Total Complaints
11 filings
OLDSMOBILE CUSTOM CRUISER · model year
1986 OLDSMOBILE CUSTOM CRUISER
11 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986OLDSMOBILECUSTOM CRUISER carries 11 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 1986 CUSTOM CRUISER is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components with 5 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:hydraulic (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 1986 CUSTOM CRUISER. 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.
11
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 5 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050718SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST
1986 OLDSMOBILE POWER MASTER RAN CONTINUOUSLY AND LEAKED BRAKE FLUID.*MR A PRIVATE MECHANIC FOUND A RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM AND REPAIRED IT AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER (1996). NOW THE VEHICLE IS EXHIBITING SYMPTOMS OF THE LAST PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND ON THREE OCCASIONS THEY DENIED HIM REPAIR UNDER THE RECALL. *NM THE ELECTRIC POWER BRAKE BOOSTER LEAKED BRAKE FLUID. *JB
20050718SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
1986 OLDSMOBILE POWER MASTER RAN CONTINUOUSLY AND LEAKED BRAKE FLUID.*MR A PRIVATE MECHANIC FOUND A RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM AND REPAIRED IT AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER (1996). NOW THE VEHICLE IS EXHIBITING SYMPTOMS OF THE LAST PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND ON THREE OCCASIONS THEY DENIED HIM REPAIR UNDER THE RECALL. *NM THE ELECTRIC POWER BRAKE BOOSTER LEAKED BRAKE FLUID. *JB
19981116SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THE BRAKES WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOORBOARD, AND THE CONSUMER HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE, HAD TO KEEP ON PUMPING BEFORE STOPPING VEHICLE. *AK
19970605SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN STEPPING ON THE BRAKES THE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF AND THE PEDAL IS EXTREMELY HARD AND THERE IS NO BRAKING CAPABILITY. ALL (4) SETS OF BRAKES WERE REPLACED ON 5/30/97. PROBLEM STILL EXISITS. *AK
19970402SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKE WARNING CHIME SOUNDS OUT AND THAT DRIVER ONLY HAS SECONDS TO STOP VEHICLE. OWNER NOTES THAT DEALER HAS REPLACED PARTS SUCH AS FUSES AND A ACTUATOR AND THE PROBLEM RETURNS. *AK
19960502SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FAILED FOUR TIMES. *DSH
19960326SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM; BRAKES FAILED WHILE DRIVING. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19950721SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW THE MASTER CYLINDER HAS BEEN BROKEN. THE POWER BRAKES WILL FAIL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
19950410SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM
BRAKE FAILURE, VACUUM BOOSTER SYSTEM. TT
19950323SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC
ELECTRIC POWER BRAKE FUSE BLEW/BRAKE POWER BOOSTER FAILED. *SKD
19950223ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
EXCESSIVE ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION. *AK
Compare 1986OLDSMOBILECUSTOM CRUISER to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 OLDSMOBILE CUSTOM CRUISER have?▼
The 1986 OLDSMOBILE CUSTOM CRUISER has 11 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 OLDSMOBILE CUSTOM CRUISER?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 OLDSMOBILE CUSTOM CRUISER is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC.
Is the 1986 OLDSMOBILE CUSTOM CRUISER 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.