IllustrationRUN CHANNEL 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 reportsREAR BRAKE PADS FAILED AND RESURFACED ALL FOUR ROTORS.
BRAKES ARE DRAGGING.
ACCELERATOR CABLE SNAPPED BECAUSE IT WAS FRAYED.
WHILE DRIVING THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE RIGHT HUB/ BEARINGS, AND ON 12-31 97 THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED . OWNER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND LOST BRAKES. THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. *AK
ENGINE CRADLE SEPARATED FROM BODY AT REAR. STEERING COLUMN SEPARATED AT THE STEERING RACK UNIVERSAL JOINT RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL.
FRONT END SUSPENSION EXPERIENCES EXTREME VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAUSING TIRE FAILURES.
NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING COLLISION.
FRONT SUSPENSION IS VIBRATING EXCESSIVELY, CAUSING TIRE FAILURES.
TRANSMISSION DROPS DOWN TO LOW GEAR WHEN GAS RELEASED CAUSING VIBRATION RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO TIRES.
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.