Total Complaints
31 filings
OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS · model year
1986 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS
31 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986OLDSMOBILECUTLASS carries 31 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 3 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 CUTLASS is power train:automatic transmission with 3 filings, followed by steering:rack and pinion (3) and structure:body:door:hinge and attachments (3). 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 CUTLASS. 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.
31
Complaints
1
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 3 |
| STEERING:RACK AND PINION | 3 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040819FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
WHILE DRIVING 28 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP. *JB
20040712STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
CONSUMER STATES THAT HER DAUGHTER HAD A VEHICLE THAT HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE BOLT, WHICH COULD HURT HER. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE REAR ENGINE CRADLE BOLT IN 1997. THIS WAS CORRECTED WITH THE RECALL BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER. THE BOLT DISCONNECTED FROM THE ENGINE AT LEAST 3 TIMES SINCE CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER HAD THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER STATED THAT JUST THE OTHER DAY HER DAUGHTER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, AND WAS SITTING ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET, FACING TRAFFIC. THE RECALL STATED THAT ONCE THE BOLT FALLS OUT CONSUMER LOSES CONTROL OF STEERING. IT SEEMED THAT NOTHING WILL HOLD ENGINE BOLT IN THE VEHICLE. *AK
20010227TIRES
CONSUMER KEPT HEARING NOISE FROM THE TIRE, THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE TIRE WAS SPLITTING IN THE MIDDLE WHICH CAUSED IT TO GO FLAT (SUMITOMO 205X75X14-9SS). NLM
20001128POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED. *SLC
20001026UNKNOWN OR OTHER
WHEN ARE YOU TESTING 2001 CARS AND TRUCKS?MOST DEALERS ALLREADY HAVE ALL 2001 IN STOCK
20000915TIRES:TREAD/BELT
PE-00-020; FIRESTONE, F360 TIRES PURCHASED FOR A 1986, OLDSMOBILE, CUTLASS, TIRE SIZE P195/75R14, DOT NUMBER NOT AVAILABLE. WHEN DRIVING 60 MPH CONSUMER NOTICED SHIMMY IN FRONT END WHEN PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD SHREDDED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK CONSUMER REPLACED ALL TIRES AND THE SHIMMY HAS GONE AWAY. *SLC
20000814FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ENGINE FIRE WHILE DRIVING (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS
19991013VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
WHILE DRIVING GAS PEDAL IS STICKING ALL THE TIME. CONTACTED DEALER, AND COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM. *AK
19990921FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ENGINE FIRE. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). MJS
19990217STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
THE HINGE PINS AND BUSHINGS ARE NOT STRONT ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE DOORS. CONSEQUENTLY, THE DOORS AG AND ARE THEN HARD TO OPEN.
19990217ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PLASTIC CIRCUIT IS BRITTLE/BREAKS, CAUSING FALSE READINGS ON MOST GUAGES.
19990217ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
CATALYTIC CONVERTER PLUGS, RESULTING IN POOR PERFORMANCE.
19990217ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
MUFFLER HANGERS ARE TOO FEW.
19990217ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
MUFFLER HANGERS ARE TOO FEW.
19990217ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
MUFFLER HANGERS ARE TOO FEW. MUFFLER FAILS BECAUSE OF TOO MUCH WEIGHT ON SINGLE HANGER.
19990217VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
CRUISE CONTROL WORKS INTERMITTENTLY.
19990217STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
THE HINGE PINS AND BUSHINGS ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE DOORS. CONSEQUENTLY, THE DOORS AGE AND ARE THEN HARD TO OPEN.
19990217STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
THE HINGE PINS AND BUSHINGS ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE DOORS. CONSEQUENTLY, THE DOORS AGE AND ARE THEN HARD TO OPEN.
19980805SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BACK BRAKES FAIL AND LOCK UP.
19960920SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
WHILE TRYING TO APPLY THE BRAKES, HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE. THE BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON AND THEN THE BRAKES WENT ALL THE WAY OUT.*AK
Compare 1986OLDSMOBILECUTLASS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS have?▼
The 1986 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS has 31 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING:RACK AND PINION and STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS.
Is the 1986 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 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.