Oldsmobile Supreme: problems, complaints, bulletins

Summary for the Oldsmobile Supreme across 7 model years: 22 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.

Model years

Year	Owner complaints	involving a crash
9999	1	0
1990	6	0
1989	7	1
1988	4	1
1987	1	0
1986	1	0
1984	2	0

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 45% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
4 Steering 9% of all complaints
5 Air bags 5% of all complaints
6 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
7 Seat belts 5% of all complaints
8 Seats 5% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Service brakes: 10 complaints (45% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (14% of all).
Electrical system: 2 complaints (9% of all).
Steering: 2 complaints (9% of all).
Air bags: 1 complaints (5% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 22 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion4 · 18%
smoke, burning smell, fire3 · 14%
warning lights, check engine1 · 5%
vibration1 · 5%
unintended acceleration1 · 5%
stalls while driving1 · 5%
rollaway, parking brake1 · 5%
oil leak or consumption1 · 5%
knocking, grinding or other noise1 · 5%
brake failure1 · 5%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	10	1
Engine and cooling	3	0
Electrical system	2	0
Steering	2	0
Air bags	1	0
Fuel system	1	0
Seat belts	1	0
Seats	1	0
Structure	1	0
Vehicle speed control	1	1
Wheels	1	0
Other	1	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 consumer received a recall notice on air bag(00v-171). Took the vehicle to the dealer twice for recall repair but the part was not in stock.
Air bags · 9999 · 2002-08-13 · NHTSA complaint #566628
Cradle bolts failed prior to recall notice, causing vibration.
Steering · 1990 · 1998-10-20 · NHTSA complaint #538607
Engine stalled/caught on fire. (ohio state police report)
Engine and cooling · 1984 · 1996-04-25 · NHTSA complaint #503365
The rear brakes failed while driving on the highway. Please describe. Tt
Service brakes · 1989 · 1996-01-22 · NHTSA complaint #977949
Consumer parked car and it caught on fire with no warning . Tt
Electrical system · 1989 · 1995-10-10 · NHTSA complaint #973192
The abs anti-lock brake performance of the brake is low and the abs and emergency brake light comes on . Tt
Service brakes · 1990 · 1995-10-04 · NHTSA complaint #972889

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

199513
19967
19981
20021

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.

Other models of this make

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.