AI Damage1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass: common problems
Owners of the 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass filed 18 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 18
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 22% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 22% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 17% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 17% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 11% of all complaints
- 6 Tires 11% of all complaints
- 7 Parking brake 6% of all complaints
- 8 Seat belts 6% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (22% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 4 complaints (22% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (17% of all).
- Steering: 3 complaints (17% of all).
- Suspension: 2 complaints (11% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 18 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 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.
Vehicle expriencing problem with acceleration after starting the vehicle and shifting into drive. Vehicle went out of control, causing vehicle to crash into fence. Dealer was not notified.
Rear tires locked up, vehicle fishtailed, lost control, resulting in an accident/injuries.
Consumer was backing out of the driveway and car accelerated and hit another car, mechanic said it was the accelerator . Please describe .
The vehicle lost power while driving uphill. A few years earlier, the vehicle was taken to an auto garage for a diagnosis, but no failure was found. The failure continued and on april 13, 2008, the failure was identified as the oiler racker arm assembly.
Vehicle was disabled and parked, due to suspected engine trouble, the abandoned vehicle became engulfed in flames.(ohio traffic crash report#10-90-485)
While driving the vehicles check engine light illuminated and the engine died, the consumer pulled the vehicle the vehicle over and flames began coming from the engine compartment, the compartment was completely destroyed by fire (ohio traffic crash report). Nlm
Driver's rear tire separated. Consumer said it looked like it was pulled apart with a knife. Tire were purchased 2-18-98 with 10-12,000 miles at the time of the incident.tire size is 195/75r14. The model tire is a premier 4.
Steering wheel has developed cracks in three places, cause unknown. Please give any further details.
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 8,622 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Cutlass has 67 complaints (24 years in the data). This year has 18, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
- Cutlass 19763 sources
- Cutlass 19773 sources
- Cutlass 19803 sources
- Cutlass 19813 sources
- Cutlass 19835 sources
- Cutlass 198416 sources
- Cutlass 198623 sources
- Cutlass 198716 sources
- Cutlass 198874 sources
- Cutlass 1989113 sources
- Cutlass 1990103 sources
- Cutlass 1991193 sources
- Cutlass 1992136 sources
- Cutlass 1993139 sources
- Cutlass 1994148 sources
- Cutlass 1995156 sources
- Cutlass 1996123 sources
- Cutlass 199796 sources
- Cutlass 1998155 sources
- Cutlass 199980 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, vehicle speed control, powertrain. Total complaints: 18. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (11%), loss of power / limp mode (6%), rust, corrosion (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass?
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 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass 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 1985 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.