AI Damage1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass filed 80 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 80
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 23% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 23% of all complaints
- 3 Tires 20% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 16% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 14% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 18 complaints (23% of all).
- Service brakes: 18 complaints (23% of all).
- Tires: 16 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 13 complaints (16% of all).
- Suspension: 11 complaints (14% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 3.1 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 80 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 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.
It was a frontal impact, and the air bags did not deploy. Injuries were sustained. Seat belts were in use. The vehicle was totaled.
Suddenly vehicle took off, causing consumer to go through a glass window. Vehicle was totaled. Consumer has someone coming out, not the dealer to inspect vehicle. 2 people were injured in accident.
Pe00 020; consumer was traveling about 65mph on highway and vehicle was vibrating. She was able to pull over to the shoulder, and noticed that right rear tire tread separated from rim. Firestone affinity t2 26695gxbm10757-3, there were no injuries. Dot#w2mwaaa318 size p21560r15.
While driving my fiances oldsmobile, I noticed a bad shudder under light to moderate braking. Upon investigation, I found that the front left control arm had rusted so badly that it had cracked in several places.
The contact stated that while attempting to start the engine, the vehicle would not start and a burning odor was present inside the vehicle. The driver then noticed smoke emitting from the ignition switch. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ignition switch was faulty.
The contact stated that the vehicle would not start and the anti-theft warning light was illuminated. The failure recurred numerous times. The dealer was notified and instructed the contact to bring the vehicle in for diagnosis. The manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance.
I have 99 oldsmobile cutlass which only issue I ever had is faulty anti theft system like so many people with gmc or oldsmobile or chevy anything with antitheft system use right key and the light comes on you have to wait 10-15 min then it starts how can a company not ever have recall I can understand if it was few…
The left front coil spring broke blowing out the tire. This happened without warning, and it was a good thing I was only going around 25 mph and on a side street. If this had happened on a main road there very well may have been a major accident with injuries to myself, my passengers, and others on the road.
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 4,081 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Cutlass has 67 complaints (24 years in the data). This year has 80, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- 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 199796 sources
- Cutlass 1998155 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, service brakes, tires. Total complaints: 80. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: won't start (11%), vibration (10%), warning lights, check engine (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 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 1999 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 1999 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.