1998 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS Complaints

MY ALARM DEFAULT ALONE-THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT BLINKS AND MY AUTO WILL NOT START UNTIL IT STOP BLINKING WHICH IS 10 MIN LONG. *JB

NAR 05/21/2003 *MR WATER LEAK IN TRUNK, MISSING ABSORBER IN REAR DOOR, SUSPENSION NOISE, 4 NEW TIRES REPLACED, NEW FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS, AND COOLANT SYSTEM LEAKAGE. *CB

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES ON THE CONSUMERS THREE VEHICLES. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ON THIS VEHICLE(1998 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS) WAS REPLACED, THEN ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS ON A 1996 PONTIAC GRAND AM AND A 1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. SCC *JB *JB

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *JB THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE FRONT DISC/REAR DRUMS WERE REPLACED HOWEVER THE BRAKE PEDAL STILL FELT SPONGY AND CONTINUED TO GO TO THE FLOOR. *TT

A WEEK AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN OCTOBER 2002 THERE WAS NOISE FROM FRONT LEFT END OF VEHICLE....THERE IS ANOTHER NOISE THAT COMES FROM THE STEERING WHEN TURNING THE WHEELS TRYING TO PARK THE CAR.....I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY DON'T HEAR ANYTHING...ALSO I HAD THE CAR CHECKED OUT THE SAME DAY FOR THE BRAKES...THERE WAS A SQUEALING NOISE ON THE FRONT LEFT SIDE AND THE CAR WOULDN'T BRAKE PROPERLY...THE DEALER REPLACED THE LEFT BRAKE PAD..I HAVEN'T HAD ANY TROUBLE WITH THE BRAKES SINCE...THREE WEEKS LATER I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE STEERING NOISES AND THEY SAID IT WOULD BE COSTLY FOR THE LABOR TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT MAY NOT BE COVERED BY WARRANTY...THEY SAID SINCE IT'S ONLY MINOR AND IS NOT CAUSING ANY PROBLEMS IT WOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER TO KEEP DRIVING IT UNTIL SOMETHING WENT WRONG TO WHERE THEY WOULD KNOW WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS COMING FROM....A COUPLE MONTHS LATER..IN MARCH 2003, THE ENGINE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON CONTINUOUSLY AND THE CAR WAS LEAKING ENGINE COOLANT....AFTER CHECKING THE CAR OUT, I HAD THE WATER PUMP REPLACED....IT HAS BEEN A WEEK NOW SINCE I'VE HAD THE WATER PUMP REPLACED AND THE ENGINE COOLANT LIGHT HASN'T CAME BACK ON AND THE ENGINE COOLANT HASN'T LEAKED OUT YET..BUT NOW, WHEN I TURN THE AIR CONDITIONER ON IT, IT GOES OUT BY ITSELF AND COMES BACK ON A COUPLE MINUTES LATER...I HAVEN'T HAD THE CAR CHECKED OUT FOR THAT YET BUT THIS CAR IS ADDING UP TO A HEADACHE AND I HAVEN'T HAD IT FOR 6 MONTHS YET..RIGHT NOW IT'S ONLY AT AN ESTIMATED OF 42,500 MILES DRIVEN ON IT..... *NLM

THE HEAD GASKET CRACKED AND LEAKED COOLANT. *JB TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS SUGGESTED THAT THE PROBLEM OCCURS AS THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE APPROACHES 50K MILES, AND MAY DEFECTIVE. SCC

ENGINE ASSEMBLED INCORRECTLY OR ASSEMBLED USING DEFECTIVE MATERIALS. GASKET FAILURE ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ALLOWS WATER TO MIX WITH OIL AND/OR FUEL, IF LEFT UNCORRECTED THIS WILL DESTROY THE ENGINE. SYMPTOMS SEEN BEFORE THE CAR WAS DRIVEN 40,000 MILES, WHILE THE CAR WAS 4 YEARS OLD.

LOW COOLANT LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND HAD TO KEEP ADDING COOLANT. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC, WHO TOLD ME THAT IT WAS LEAKING AT THE INTAKE GASKET AND THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACE. MECHANIC ALSO TOLD ME THAT HIS SON WAS A MECHANIC FOR A GM DEALERSHIP AND THAT HE HAD SEEN NUMEROUS CUTLASS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

ANTI LOCK BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. OWNER MUST PULL OVER, SHUT VEHICLE COMPLETELY OFF, AND RESTART TO GET IT TO GO OFF. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

COOLANT LIGHT ON DASH CAME ON, DEALER DETERMINED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS LEAKING, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED.*AK *YH