IllustrationAUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS FAILED.
1996 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: 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
What owners actually said
123 reportsWHEN COMING OUT OF DRIVEWAY IN THE MORNING WHEN IT'S WET AND STEPPING ON THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES LOCK UP AND THEN LET LOOSE. ALSO WHEN YOU DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND APPLYING FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE WILL STILL MOVE FORWARD ABOUT 15 FEET BEFORE IT STOPS. *AK
ENGINE MAKES NOISE UNTIL WARMED UP. MJS
DOOR LOCKS FAILED.
HEAD LIGHTS COME ON AS SOON AS YOU START ENGINE (SAFETY FEATURE), HOWEVER THERE IS NO WAY OF TURNING OFF HEADLIGHTS IN BLINDING SNOW STORMS OR DENSE FOG, MAKING VISIBILITY VERY DIFFICULT.
VEHICLE WAS JUST SITTING AND THE AIR BAG POPPED OUT. VEHICLE WAS NOT STARTED UP YET. THE DRIVER GOT IN AND THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. *AK *SLC
WHEN DRIVING AT 30 TO 40 MPH CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, PULLED OVER, AND THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE UNDER THE DASH AERA OF THE VEHICLE. CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS DETERMINED AS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
THE VEHICLE'S GEAR SHIFT SLIPS/LOOSE AND JUMPS INTO NEUTRAL WHILE IN DRIVE. *AK
OWNER SAID THAT THE DOOR CAN'T CLOSE SOMETIMES DUE TO BAD LOCKS. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 70MPH, THE VEHICLE WILL DOWNSHIFT AT A LOW SPEED, AND CONTINUE TO JERK WITH A FULL OR A HALF TANK, AND WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON OR OFF. IN FOR REPAIR, NO PROBLEM FOUND. *AK
Official recalls
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 ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.