IllustrationWATER LEVEL LIGHT CONTINUED TO COME ON EVERY FEW WEEKS - LEAKING HEAD GASKET. COOLANT CONTAMINATED THE OIL. *JB
1999 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
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When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
30–25K
525–50K
1350–75K
375–100K
5100–150K
1150K+
30 reports with mileage · 50 unknown
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.
- Electrical System. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports2 fire reports2 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
13 reportsENGINE OVERHEATING -- COOLANT LEAKING INTO ENGINE. INTAKE MAINFOLD GASKET SHOWED SIGNS OF FAILING AT AROUND 57,000 MILES FAILED COMPLETELY AT 59,000 MILES. DID SOME RESEARCH ON INTERNET AND FOUND DOZENS OF REPORTS OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE 3.1 LITER V-6 ENGINE IN THIS AND SIMILAR GM MODELS. CONTACTED OLDSMOBILE CUSTOMER S…
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ENGINE OVERHEATING -- COOLANT LEAKING INTO ENGINE. INTAKE MAINFOLD GASKET SHOWED SIGNS OF FAILING AT AROUND 57,000 MILES FAILED COMPLETELY AT 59,000 MILES. DID SOME RESEARCH ON INTERNET AND FOUND DOZENS OF REPORTS OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE 3.1 LITER V-6 ENGINE IN THIS AND SIMILAR GM MODELS. CONTACTED OLDSMOBILE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS ABLE TO NEGOTIATE A 50/50 ON THE COST OF REPAIR.
MY 1999 OLDS CUTLASS, HAD A LEAKING MANIFOLD INTAKE GASKET, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IN THE LIBERTY TUNNEL IN PGH, DUE TO OVERHEATING. THERE WAS NO PLACE TO PULL OVER. SEVERAL MECHANICS TOLD ME THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS GM ENGINE, IT SHOULD BE UNDER RECALL. FORTUNATELY, I MANAGED TO GET OUT OF THE TUNNEL A…
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MY 1999 OLDS CUTLASS, HAD A LEAKING MANIFOLD INTAKE GASKET, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IN THE LIBERTY TUNNEL IN PGH, DUE TO OVERHEATING. THERE WAS NO PLACE TO PULL OVER. SEVERAL MECHANICS TOLD ME THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS GM ENGINE, IT SHOULD BE UNDER RECALL. FORTUNATELY, I MANAGED TO GET OUT OF THE TUNNEL AND OVER THE BRIDGE BEFORE IT CAUGHT FIRE, SMOKE WAS POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I HAD THE PROBLEM FIXED AT MY OWN EXPENSE OF OVER $363. *JB
1999 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS - 62,000 MILES - REPAIR - LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. *AK
COOLANT LEAK, OVERHEATED IN LIBERTY TUNNEL IN PGH,PA, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT IN TUNNEL. MECHANIC STATES THE PROBLEM IS THE MANIFOLD INTAKE GASKET VERY COMMON TO GM VEHICLES. *LA
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER SMELLED A BURNING SMELL WITHIN THE CABIN. ALSO, THE COOLANT LIGHT FLASHED ON/OFF. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKING ON BOTH SIDES, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, PER DEALERSHIP.*AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE REACHED HIGH TEMPERATURES DUE TO CRACKED PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD . COOLANT WENT INSIDE THE ENGINE. DEALER STATED CONSUMER NEEDED TO REPLACE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, AND IT WOULD COST $700.00. *AK
THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC FOR SERVICE AND THE MECHANIC STATED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKED. *JB
THE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS ARE AS FOLLOWED: TRANSMISSION, WATER PUMP, ALTERNATOR, ENGINE FAN, SHOCKS, MOTOR MOUNTS HAD BROKEN, BRAKES, FOG LIGHT NEVER WORKED, CABLE AND HINGES ON THE DRIVER/PASSENGER SIDE SEATS WERE BREAKING, THE ARM REST WAS HOLLOW, THE VEHICLE CONTINUOSLY RAN HOT, EVEN AFTER THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED, WHICH W…
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THE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS ARE AS FOLLOWED: TRANSMISSION, WATER PUMP, ALTERNATOR, ENGINE FAN, SHOCKS, MOTOR MOUNTS HAD BROKEN, BRAKES, FOG LIGHT NEVER WORKED, CABLE AND HINGES ON THE DRIVER/PASSENGER SIDE SEATS WERE BREAKING, THE ARM REST WAS HOLLOW, THE VEHICLE CONTINUOSLY RAN HOT, EVEN AFTER THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED, WHICH WAS DUE TO THE ENGINE FAN NOT WORKING. MR SCC
CONSUMER STATES THAT THEY NOTICE FUEL SPOTS ON THEIR DRIVEWAY. CHECKED UNDER THE VEHICLE HOOD NOTICED HAD FUEL ALL OVER IT. HAD VEHICLE SERVICED. THIS WAS CAUSED BY A BAD HEAD GASKET. MR
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.