Owners filed 27 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seat belts › front › retractor. It has been recalled 2 times.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts › Front › Retractor | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train › Automatic Transmission | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System › Windshield › Electrical Heating Element | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Power Steering Fluid | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 1991 THROUGH JULY 1995. THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINE CAN SEPARATE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN LOW TEMPERATURES IN COMBINATION WITH HIGH TRANSMISSION LOADS.
Risk. VEHICLE FIRES CAN OCCUR DUE TO THE SPILLAGE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID.
Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINES.
Defect. VEHICLE FAILS TO CONFORM TO FMVSS NO. 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES." THE SAFETY BELT OF THE LEFT THIRD ROW SEAT ON THE SIX PASSENGER VAN AND THE CENTER SECOND ROW SEAT OF THE SEVEN PASSENGER VAN MAY LOCK UP AND CANNOT BE WITHDRAWN FROM THE RETRACTOR.
Risk. CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE: THE OCCUPANTS OF THESE SEATS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE THE AFFECTED BELT. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, UNBELTED OCCUPANTS ARE AT INCREASED RISK OF INJURY.
Remedy. OWNERS ARE BEING ASKED TO INSPECT THEIR VEHICLES TO DETERMINE IF THE SUSPECT RETRACTOR EXHIBITS A LOCKUP CONDITION. BASED ON THIS INSPECTION, DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SAFETY BELTS IF THE BELT LOCKS UP. REPLACEMENT OF THE SUSPECT SAFETY BELT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO CONSUMERS FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE.
WHILE DRIVING, A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE FRONT. STEERING WHEEL STARTED SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, BUT WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS AND STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING SUDDENLY VEHICLE STOPPED. DEALER STATED THAT TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE WASHER BOLT CAME OUT THE ENGINE AND CAUSED THE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *NLM
WHILE DRIVING, THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEWOUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL, CROSS THE MEDIAN AND ROLL OVER, INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED, NO SPECIFIC TIRE INFORMATION WAS GIVEN, OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT. *TT
ON VERY BACK ROW OF SEAT ON LEFT SIDE OF VEHICLE SHOULDER BELT IS EXTENDED OUT ALL OF THE WAY AND WILL NOT RETRACT BACK INTO POSITION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK
WHEN COMING TO A STOP WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION AUTOMATICLY SHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL. ALSO, TRANSMISSION OIL IS OVERHEATING TO THE POINT THAT THE OIL IS BURNING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
THE RETURN SPRING FOR THE REAR BRAKE SHOES IS INADEQUATE. ON TWO OCASSIONS THE RIGHT SIDE SPRING CAME LOOSE AND WAS DESTROYED BY THE AXLE SHAFT RUBBING AGAINST IT. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE REAR BRAKES ARE LOST AND ONLY THE FRON BRAKES WOK, RESULTING IN THER PEDAL GOING ALMOST TO THE FLOOR. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT HAPPENED TO THE BRAKES ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE BRAKES CAME LOOSE AFTER USING THE PARKING BRAKE, WITH RESULTANT LOSS OF REAR BRAKES AND ONLY FRONT BRAKES WORKING, PEDAL ALMOST TO THE FLOOR. THIS TIME THE SPRING DID NOT BREAK AND THE BRAKE PARTS WERE REINSTALLED.
WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY WAY TO KNOW IF THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD ALL RECALLS REPAIRED OR NOT THANKS FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE
WHEN CAR IS TRAVELING AT 50 TRANSMSION STARTS LURCHING LIKE ITS SEARCHING FOR A GEAR. THEN, WHEN IT GETS UP TO 70 MPH AND IT STOPS.*AK
ENGINE MOUNTS RUSTED THROUGH WHICH CAUSED A LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK
THE TRANSAXLE SEAL BLEW OUT AND WE ARE BEING TOLD REPLACING IT MOST LIKELY WON'T HELP, AS IT IS APT TO BLOW OUT AGAIN. 3 INDEPENDENT RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. AT 80,000 MILES EITHER PROBLEM IS UNWARRANTED. *AK
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH HEATER RELAY BURNING OUT WHENEVER HEATER IS SET AT HIGH SPEED. REPLACED HEATER RELAY ON FIVE OCCASIONS. MANUFACTURER WOULD BE CONTACTED. *AK
BOTH REAR SEATBELT RETRACTOR SPRINGS ARE BROKEN, CAUSING IT TO STAY EXTENDED, WILL NOT RETRACT BACK IN , CAUSING LOSS OF PROTECTION. *AK
I CONTACTED THE OLDSMOBILE CORP. ABOUT A POSSIBLE RECALL ON THE SEATBELTS. I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT A POSSIBLE DEFECT UNTIL I WAS TOLD THAT THE THIRD ROW SEATBELTS HAD BEEN FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE OTHER TWO ROWS WERE NOT. IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME THAT THE LEAST USED SEATBELTS COULD BE THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE DEFECTIVE. AREN'T ALL OF THE SEATBELTS MANUFACTURED AT THE SAME PLACE? I AM MARRIED WE HAVE FIVE CHILDREN CUMMULATIVELY. I NEED ALL SEVEN OF MY SEATBELTS IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY, AS WELL AS CONFORM TO THE LAW. THE SEATBELTS COST $150 EACH. I AM AFRAID MORE WILL GO BAD, AND WILL END UP COSTING ME A SMALL FORTUNE. I HAVE FOUND THAT OTHER SEATBELTS, NOT THE SAME AS MY DEFECTIVE ONES, ARE ALSO NOT WORKING. IF THE SEATBELTS HAVE BEEN MALFUNCTIONING SINCE 1992 WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS NEW, IT SEEMS THAT IT IS NOT A MATTER OF JUST WEAR AND TEAR, AND AGE OF THE VEHICLE. *AK
THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS IN THE SECOND ROW SEATS WILL NOT RETRACT THE BELTS TO THE ORIGINAL POSITION. *AK
CONSUMER DISCOVERED THAT VEHICLE WAS LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID. *AK
DRIVER'S SEAT DISENGAGED FROM THE SEAT TRACKS, CAUSING THE SEAT TO BECOME UNSTABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
SEAT BELTS FAIL TO LATCH PROPERLY. SEAT BELTS DO NOT STAY LATCHED WHEN BRAKESA ARE APPLIED. *AK
LOSS OF ABS BRAKING POWER DUE TO LEAKING BRAKE LINES. *AK
FAILURE OF THE DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S AND REAR SHOULDER BELT RETRACTORS, THE SHOULDER BELTS WILL NOT RETRACT. *AK
20 of 27 complaints, reproduced as filed.
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Deaths | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2003 | 36 | 5 | 0 | 6 | Fatalities reported |
| 2002 | 57 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2001 | 78 | 9 | 3 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 2000 | 114 | 8 | 2 | 0 | Routine |
| 1999 | 149 | 7 | 4 | 0 | Routine |
| 1998 | 170 | 10 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1997 | 104 | 9 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1996 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1995 | 46 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Routine |
| 1994 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 0 | Routine |
| 1993 | 22 | 3 | 4 | 0 | Routine |
| 1992 — this page | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1991 | 37 | 3 | 2 | 3 | Fatalities reported |
| 1990 | 43 | 5 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
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: Jan 23, 1996. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.