALMOST AS THOUGH THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD LOCK UP) WITH NO BRAKE. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON SEVERAL OCCASION SAND NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. CAN NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK

THIS IS MY SECOND REPORT OF THE THROTTLE CABLE SNAPPING WHILE DRIVING. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE TO MY FIRST COMPLAINT, WHICH I DEEM A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO THE OPERATION OF THIS TYPE OF MOTOR VEHICLE. THE THROTTLE CABLE SHOULD NOT SNAP EVERY 20,000 MILES WHENOPERATING THE VEHICLE. SOMETHING IS WRONG ON THE MANUFACTURERS PART. HOW MANY GAS ACCELERATOR CABLES HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS SNAPPING WHILE DRIVING? THANK YOU, MANLEY STAMPLER. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO VALVE BODY WEAR AT 47,667 MILES (WAS TOLD DEFECTIVE VALVE BODY). TRANSMISSION REPLACED - IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

AT ABOUT 20000 MILES THE ENGINE LOST POWER , HAD A ROUGH IDLE AND THEN ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED TWO INJECTORS. ABOUT 1000 MILES LATER, THE ENGINE DID THE SAME THING AND THE SES LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE OTHER FOUR INJECTORS. *AK

FRONT SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT WHEN TAKING OFF OR WHEN IT IS ON. SEATBELT WILL LOOSEN, CAUSING A LOSS OF PROTECTION. DEALER HAS REPLACED RETRACTOR TWICE ON FRONT SEATBELTS. DEALER CLAIMED THE DESIGN OF THE SEATBELT IS CAUSING THE DEFECT. *AK

BOTH REAR DOOR LOCKS FAIL RANDOMLY. THEY MAY WORK FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. WHEN DISSASSEMBLED, THERE IS NOTHING MECHANICALLY THAT HAS FAILED. ON THE FIRST OCASSION, THE ROD FROM THE LEFT REAR DOOR LOCK LEVER HAD FALLEN FROM THE BELLCRANK. THAT WAS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. THIS TIME HOWEVER, THAT WAS CHECKED AND IT WAS IN ITS PROPER LOCATION. WHEN THE DOOR LOCKS MALFUNCTION, THERE IS NO WAY TO OPEN THE DOORS EITHER FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPS, THE LOCKS BEGIN TO WORK AND THE DOORS CAN BE OPENED. WHEN THE LOCKS MOVE, THEY DO MOVE THROUGH THEIR NORMAL MOVEMENT RANGE, IN OTHER WORDS THEY MOVE THE CORRECT BELLCRANK THE PROPER AMOUNT OF TRAVEL. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AS SMALL CHILDREN ARE IN THE BACK SEAT, THE FAILURE MODE IS PURELY RANDOM, AND IN CASE OF FIRE THERE WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY NO WAY TO OPEN THE REAR DOORS.

THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH FUEL TANK. WHILE DRIVING FUEL LEAKS FROM FUEL TANK. IN ADDITION, SMELLS FUMES. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

WHILE HAVING A BRAKE JOB IT WAS NOTED THAT BOTH FRONT ROTORS HAD HOLES IN THE CASTING ON THE INSIDE FACE OF BOTH FRONT ROTORS.*ET

RUN CHANNEL FAILED.

REAR BRAKE PADS FAILED AND RESURFACED ALL FOUR ROTORS.

BRAKES ARE DRAGGING.

ACCELERATOR CABLE SNAPPED BECAUSE IT WAS FRAYED.

WHILE DRIVING THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE RIGHT HUB/ BEARINGS, AND ON 12-31 97 THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED . OWNER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND LOST BRAKES. THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. *AK

ENGINE CRADLE SEPARATED FROM BODY AT REAR. STEERING COLUMN SEPARATED AT THE STEERING RACK UNIVERSAL JOINT RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL.

FRONT END SUSPENSION EXPERIENCES EXTREME VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAUSING TIRE FAILURES.

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING COLLISION.

FRONT SUSPENSION IS VIBRATING EXCESSIVELY, CAUSING TIRE FAILURES.

TRANSMISSION DROPS DOWN TO LOW GEAR WHEN GAS RELEASED CAUSING VIBRATION RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO TIRES.