What breaks most · 1990 to 1997 model years
Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme problems by year
Owners have filed 247 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme across model years 1990 to 1997. Three years stand out: 1995 for air bags complaints, 1996 for air bags complaints and 1994 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints.
- Years to check closely: 1995, 1996, 1994
- Complaints on file
- 2471990 to 1997, all trims
- Worst year
- 199577 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 183 fires · 19 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 75kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 6Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 3 | 2 | Body and structure (12) | |
| 43 | 3 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (16) | |
| 77 | 7 | 1 | Air bags (35) | |
| 47 | 2 | 2 | Air bags (10) | |
| 43 | 3 | 1 | Steering (14) |
What fails on the 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 45% |
35 | 3 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 26% |
20 | 3 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 12% |
9 | 0 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 10% |
8 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 9% |
7 | 1 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 4% |
3 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 4% |
3 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 3% |
2 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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While under warranty brakes would making a grinding noise, and it would stick until pumping brakes. Then, low track and ABS lights would come on. Took to dealer, and they couldn't fine a problem till 1 month ago. Dealer stated it was ABS problem.*ak
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While driving at 30 to 40 mph, consumer's wife started to slow down when brake pedal went to the floor. Consumer was informed the ABS modulator failed causing total failure of the brakes.*ak *jb
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ABS light will come on and stay on. Also, there is extended stopping distance. Contacted dealer. *ak consumer stated that vehicle was at dealer several times but dealer couldn't find anything wrong with the brakes. The problem still exist. *yh
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1995, 1996, 1994 carry the most filings on the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. The 1995 alone has 77 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme problem?
On the 1995 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 35 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme complaints that include mileage is about 75,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.