Total Complaints
8 filings
OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS · model year
1981 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS
8 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1981OLDSMOBILECUTLASS carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1981 CUTLASS is fuel system, gasoline:carburetor system with 2 filings, followed by visibility:glass, side/rear (2) and structure:body:door (2). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 13 investigation files overlapping the 1981 CUTLASS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
8
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
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 |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040113ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE ARE PLACES OR A PROGRAM FOR LOW INCOME CITIZENS TO REPAIR VEHICLE. *LA CONSUMER NEEDS MAJOR ENGINE WORK DONE ON HER VEHICLE. *PH
19960601FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FIRE. (OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT) *DSH
19960229FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
CARBURETOR FLOAT STUCK, CAUSING OVERFLOW OF GASOLINE INTO ENGINE. *SD
19960229VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
BOTH REAR WINDOWS STICK. *SD
19960229STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
REAR PASSENGER DOOR STICKS. *SD
19960229FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
CARBURETOR FLOAT STUCK, CAUSING OVERFLOW OF GASOLINE INTO ENGINE. *SD
19960229VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
BOTH REAR WINDOWS STICK. *SD
19960229STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
REAR PASSENGER DOOR STICKS. *SD
Compare 1981OLDSMOBILECUTLASS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1981 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS have?▼
The 1981 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1981 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1981 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR and STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR.
Is the 1981 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1981 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.