AI Damage1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass filed 96 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 96
- involving a crash
- 7
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 26% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 21% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 16% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 16% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 7% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 25 complaints (26% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 20 complaints (21% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 15 complaints (16% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 15 complaints (16% of all).
- Suspension: 8 complaints (8% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.1 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 96 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 20 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 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.
The vehicle's fuel pressure regulator failed and resulted in sudden acceleration. The consumer was backing out of a parking space, a popping noise occurred and as the consumer was going in reverse the vehicle lost all power and hit two parked vehicles.
While driving steering jerked uncontrollably. Consumer was not able to maintain control of the vehicle, and it collided with another vehicle. No injuries reported. However, consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer. For inspection, but mechanic could not duplicate the problem.
The steering locked up. The vehicle was taken to the dealer in march 2004 for a rack and pinion replacement. The consumer was wondering why this incident happened. The consumer was approaching a rail road track, then all of a sudden the steering wheel would not turn and the vehicle had taken off to the right.
While making a turn vehicle ran into a 4 foot curve at about 10 mph, and airbags deployed. Car didn't come to a dead stop before the airbags deployed. Mechanic said it was sensors. Inspector said there were no outside sensors.
Airbags failed to deploy during a frontal collision. The manufacturer has been contacted.
Consumer was involved in a rearend collision, impact 20 mph and the driver's and passenger's bucket seatbacks broke to the reclining position, passenger sustained injuries.
Driving 65 mph w/cruise control on; vehicle started drifting left, off road, put brakes on, but to no avail; vehicle spun around & went right; hit post; air bag did not deploy; vehicle went up post then landed on roof.
After installing these parts into my car, I found I had a large gas leak when I filled the car with fuel like about a gallon went on the ground and it leaked as I drove the car back to the shop.
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 3,666 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 10% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Cutlass has 67 complaints (24 years in the data). This year has 96, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
- Cutlass 19763 sources
- Cutlass 19773 sources
- Cutlass 19803 sources
- Cutlass 19813 sources
- Cutlass 19835 sources
- Cutlass 198416 sources
- Cutlass 198518 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 1998155 sources
- Cutlass 199980 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, steering, electrical system. Total complaints: 96. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (9%), warning lights, check engine (6%), knocking, grinding or other noise (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 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 1997 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 1997 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.