IllustrationWHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT FOR 2 MINUTES AND START BACK UP, AND STALL BACK OUT AGAIN WITHOUT ANY WARNING.CONTACTED DEALERSHIP, CANNOT FIND PROBLEM.*AK
1996 Oldsmobile Ciera
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Ciera years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 3 of 83 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
10 crash reports1 fire reports9 injury reports
Power Train complaints
11 reportsCONSUMER STATES THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITHOUT WARNING DEALERSHIP HAS SERVICED THE VEHICLE LIGHT ANF FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED. NLM
VEHICLE SKIDS IF APPLYING BRAKES ON LEAST AMOUNT OF ICE OR SLUSH. LOW TRACTION LIGHTS COMES ON, AND ABS LOCKS UP. *AK CONSUMER SAYS ABS IS NOT USEFUL IN WINTER DRIVING. *YH
OCT 99 WHILE DRIVING HEARD A NOISE $ VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN. PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD.CONTACTED DEALER & INFORMED BY MECHANIC TO BRING VEHICLE IN . HAD VEHICLE TOWED. TRANSMISSION'S REVERSE WENT OUT. TRANSMISSION REPAIR WAS $2,200 . THIS CAR IS UNSAFE PLEASE RECALL IT. PLEASE SEND REBATE TO HELP REPAIR OR GET NEW VEHI…
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OCT 99 WHILE DRIVING HEARD A NOISE $ VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN. PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD.CONTACTED DEALER & INFORMED BY MECHANIC TO BRING VEHICLE IN . HAD VEHICLE TOWED. TRANSMISSION'S REVERSE WENT OUT. TRANSMISSION REPAIR WAS $2,200 . THIS CAR IS UNSAFE PLEASE RECALL IT. PLEASE SEND REBATE TO HELP REPAIR OR GET NEW VEHICLE. THANKS. *AK
SEVERAL COMPONENTS HAVE PREMATURELY DETERIORATED CALLING INTO QUESTION SAFETY OF OTHER RELATED COMPONENTS. THE CAR IS 3 YEARS AND 6 MONTHS OLD, BUT HAS LESS THAN 29,000 MILES. THE PROBLEMS ALL SEEM TO DEAL WITH RUBBER (OR SIMILAR MATERIAL) COMPONENTS. THE ENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS LEAKING. THE LEFT SIDE AXLE SEAL AND COVER O…
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SEVERAL COMPONENTS HAVE PREMATURELY DETERIORATED CALLING INTO QUESTION SAFETY OF OTHER RELATED COMPONENTS. THE CAR IS 3 YEARS AND 6 MONTHS OLD, BUT HAS LESS THAN 29,000 MILES. THE PROBLEMS ALL SEEM TO DEAL WITH RUBBER (OR SIMILAR MATERIAL) COMPONENTS. THE ENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS LEAKING. THE LEFT SIDE AXLE SEAL AND COVER ON THE TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING. THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS ALREADY CRACKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. (THE SERPENTINE BELT IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION, IF SO DESIRED). *AK
TRANSMISSION WENT OUT DUE TO A HARDENED STOVE PIPE GM# 24202422. THE PART BECAME DEFECTIVE (EATEN UP). TRANSMISSION SHOP STATED THAT IT SHOULDN'T HAVE WORN OUT SO FAST. *AK *ML
WHILE DRIVING HAD HEARD A NOISE & VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN. PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD. CONTACTED DEALER & INFORMED BY MECHANIC TO BRING VEHICLE IN. HAD VEHICLE TOWED. TRANSMISSION'S REVERSE WENT OUT. TRANSMISSION WOULD GO ONLY INTO DRIVE. *AK
THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS BELIEVED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DRIVELINE SHAFT. THE VEHICLE VIBRATES TREMENDOUSLY AFTER APPROACHING 60 MPH AND OVER. THE STEERING WHEEL BOUNCES AND DASHBOARD RATTLES, CAUSING IT TO BE A DISTRACTION WHILE DRIVING. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, CAUSING VIBRATION AND LOSS OF CONTROL.
VEHICLE VIBRATION CAUSES VEHICLE TO GO OUT OF CONTROL OVER 65 MPH.
Official recalls
195V173000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage
Sep 15, 1995
THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH REAR OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGES THAT MAY NOT WITHSTAND THE REQUIRED LOAD. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO.210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE: IN A COLLISON, STRESS CAN CAUSE THE ATTACHMENT METAL TO TEAR AND ALLOW THE ANCHORAGE TO SEPARATE FROM THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY BELT MAY NOT PROTECT AN OCCUPANT IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING ANCHOR BOLTS WITH A NEW SHOULDER BOLT AND THREAD LOCKING ADHESIVE. ADDITIONALLY, NOISE CONTROL PATCHES WILL BE APPLIED AT EACH ANCHORAGE.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.