1996 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS Complaints

THIS HAPPENED SOME TIME AGO BUT I RECENTLY READ OF AN INVESTIGATION THAT YOU HAVE UNDERTAKED AND DECIDED THAT THIS MAY BE RELEVANT. I ALSO HAVE SEEN SERVICE BULLETINS FOR THIS ISSUE. WHILE DRIVING, THE ACCELERATOR CABLE BECAME DETACHED FROM THE ACCELERATOR AND I LOST ALL ACCELERATION WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON A FREEWAY IN MORNING TRAFFIC. IT SEEMS THAT THIS SHOULD RISE TO THE LEVEL OF A RECALL. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO THE REGULAR LANE OF TRAFFIC AND THEN TO THE BERM BEFORE THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND BEFORE I WAS REAR ENDED BY THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME. SINCE THERE IS DECELERATION WITHOUT BRAKE LIGHTS, THIS IS A VERY HAZARDOUS SITUATION. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE WRECKER, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE ADVISED ME THAT THE CABLE WAS INSTALLED WTIHOUT A CLIP AND THAT THE MANUFACTURERER WAS AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL DEFECT BUT HAD NOT RECALLED THE VEHICLES FOR THIS PROBLEM.

WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN. *NLM THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE PROBLEM HIS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED WAS THE SAME AS RECALL #02V286000. *TS *JB

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. DRIVER HAD MANAGED TO PULL OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD AND STOPPED VEHICLE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE CAUSE OF STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UP.*AK

STEERING IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN DURING LOW SPEED LEFT HAND TURNS. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT.

VEHICLE DID NOT GIVE ANY WARNING THAT THE BATTERY WAS DISCHARGING. THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 55MPH ON INTERSTATE 95 IN MA. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AS I EXITED THE ROAD. SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED IN 4 YEARS. NO ICONS CAME ON TO WARN ME. FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE TO HAVE CAR STALLED AT EXIT WITH TRUCKS EGRESSING THE ROAD.

CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE CUTS OFF ON HER AT WILL. HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO 2 MECHANICS, AND THEY COULD NOT FIND OUT THE CAUSE. CONSUMER GETS SCARED WHEN CROSSING AN INTERSECTION, BECAUSE SHE IS AFRAID THAT VEHICLE WILL CUT OFF AND ANOTHER VEHICLE MAY RUN INTO HER. WHEN VEHICLE CUTS OFF THE RPMS GO DOWN TO ZERO, AND VEHICLE COASTS ALONG. *AK

FRONTAL AIRBAG RECALL-NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE/INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE MANUFACTURE.FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL FROM SEARCHING A WEBSITE.NO INCIDENT SO FAR!*AK

WHEN MAKING TURNS AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU DRIVE OVER A SLIGHT BUMP THE HEATER FAN WILL TURN ON BY ITSELF OR IF LISTENING TO THE RADIO THE STATION WILL CHANGE BY ITSELF. ALSO WHILE DRIVING THE AUTO DOOR LOCKS WILL SUDDENLY CLICK.THIS VEHICLE HAS TEMPERATURE AND RADIO CONTROLS INSTALLED ON STEERING WHEEL. WHEN I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN TO SERVICE THE RECALL IN REGARDS TO THE AIR BAG DEFECT I INFORMED THE DEALER OF THE PROBLEM THINKING IT MAY RELATE TO THE DEFECTIVE AIR BAG WIRING BUT I WAS TOLD THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS AND WERE ONLY REQUIRED TO FIX THE PROBLEM AT HAND WHICH WAS THE AIR BAG INFLATER.

WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE ABS FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO EXPERIENCE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *JB ALSO, CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE FRONT SEAT RECLINER MECHANIMS DO NOT LOCK INTO POSITION AND CAN ALLOW FOR SEAT OCCUPANTS TO BE THROWN FORWARD INTO THE STEERING COLUMN, DASH, WINDSHIELD DURING A CRASH. MJJ

WE GOT A LOW COOLANT LIGHT ON OUR DASHBOARD, AND FOUND THE COOLANT RESEVOIR TO BE COMPLETELY EMPTY. THIS WAS LESS THAN 3K MILES SINCE THE COOLANT SYSTEM WAS SERVICED - DRAINED, REFILLED, AND NEW RADIATOR HOSES INSTALLED. AFTER REFILLING, WE FOUND A SMALL COOLANT LEAK ON THE GROUND UNDER THE ENGINE (WHEN PARKED ON A DRY SURFACE INDOORS - NORMALLY THE CAR IS IN THE DRIVEWAY, WHERE SNOW, ICE, AND RAIN MAY HAVE MASKED A LONG-TIME SMALL LEAK). ON 3/3/03, OUR LOCAL MIDAS REPAIR SHOP FOUND THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS FAILING, CAUSING THE LEAK. IT WAS REPLACED (ALONG WITH THERMOSTAT AND SOME OTHER GASKETS, WHICH WERE LITTLE ADDITIONAL EXPENSE), AT A COST OF OVER $900. NOTE THAT THIS IS THE VEHICLE PRIMARILY USED BY MY (PREGNANT) WIFE AND OUR 2 YEAR OLD SON, AND THAT I MYSELF WORK ABOUT 30 MILES FROM HOME, SO WE WERE HEADED FOR INCOVENIENCE AT BEST, DISASTER AT WORST. NOTE THAT THE VEHICLE USES DEXCOOL COOLANT, AS REQUIRED BY THE MANUFACTURER FOR PROPER TREATMENT OF ITS ALUMINUM RADIATOR.*JB