Total Complaints
9 filings
OLDSMOBILE CIERA · model year
1985 OLDSMOBILE CIERA
9 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985OLDSMOBILECIERA carries 9 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, 1 injury, 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 CIERA is vehicle speed control with 1 filings, followed by vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (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 CIERA. 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.
9
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| STEERING:RACK AND PINION | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:ABS WARNING LIGHT | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19970709SUSPENSION:FRONT
THE FRONT END SUSPENSION CRADLE PULLED THROUGH AND PULLED THE ENTIRE STEERING OUT, AND THE DRIVER LOST STEERING WHILE SLOWING DOWN FROM HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *AK
19970527SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT/INJURY.
19970527SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:ABS WARNING LIGHT
ANTILOCK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED.
19961114STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
UPON MAKING LEFT TURN, VEHICLE WEAVED, STEERING WOULD NOT RESPOND, RESULTING IN ACCIDENT/INJURY.
19960601POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *SD
19960425STEERING:RACK AND PINION
DEFECTIVE 'O' RINGS IN RACK/PINION CAUSE STEERING TO LOCK UP INTERMITTENTLY, CAUSING TEMPORARY LOSS OF CONTROL. *DSH
19960318SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
THE BRAKES ON THE VEHICLE ARE LOCKING UP WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SKID AND NOT STOP. THE BRAKES ARE HYDRUALIC. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19950929VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
STIFF GAS PEDAL. *AK
19950511VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
EXPERIENCE INTERMITTENT SUDDENLY ACCELERATION, WITHOUT PRESSING GAS PEDAL, WHEN RPM'S GO UP RESULTING IN WIDE OPEN THROTTLE. TT
Compare 1985OLDSMOBILECIERA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 OLDSMOBILE CIERA have?▼
The 1985 OLDSMOBILE CIERA has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 OLDSMOBILE CIERA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 OLDSMOBILE CIERA is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS.
Is the 1985 OLDSMOBILE CIERA 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.