IllustrationTRANSMISSION FAILED, FOUND METAL IN FILTER AND PAN. MJS
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 reportsONGOING PROBLEM WITH BRAKE SYSTEM. WHENEVER VEHICLE IS AT A PARKED POSITION AND SITTING FOR A WHILE, THEN WHEN BACKING UP THE CONSUMER CAN HEAR SHOT OF AIR GOING THROUGH THE SYSTEM WHICH CAUSES A BACKWARD SURGE (ALMOST AS THOUGH THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD LOCK UP) WITH NO BRAKE. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON SEVERAL OCCASION SAND N…
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ONGOING PROBLEM WITH BRAKE SYSTEM. WHENEVER VEHICLE IS AT A PARKED POSITION AND SITTING FOR A WHILE, THEN WHEN BACKING UP THE CONSUMER CAN HEAR SHOT OF AIR GOING THROUGH THE SYSTEM WHICH CAUSES A BACKWARD SURGE (ALMOST AS THOUGH THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD LOCK UP) WITH NO BRAKE. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON SEVERAL OCCASION SAND NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. CAN NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK
WHILE BRAKING BRAKE PEDAL "FREEZES," CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO VALVE BODY WEAR AT 47,667 MILES (WAS TOLD DEFECTIVE VALVE BODY). TRANSMISSION REPLACED - IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.*AK
THIS IS MY SECOND REPORT OF THE THROTTLE CABLE SNAPPING WHILE DRIVING. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE TO MY FIRST COMPLAINT, WHICH I DEEM A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO THE OPERATION OF THIS TYPE OF MOTOR VEHICLE. THE THROTTLE CABLE SHOULD NOT SNAP EVERY 20,000 MILES WHENOPERATING THE VEHICLE. SOMETHING IS WRONG ON THE MANUFACT…
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THIS IS MY SECOND REPORT OF THE THROTTLE CABLE SNAPPING WHILE DRIVING. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE TO MY FIRST COMPLAINT, WHICH I DEEM A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO THE OPERATION OF THIS TYPE OF MOTOR VEHICLE. THE THROTTLE CABLE SHOULD NOT SNAP EVERY 20,000 MILES WHENOPERATING THE VEHICLE. SOMETHING IS WRONG ON THE MANUFACTURERS PART. HOW MANY GAS ACCELERATOR CABLES HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS SNAPPING WHILE DRIVING? THANK YOU, MANLEY STAMPLER. *AK
AT ABOUT 20000 MILES THE ENGINE LOST POWER , HAD A ROUGH IDLE AND THEN ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED TWO INJECTORS. ABOUT 1000 MILES LATER, THE ENGINE DID THE SAME THING AND THE SES LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE OTHER FOUR INJECTORS. *AK
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
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 LOCATIO…
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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.
THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH FUEL TANK. WHILE DRIVING FUEL LEAKS FROM FUEL TANK. IN ADDITION, SMELLS FUMES. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
WHILE HAVING A BRAKE JOB IT WAS NOTED THAT BOTH FRONT ROTORS HAD HOLES IN THE CASTING ON THE INSIDE FACE OF BOTH FRONT ROTORS.*ET
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.