IllustrationUNEVEN WEAR/WARPING FRONT BRAKE PADS/ROTORS.
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 reportsABS BRAKES APPLIED, A RUMBLING NOISE IS HEARD IN REAR BRAKES. FRONT BRAKES OKAY. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER & MECHANIC CLEANED & REPLACED REAR DRUMS & SHOES. PADS WERE WORN IN FRONT & ALSO REPLACED. *AK
ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAILED RESULTING IN VEHICLE COLLISION.
TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, CAUSING VIBRATION AND LOSS OF CONTROL.
VEHICLE VIBRATION CAUSES VEHICLE TO GO OUT OF CONTROL OVER 65 MPH.
CONSUMER DROVE ABOUT 4 MILES THEN BEGAN TO PARK ONCE HE REACHED HIS DESTINATION. WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THE VEHICLE KEPT GOING, JUMPED A PARKING BLOCK AND LANDED IN THE STREET. CONSUMER REALIZED THAT FOOT SLIPPED FROM BRAKE PEDAL AND HIT THE GAS PEDAL. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. CONSUMER SAYS BECAUSE THE GROVES …
Read full complaint
CONSUMER DROVE ABOUT 4 MILES THEN BEGAN TO PARK ONCE HE REACHED HIS DESTINATION. WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THE VEHICLE KEPT GOING, JUMPED A PARKING BLOCK AND LANDED IN THE STREET. CONSUMER REALIZED THAT FOOT SLIPPED FROM BRAKE PEDAL AND HIT THE GAS PEDAL. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. CONSUMER SAYS BECAUSE THE GROVES ON THE PEDAL ARE RUNNING SIDEWAYS AHD THE TOP IS SO SMOOTH THERE IS NO RESISTANCE FOR FEET SLIPPING. *AK
WHEEL CYLINDER FAILED, CAUSING NOISE WHEN BRAKING.
FRONT BRAKE PADS WORN.
UPON APPROACHING VEHICLE APPLIED PRESSURE TO BRAKING APPARATUS, NO RESPONSE FROM ABS. *AK
NORMAL BRAKING, COMING TO A STOP SIGN APPLIED THE BRAKES TO STOP AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. PLEASE DESCRIBE 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.