IllustrationPROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE BREAKING DOWN.*MR *JB
1992 Oldsmobile Cutlass
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 Cutlass 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: 4 of 136 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 51 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
11 crash reports7 fire reports6 injury reports
What owners actually said
136 reportsPROBLEMS WITH FENDER SCRATCHES ON BODY, DAMAGE AXLE BOOT, MOTOR DAMAGE, SPARK PLUGS, EXHAUST, ETC...*MR THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE REPAIR SHOP DAMAGED THE VEHICLE WHILE UNDER THEIR CARE. THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT, THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED AND THE BATTERY EXPLODED. *PH THE RPM'S ON THE VEHICLE RACED E…
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PROBLEMS WITH FENDER SCRATCHES ON BODY, DAMAGE AXLE BOOT, MOTOR DAMAGE, SPARK PLUGS, EXHAUST, ETC...*MR THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE REPAIR SHOP DAMAGED THE VEHICLE WHILE UNDER THEIR CARE. THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT, THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED AND THE BATTERY EXPLODED. *PH THE RPM'S ON THE VEHICLE RACED EXTREMELY HIGH, IT WAS DETERMINED THERE WAS A VACUUM LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, ALSO THE OIL PAN GASKET WAS REPLACED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE ALSO EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WHICH WERE CAUSED BY THE REPAIR SHOP AS WELL AS OTHER DAMAGES INCURRED BY THEM. *JB
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE 65MPH AND NO WARNING THE ENGINE WOULD SHUT OFF. TS
THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH INSIDE OF VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
ON LEVEL GROUND, FROM COLD START, COLUMN MOUNTED SHIFT LEVER EXHIBITED RESISTANCE FROM <PARK> TO <REVERSE>. WHEN IN REVERSE, AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE DID NOT ENGAGE REVERSE GEARS. WHEN IN NEUTRAL, TRANSAXLE APPEARED TO BE IN DRIVE GEAR, THOUGH AS PRECAUTION, ONLY SIMPLE USAGE OF 1ST GEAR WAS TESTED FOR TROUBLESHOOTING. ALL DRIVE G…
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ON LEVEL GROUND, FROM COLD START, COLUMN MOUNTED SHIFT LEVER EXHIBITED RESISTANCE FROM <PARK> TO <REVERSE>. WHEN IN REVERSE, AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE DID NOT ENGAGE REVERSE GEARS. WHEN IN NEUTRAL, TRANSAXLE APPEARED TO BE IN DRIVE GEAR, THOUGH AS PRECAUTION, ONLY SIMPLE USAGE OF 1ST GEAR WAS TESTED FOR TROUBLESHOOTING. ALL DRIVE GEARS OPERATE NORMALLY, THOUGH WITH SLIGHT SLIPPAGE. FLUID IS GOOD COLOR AND SMELL, MIDDLE OF HASH MARKS WHILE IDLING AFTER 20 MIN RUN. NO PROPER REVERSE EXISTS, THOUGH IF ENGINE IS TURNED OFF WITH GEAR SELECTOR IN <REVERSE> THE CAR MAY BE ROLLED AS THOUGH IN NEUTRAL. LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF UNDERLYING MECHANICS OF TRANSAXLE, THOUGH BELIEVE THAT THIS IS HOW THE MEHCANISM SHOULD WORK. CAR HAS BEEN RUN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FOR 20+ MIN AND WITH NEW ALTERNATOR ADDED PREVIOUS DAY, HAS MORE TORQUE THAN EVER (OLD ALTERNATOR WAS ORIGINAL). REVERSE WAS ENGAGED NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE ALTERNATOR CHANGE THOUGH NO ADVERSE CONSEQUENCE COULD SEEM TO BE POSSIBLY RELATED, THIS IS ABLE TO AT LEAST BE ASSERTED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. DAVE COLEMAN
SMOKE POURS OUT STEERING COLUMN EACH TIME VEHICLE IS STARTED UP. PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED AFTER IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED 2 YEARS AGO. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK
SMOKE WAS POURING FROM VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS STARTED UP, MELTING THE WIRES. SWITCHS IN STEERING COLUMN WERE REPLACED 2 YEARS AGO DUE TO THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORAMTION.*AK
RETRACTOR ON PASSENGER FRONT RIGHT HAS FAILED TO OPPERATE AND HAS BEEN REPAIRED ONCE. *AK
THERE IS A RECALL FOR 91 OLDS, MODELS FOR THIS COMPONET, MINE IS A 92 AND HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. NEEDS TO BE UPGRADED TO 92 ALSO. MY ENGINE IS CURRENTLY SAGGING BECUASE OF A RUSTED OUT BOLT AND MOUNT. THIS IS UNEXPECTABLE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THANK YOU RYAN OLSON. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
395V173000 · 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.
92V066000 · Electrical System:wiring
May 11, 1992
THE OPTIONAL REMOTE ENTRY MODULE MAY HAVE A FAULT WHICH CAUSES RANDOM ACTUATION OF INTERIOR LAMPS, DOOR LOCKS, AND/OR TAILGATE RELEASE. THIS ACTUATION MAY OCCUR WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN USE OR UNATTENDED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE TAILGATE RELEASE ACTUATES, THE TAILGATE WILL OPEN.UNRESTRAINED PASSENGERS IN THE REAR SEAT AREA COULD FALL OUT OF THE VEHICLEWHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION, AND RECEIVE SERIOUS INJURIES.
Remedy: REPLACE THE REMOTE ENTRY MODULE WITH A NEWLY REVISED MODULE TO PREVENT RANDOM ACTUATION.
91V214000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Dec 6, 1991
THE REVERSE SERVO APPLY PIN MAY BIND IN THE CASE WHICH COULD CAUSE REVERSE BAND DISTRESS (LOSS OR SLIPPING OF REVERSE), REVERSE BAND DRAG IN DRIVE RANGE (POOR PERFORMANCE -- POOR POWER), OR THE TRANSMISSION TO REMAIN IN REVERSE WHILE THE SHIFT INDICATOR SHOWS NEUTRAL GEAR POSITION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE TRANSMISSION REMAINS IN REVERSE WHILE THE SHIFTINDICATOR SHOWS NEUTRAL, THE VEHICLE MAY UNEXPECTEDLY MOVE REARWARD AND RESULTIN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy: REPLACE THE TRANSAXLE WHERE REQUIRED.
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
2PE94063 · Corroded Rear Disk Brakes
Opened Aug 12, 1994 · Closed Dec 21, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available
PE94048 · SUB-FRAME Absorber Failure
Opened Jun 21, 1994 · Closed Dec 30, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
There is no summary currently available