IllustrationVEHICLE 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
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
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
21 reportsBRAKE FLUID LEAKED FROM CYLINDERS, WHICH RESULTED IN NO BRAKING ABILITY, AND ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH., REAR BRAKE CYLINDERS LEAK LEADING TO TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE, VERY UNPREDICTABLE BRAKING. AK *ML
AT 13,000 MILES , THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED , THERE WAS NO INDICTATION OF BRAKES WEARNING OUT, NO SQUEAKY NOISE DEALER CLAIMS BRAKES ARE VERY THIN. *AK
THE ABS SYSTEM ACTIVATES UNDER NORMAL BRAKING CONDITIONS MAKING IT HARD TO SLOW AND STOP THE VEHICLE. NLM
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES DID NOT WORK RESULTING IN A REAR-END COLLISION. AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.
FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WORN PREMATURELY.
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE OVER 25 MPH AND STEPPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP, THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T STOP. CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS 5 TIMES WHERE DEALER HAD FOUND METAL CHAFING, AND THEY HAD TO ROTATE BRAKES. *AK *ML
FRONT BRAKE LININGS ON RIGHT AND LEFT SIDES HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER ONLY 11212 MILES.
FUEL PUMP FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL SEVERAL TIMES.
ABS BRAKES; WHEN APPLYING BRAKES IN NORMAL CONDITIONS, THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND BRAKES FAIL TO STOP THE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
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.