AI Damage1989 Oldsmobile Ciera: common problems
Owners of the 1989 Oldsmobile Ciera filed 31 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 31
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 26% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 19% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 16% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 6% of all complaints
- 7 Tires 6% of all complaints
- 8 Parking brake 3% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 8 complaints (26% of all).
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (19% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 5 complaints (16% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (10% of all).
- Fuel system: 2 complaints (6% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 31 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
While in reverse gear the vehicle's throttle stuck in a position and lost control. The car hit a car/lamp post and a house. Car also hit 2nd car. Car went through living room window.
During rear impact, driver's side seatback fell backwards into the rear seat. Please describe.
Sudden acceleration, caused loss of control/accident/injury.
While traveling at 50 mph during high winds, consumer stated that the landau roof had blown off, manufactuer notified.
Brakes lock when wet, even after new brakes and master cyclinder installed , doing it since the car was new and bought by my mother with 3 miles on it. One brake or another will lock after a rain storm. After continual pumping they will dry and stop locking till they get wet again.
Fuel line rusted, causing a fuel leak which may cause a fire if there was a source of ignition.
While crossing a main intersection car died, and consumer had to manually get out of car.
All 4 tires had deep cracks in the sidewalls by 30,000 miles and were replaced.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,740 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Ciera has 26 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 31, above average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Oldsmobile Ciera?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, electrical system, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 31. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (19%), unintended acceleration (10%), rust, corrosion (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Oldsmobile Ciera?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1989 Oldsmobile Ciera from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1989 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.