1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH IN DRY ROAD CONDITIONS, THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. ALSO, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOORBOARD, AND STOPPING DISTANCE WAS INCREASED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. THE BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED 5 MONTHS LATER WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED, BUT NEVER RETURNED A CALL. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE ABS SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE, AND COULD A POSE SERIOUS RISK IF THE PROBLEM RECURRED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE SMELL OF SMOKE COULD BE DETECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES THE SMOKE WENT AWAY AND THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. A FEW MOMENTS LATER THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. SMOKE FILLED THE VEHICLE, THE DOORS WOULD NOT UNLOCK, AND THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT ROLL DOWN. THE OCCUPANT CLIMBED TO THE BACK SEAT AND TRIED TO KICK THE WINDOWS OUT. SOMEONE SAW THE VEHICLE ON FIRE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED, THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED, UPDATED 05/30/06. *AK

LTR FM (FL) RE DEFECTIVE 1996 OLDSMOBILE CIERA. *TS THE ENGINE OVERHEATED, THE BATTERY HAD A LOW CHARGE AND THE VEHICLE WAS LOW ON FUEL AND OIL. THE OXYGEN SENSOR WAS REPLACED WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE INDICATOR FOR THE FUEL NEVER GAVE AN ACTUAL READING OF THE FUEL IN THE TANK, IT FLUCTUATED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND IT WAS HARD TO TELL HOW MUCH FUEL WAS ACTUALLY IN THE TANK. THE CONSUMER HAD A WATER PUMP INSTALLED. *JB

LTR FM CONSUMER (FL) RE DEFECTIVE 1996 OLDSMOBILE CIERA. *TS SIX MONTHS AFTER VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED THE CONSUMER NOTICE THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD FLASH ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE OXYGEN SENSOR. THE VEHICLE RAN FINE FOR A WHILE THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE DEALER REPLACED ANOTHER SENSOR. EVENTUALLY THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE OVERHEATED WHICH RESULTED IN ENGINE DAMAGE. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED UNDER 100,000 MILES . THE FUEL GAUGE NEVER GAVE THE ACTUAL FUEL TANK READING. THE FUEL NEEDLE WOULD FLUCTUATE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN AT VARIOUS SPEED. MANY BATTERIES HAVE BEEN REPLACED IN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY FAIL UNEXPECTEDLY. THE BATTERY INDICATOR NEVER ILLUMINATED INDICATING THERE WAS A PROBLEM. *NM

I WAS DRIVING ACROSS TOWN WHEN I NOTICED MY ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING. I WAS RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM MY MECHANIC, SO I STOPPED THERE. WHAT WAS LEFT OF MY COOLANT EMPTIED OUT ONTO THE GROUND AS A I WATCHED. MY COOLANT INTAKE GASKETHAD GIVEN OUT. THE REPAIR GUY TOLD ME AFTER HE FIXED IT THAT IT HAD VIRTUALLY DISAPPEARED AT SOME PLACES. HE ALSO CALLED ME AT SOME POINT TO INFORM ME THAT MY FUEL LINE HAD GIVEN OUT AND WAS LEAKING. THANKFULLY THE SHOP WAS ABLE TO FIX EVERYTHING QUICKLY, AS I USE MY CAR FOR COMMUTING TO COLLEGE AND WORK.

WAS DRIVING THE CAR NOTICED IT WAS NOT WARMING UP CHECKED ANTI FREEZE AND NOTICED IT WAS LOW IN RADIATOR AND IN OVERFLOW CONTAINER. ADDED ANTI FREEZE LOOKED TO SEE IF HAD BEEN LEAKING AT HOSES OR WAS AFTER ADDING ANTI FREEZE AND IT DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN LEAKING AT ANY HOSES OR FROM RADIATOR. STARTED CAR DID NOT RUN RIGHT SHUT ENGINE OFF PULLED DIPSTICK AND FOUND OIL TO BE DISCOLORED. CALLED AROUND AND FOUND THAT THIS YEAR ENGINE MADE BY GENERAL MOTORS IS KNOWN TO BLOW THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS AND THAT THIS EXACT CAR HAD ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM PRIOR TO MY PURCHASING THIS CAR 2 YEARS AGO. OLD ENGINE IS AVAILABLE. HAVE ESTIMATED MILEAGE UNTIL IT IS TOWED BACK HOME. THIS CAR WAS ORIGINALLY OWNED BY MY AUNT AND UNCLE WAS SOLD TO MY MOM JOAN ROODBERGEN SHE NEVER DROVE IT AND I PURCHASED IT FROM THEM IN OCTOBER OF 2002. I KNEW THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD ALREADY FAILED ONCE AND WAS REPAIRED BY MULLINS AUTO SERVICE. *JB