Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags10
- Service brakes, hydraulic9
- Engine and engine cooling8
- Electrical system8
- Steering5
- Visibility2
- Vehicle speed control2
- Structure2
- Power train2
- Unknown or other1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 3 1996 Cutlass Supreme vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 3 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme failed the safety check 3.85% of the time — 162% more often than the average 1996 passenger car (1.47%). Median odometer at inspection: 99,531 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 11.8–13.1 L/100 km (about 18–20 mpg US), CO₂ 271–301 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cutlass Supreme · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.9 | 9.3 | 11.8 |
| Cutlass Supreme · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 15.6 | 9.9 | 13.1 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme.
| 2003336 16 Dec 2003 | Steering On certain vehicles, the lower pinion bearings retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers may fail and permit the ball bearings to escape. If th… |
| 2000141 27 Jun 2000 | Seats And Restraints Certain vehicles could experience inadvertent or non-crash driver front air bag deployment. This deployment could occur during vehicle startup, while the vehicl… |
| 1999083 12 May 1999 | Engine On certain vehicles, the spark plug wires may be causing the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) to be illuminated, as well as causing rough idle and poor performa… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES HAVE LOWER PINION BEARINGS IN THE POWER RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IN WHICH THE RETAINER TABS WERE NOT CRIMPED PROPERLY. THESE RETAINERS COULD FAIL AND PERMIT THE BALL BEARINGS TO ESCAPE.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CORROSION OF THE AIR BAG INFLATOR'S INTERNAL WIRING, WHICH CAN OCCUR OVER TIME, COULD CAUSE THE INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG. THIS DEPLOYMENT COULD OCCUR DURING VEHICLE START-UP, WHILE THE VEHICLE IS PARKED OR IDLING, OR WHILE IN OPERATION.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Oldsmobile told its dealers about the 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 619370 | OWNERS OF SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRA-MATIC 3T40, 4T60, 4T60-E OR 4T65-E TRANSAXLES MAY COMMENT ON A GRINDING AND / OR GROWLING NOISE THAT IS NOTICEABLE WHEN STANDING IN PARK ON A HILL OR SLOPE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THE PARKING BRAKE NOT APPLIED. *TT |
| 619360 | SOME OWNERS MAY COMMENT ON DRIVEABILITY SYMPTONS OF LONG OR HARD STARTS, CHUGGLE, ROUGH IDLE AND LIGHT OR INTERMITTENT MISFIRE DUE TO CLOGGED FUEL INJECTORS. *TT |
| 617767 | CAMPAIGN PARTS BULLETIN REGARDING INADVERTENT AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. *TT |
| 615074 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT FRONT SUSPENSION SCRUNCH / POPPING TYPE NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF VEHICLE THAT IS APPARENT DURING LOW SPEED TURNING MANEUVERS. *TT |
| 615073 | SOME V6 ENGINES MAY, ON A VERY INFREQUENT BASIS, HAVE AN OIL ODOR CONDITION THAT IS GENERALLY ENCOUNTERED AFTER THE ENGINE'S OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED.TYPICALLY THE ODOR LASTS APPROXIMATELY 1000 MILES AFTER THE CHANGE OF OIL AND THEN DOES NOT REAPPEAR UNTIL THE NEXT CHANGE OF OIL. *TT |
| 609669 | A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATING ON THE VEHICLE'S INSTRUMENT PANEL AFTER A LONG DECELERATION WITH THE TRANSMISSION TYPICALLY IN THE OVERDRIVE POSITION. YD |
| 6089996 | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRA-MATIC 3T40, 4T60 OR 4T60-E TRANSXALES MAY COMMENT ON A GRINDING AND / OR GROWLING NOISE THAT IS NOTICEABLE WHEN IN PARK ON INCLINE. *TT |
| 6088680 | CUSTOMERS MAY COMPLAIN OF GRINDING / SCRAPING / GROANING NOISE FROM REAR SUSPENSION. *TT |
| 608372 | SUBJECT REGARDING SPARK PLUG WIRE FAILURE. *TT |
| 607522 | SUBJECT REGARDING SPARK PLUG WIRE FAILURE. *TT |
| 604343 | SOME OWNERS MAY EXPERIENCE A DRIVEABILITY SYMPTOM OF LONG OR HARD STARTS, CHUGGLE, ROUGH IDLE AND LIGHT OR INTERMITTENT MISFIRE. *TT |
| 601915 | COMMENTS ON A TICKING TYPE NOISE THAT BEGINS SHORTLY AFTER COLD ENGINE START-UP AND GRADUALLY DIMINISHES AS THE ENGINE WARMS UP. *YC |
| 600282 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A DRIVEABILITY SYMPTOM OF LONG OR HARD STARTS, CHUGGLE, ROUGH IDLE AND LIGHT OR INTERMITTENT MISFIRE. *YC |
| 54419 | COMMENT THAT THE ABS LIGHT IS ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC'S) 46 AND 86 SET AS CURRENT OR HISTORY. *YC |
| 54418 | SOME VEHICLES EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTIES TO DEPRESS ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND/OR AN ACCELERATOR CABLE SEPARATION. *YC |
| 54328 | EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT STEERING COLUMN SNAP OR CLICK NOISE WHEN TURNING. *YC |
| 54066 | SUBJECT PERTAINING TO DRIVEABILITY SYMPTOMS DUE TO FUEL INJECTOR DEPOSITS. *YC |
| 53016 | INSTRUCTIONS AND ILLUSTRATIONS CONTAINED IN EXHAUST MOAN SERVICE UNIT, P/N 10294800. *YC |
| 53009 | CONDITIONS CONTAINING ENGINE OVERHEATING AND/OR LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT. *YC |
| 52600 | CLN INDICATOR APPEARS ON RADIO DISPLAY AND DOES NOT TURN OFF (RESET CLN INDICATOR WITH THE EJECT BUTTON ON TAPE). *TW |
| 52580 | DIFFICULT TO DEPRESS ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND/OR ACCELERATOR CABLE SEPARATION (INSTALL ACCELERATOR CABLE AND CLIP). *TW |
| 52563 | REDUCED ENGINE PERFORMANCE, RESTRICTED FUEL FLOW (CLEAN FUEL TANK, REPLACE IN-LINE FUEL FILTER AND FUEL PUMP STRAINER). *TW |
| 51497 | COLD START RATTLE NOISE (DIAGNOSIS/SERVICE PROCEDURE). *TW |
| 51296 | INTERMITTENT NEUTRAL OR LOSS OF DRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR FROM FOURTH GEAR (REPLACE CONTROL VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY). *TW |
| 50571 | COLD START RATTLE NOISE. *TW |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE
POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE
INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation