1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Cutlass Supreme years
- Not enough data 2nd of 3 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 47 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. That ranks 2nd out of 3 Cutlass Supreme model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (10 complaints, 21%). Complaints mention 2 crashes, 1 fire, 2 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 47owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 10 | 21% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 19% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 8 | 17% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 17% | 77,950 | — | — |
| Steering | 5 | 11% | 68,338 | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 4% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Steering:rack and pinion
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
Risk: If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began on february 5, 2004. Owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537; or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Corrosion of the air bag inflator's internal wiring, which can occur over time, could cause the inadvertent deployment of the driver's air bag. This deployment could occur during vehicle start-up, while the vehicle is parked or idling, or while in operation.
Risk: If the consumer is too close to an inflating air bag, serious injuries could occur.
Fix: Dealers will replace the inflators on these air bags.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Power rack and pinion steering failure (EA03019) — opened Sep 15, 2003, closed Dec 18, 2003, led to recall 03V527000.
- Power rack and pinion steering failure (RQ03001) — opened Jan 2, 2003, closed Sep 15, 2003.
- Inadvertent air bag deployment (EA99026) — opened Aug 31, 1999, closed Dec 28, 2001, led to recall 00V171000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Consumer took vehicle for a regular maintenance to independent shop, and mechanic determined that head gasket was leaking coolant, intake manifold was replaced at consumer's expense of $410.00. *ak *nm
While driving the temperature gauge went hot. Consumer took the vehicle to a mechanic before the vehicle overheats. The dealership has serviced the vehicle 4 times for this issue, in which the thermostat, the water pump, the radiator and the intake gasket were replaced. However, the problem still…
The consumer is disabled which precludes her from driving 30-40 miles to the nearest oldsmobile dealer to have the vehicle repaired. The vehicle was included in a rack and pinion recall and the consumer wanted to take the vehicle the nearest chevrolet dealer to have it repaired. The consumer was…
The consumer heard a ticking noise from the engine. Upon inspection of the noise by the dealership they noticed that the intake manifold gasket was leaking coolant into the oil. This occurs because the manifold is make of plastic. *nm
Car problems with 1996 cutlass keeps stalling i have already replaced intake gasket put new battery in an had other repairs this car only has 96000 miles. *ak
Other Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme years
← 1995 Cutlass Supreme · 1997 Cutlass Supreme →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 Cutlass Supreme | 43 | 1 |
| 1996 | 47 | 2 |
| 1995 Cutlass Supreme | 77 | 1 |
See all Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme problems by year, every Oldsmobile model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Oldsmobile models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme?
Owners most often report air bags, service brakes, hydraulic, electrical system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 10 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Cutlass Supreme model years, the 1996 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.