OLDSMOBILE CALAIS · model year

1985 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS

4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1985OLDSMOBILECALAIS carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1985 CALAIS is latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch with 1 filings, followed by steering: steering wheel/handle bar (1) and exterior lighting:turn signal:switch (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 13 investigation files overlapping the 1985 CALAIS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

4 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH1
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1

Recent Complaints

19960222ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

SMOKE COMING FROM ENGINE. *SD

19960118STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

STEERING COLUMN WHEEL HAS CRACKED ON TWO OCCASIONS, INDICATOR LIGHT LEVER ALSO BROKE OFF. TT

19960118EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH

STEERING COLUMN WHEEL HAS CRACKED ON TWO OCCASIONS, INDICATOR LIGHT LEVER ALSO BROKE OFF. TT

19950511LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

HOOD LATCH FAILED AFTER RECALL REPAIRS, CAUSING HOOD TO FLY UP. (86V-1210) *AW

Compare 1985OLDSMOBILECALAIS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1985 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS have?
The 1985 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS?
The most-complained component for the 1985 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS is LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR and EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH.
Is the 1985 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.