IllustrationWHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, CONSUMER T-BONED ANOTHER VEHICLE AND DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT AND HOLD CONSUMER IN PLACE LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE DONE. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, ONE PERSON WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT. *SLC
1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →123Owner complaints
Model-year median: 17
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 123 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Air Bags: 22 reports
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 20 reports
- Electrical System: 15 reports
- Engine And Engine Cooling: 15 reports
- Power Train: 13 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cutlass years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure 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: 19 of 123 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 15 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 reports5 fire reports10 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
7 reportsCONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, CONSUMERS DRIVER'S SIDE LAP AND SHOULDER BELT BECAME UNATTACHED. DEALER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHR DETAILS.*AK
CONSUMER WAS HIT FROM REAR BY A CAR TRAVELING 50 MPH. UPON IMPACT, DRIVERS SIDE SEAT COLLAPSED AND CAME OFF THE TRACK. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *ET
FRONT SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT WHEN TAKING OFF OR WHEN IT IS ON. SEATBELT WILL LOOSEN, CAUSING A LOSS OF PROTECTION. DEALER HAS REPLACED RETRACTOR TWICE ON FRONT SEATBELTS. DEALER CLAIMED THE DESIGN OF THE SEATBELT IS CAUSING THE DEFECT. *AK
DOOR LOCKS FAILED.
SEAT BELT NOT BOLTED TO FRAME, ALSO TAPPING PLATE IS MISSING.
BECAUSE OF THE ANCHOR PLATE IS MISSING ON DRIVER'S SIDE, THE SEAT BELT GETS CAUGHT IN THE RETRACTOR. *AK
Recall campaigns
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.