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1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Serious

54 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.28 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious00V171000

Air Bags:Frontal

IF THE CONSUMER IS TOO CLOSE TO AN INFLATING AIR BAG, SERIOUS INJURIES COULD OCCUR.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE INFLATORS ON THESE AIR BAGS.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CORROSION OF THE AIR BAG INFLATOR'S INTERNAL WIRING, WHICH CAN OCCUR OVER TIME, COULD CAUSE THE INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG. THIS DEPLOYMENT COULD OCCUR DURING VEHICLE START-UP, WHILE THE VEHICLE IS PARKED OR IDLING, OR WHILE IN OPERATION.

Serious03V527000

Steering:Rack And Pinion

IF THIS OCCURS, THE PINION SHAFT CAN BE FORCED UPWARD DURING LEFT TURNS AND BACK DOWN AS THE STEERING WHEEL IS MOVED BACK AND TO THE RIGHT.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW LOWER PINION BEARING UNLESS INSPECT OF THE EXISTING BEARING INDICATES THAT REPLACEMENT OF THE GEAR ASSEMBLY IS NECESSARY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 5, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537; OR PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668.

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES HAVE LOWER PINION BEARINGS IN THE POWER RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IN WHICH THE RETAINER TABS WERE NOT CRIMPED PROPERLY. THESE RETAINERS COULD FAIL AND PERMIT THE BALL BEARINGS TO ESCAPE.

Complaint volume

54 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

2Crashes
1Fires
2Injuries
0Deaths

Across 54 complaints. Severity Index 0.28.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Air Bags · Frontal8 · 15%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…6 · 11%Electrical System · Wirin…3 · 6%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…2 · 4%Power Train · Automatic T…2 · 4%Engine And Engine Cooling…2 · 4%Electrical System · 12v/2…2 · 4%Vehicle Speed Control · C…2 · 4%
  1. Air Bags:Frontal — 8 reports
  2. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 6 reports
  3. Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash — 3 reports
  4. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components — 2 reports
  5. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 2 reports
  6. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 2 reports
  7. Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery — 2 reports
  8. Vehicle Speed Control:Cables — 2 reports
  9. Steering:Rack And Pinion — 2 reports
  10. Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe — 2 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (1) · 1996 · 1997 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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