1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 OLDSMOBILE SIERRA SL (NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD ABOVE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BECAME BLACK AND HOT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AT NIGHT. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

I PURCHASED THE CAR AT CONGRESSIONAL OLDSMOBILE, THEY COULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AFTER 2 VISITS IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY, 2000. I TOOK THE CAR TO CONGRESSIONAL 2 TIMES, WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM FIRST. ON FEBRUARY I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH POHANKA DEALER, 4601 ST. BARNABAS ROAD, MARLOW HEIGHTS, MD 20748. THEY PUT A DOOR ASSEMBLY IN MY CAR. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THIS DEALER 7 TIMES AND IT HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED PROPERLY YET. I HAVE CALL JIMMY HICKS TWICE, HE DOES NOT EVEN RETURN CALLS. THEY USUALLY KEEP MY FROM 1 TO 4 DAYS AND I GET IT BACK AND IT DOES THE SAME AS IT DID, WHEN I BROUGHT IN THE VERY 1ST TIME. THEY PUT PARTS IN THAT DON'T WORK LIKE A MODULE, DOOR HANDLE, TAKE THE DOOR ASSEMBLY OUT AND PUT IT BACK IN. MY DOOR GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I COULD NOT OPEN IT FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE AFTER THE PUT THE DOOR ASSEMBLY IN. MY PROBLEM IS THE INTERIOR LIGHTS COME AT WILL, WHICH INCLUDES THE DOME LIGHT AND LIGHTS UNDER THE DASHBOARD. IF YOU GO OVER A BUMP THEY FLICKER ON AND OFF. I HAVE TO KEEP THE DOME BULB OUT OF THE CEILING AT ALL TIMES, OTHERWISE THE BATTERY WILL RUN DOWN. THE DOME LIGHT IT OUT AS I WRITE THIS COMMENT AND HAS BEEN OUT FOR OVE A MONTH. THERE IS NO DIALOGUE WITH JIMMY HICKS, THE SERVICE MANAGER AT POHANKA. HE SIMPLE WILL NOT RETURN PHONE CALLS. I CALL 3 TIMES IN ONE WEEK, HE DID NOT CALL BACK. I HAVE CALLED GM 6 TIMES AND I VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH ENTIRE SITUATION. NO CUSTOMER SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGHT WHAT I HAVE BEEN THROUGH TO GET A CAR REPAIRED PROPERLY. AND TO BE IGNORE IS REALLY POOR TASTE FOR A CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. *AK

BOTH REAR DOOR LOCKS FAIL RANDOMLY. THEY MAY WORK FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. WHEN DISSASSEMBLED, THERE IS NOTHING MECHANICALLY THAT HAS FAILED. ON THE FIRST OCASSION, THE ROD FROM THE LEFT REAR DOOR LOCK LEVER HAD FALLEN FROM THE BELLCRANK. THAT WAS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. THIS TIME HOWEVER, THAT WAS CHECKED AND IT WAS IN ITS PROPER LOCATION. WHEN THE DOOR LOCKS MALFUNCTION, THERE IS NO WAY TO OPEN THE DOORS EITHER FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPS, THE LOCKS BEGIN TO WORK AND THE DOORS CAN BE OPENED. WHEN THE LOCKS MOVE, THEY DO MOVE THROUGH THEIR NORMAL MOVEMENT RANGE, IN OTHER WORDS THEY MOVE THE CORRECT BELLCRANK THE PROPER AMOUNT OF TRAVEL. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AS SMALL CHILDREN ARE IN THE BACK SEAT, THE FAILURE MODE IS PURELY RANDOM, AND IN CASE OF FIRE THERE WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY NO WAY TO OPEN THE REAR DOORS.