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Model file · OldsmobileUpdated · 13 sources

Selling a junk Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera

One recall reaches across eight Cutlass Ciera model years. Under campaign 95V173, rear outboard seat belt anchorages in 1989-1996 Cieras might fail to bear the load set by the federal standard. Dealers were to swap the anchor bolts for a new shoulder bolt with thread-locking adhesive. NHTSA counts 2,216,325 vehicles in that campaign, a total that may include other GM cars. Every vehicle count on this page is a whole-campaign total like that one, not a count of Cieras.

A light chestnut 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera coupe with wire wheel covers and chrome trim, parked on a cracked lot
Photo: Cutlass · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Model years in EPA data
1984-1996
Body styles
Coupe (to 1991), sedan, Cutlass Cruiser wagon
Complaints to NHTSA
300
Year with the most complaints
1996 (83)
Recall campaigns
9
Last one built
August 30, 1996

The Ciera was a long-running seller. Wikipedia says it was one of Oldsmobile's best-selling lines for its entire production, even in its final model year, and production ran from September 1981 to August 1996. EPA data lists it from 1984 to 1996 as a midsize sedan and wagon, with the Cutlass Cruiser wagon filed under the same model. If yours has finally quit, you can sell the whole car as it sits.

Problems by era

Wikipedia lists four engines for the Ciera: the 2.2-liter 122 four, the 2.5-liter Tech IV four, and two versions of the 2.8-liter V6. The groups below follow the changes it describes.

1984-1988: coupe, sedan and the new wagon

These five years hold 78 complaints. The 1984 was the only year with a 4-speed manual; the rest used 3- or 4-speed automatics. This Ciera has two recalls as well: 84V011, bucket seat back locks that may fail in a crash (76,586 vehicles), and 85V034, a fuel feed pipe that may leak at the throttle body and cause an underhood fire (121,095 vehicles).

Fuel hoses came back for 1988. Recall 88V164 says the fuel feed hose could leak at the coupling on the engine end; 27,369 vehicles were in that campaign. In between, the 1987 had recall 87V034 (39 vehicles in the whole campaign) to reinstall windshields that might not stay bonded in a crash test. Steering is the top complaint on the 1986, with 5 of 15.

1989-1991: the seat belt years begin

This stretch has 59 complaints: 35 on the 1989 and 24 on the 1990, with none on file for 1991. Seat belts lead the 1989 with 9. The 1990 adds 92V124, a power seat or recliner wiring harness that could chafe through and short (319,181 vehicles). Vehicle speed control tops the 1990 complaints with 6.

By the end of 1991, Wikipedia says, the coupe was gone.

1992-1996: sedan and wagon only

These years hold 163 complaints, all from 1994 on; the file shows none for 1992 or 1993. Wikipedia says the 2.8-liter V6 gave way to a 3.1-liter from 1992, and for 1993 the 2.5-liter Tech IV was replaced by the 2.2-liter "2200" with a 3-speed automatic.

The 1994 has four recalls, the most of any Ciera year:

  • 94V008: the backup throttle return spring might not close the throttle if the main spring broke. 49,047 vehicles.
  • 94V159: water could short the power door lock relay. 139,542 vehicles.
  • 94V189: a right front spindle nut left loose at the factory, which could wear the wheel bearing and, over time, crack the spindle. 206 vehicles.
  • 95V173: the seat belt anchorage recall.

Brakes lead both the 1994 (11 of 46) and the 1996 (18 of 83). Production ended on August 30, 1996, and the N-body 1997 Cutlass took the Ciera's place in the U.S., built at the same Oklahoma City plant.

Fix it or let it go?

Across all years, owners named the hydraulic service brakes most (47), then engine and engine cooling (44), the electrical system (27), vehicle speed control (26) and seat belts (24). A 1996 Ciera is now 30 years old, so most of the repairs these complaints describe will land on a car worth little more than its parts.

  1. Run the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup to see what still shows open.
  2. Get a written quote for what's wrong, then compare it to what a running Ciera of the same year brings.
  3. If it won't start at all, read car doesn't run before paying for parts.
  4. If it's simply tired, old or high mileage covers selling a car at the end of its run.

Complaints and recalls by model year

Every count here is a Ciera owner's report to NHTSA, tallied from its file on October 10, 2026. These are owner reports, not a reliability score, and a mid-1990s Ciera has been on the road a few years less than a 1984. The recall figure is how many campaigns name that year.

YearComplaintsCrashesInjuredRecallsWhat owners named most
19843002Seat belts, electrical, engine (1 each)
19858010Speed control 2, brakes 2, steering 2
198615000Steering 5, engine 3, electrical 2
198724311Steering 4, seat belts 4, speed control 3
198828201Power train 4, engine 4, electrical 3
198935341Seat belts 9, electrical 7, speed control 5
199024632Speed control 6, engine 3, structure 3
1991-1993none on file--see note-
199446684Brakes 11, engine 7, speed control 6
199534591Engine 8, brakes 7, seat belts 4
19968310101Brakes 18, engine 14, air bags 8

Recall 95V173 also covers the 1991-1993 cars. In all, the 300 complaints include 35 crashes, 6 fires and 36 people injured, and no deaths.

Selling the Ciera whole

  • Have ready: VIN, mileage, body style (sedan, coupe or wagon), and whether it starts and rolls.
  • Get your offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  • Pickup: free anywhere in the US. Tell us if it's boxed in a garage or sitting on flat tires, and we'll send a truck that can handle it.
  • Leave it in one piece. Sell the whole car as it sits; if the converter or battery is already gone, say so.
  • Paperwork: bring the Ciera's title and a photo ID. Title missing? Start with selling with no title.

Questions people ask

Which Cutlass Ciera year has the most NHTSA complaints?
The 1996 Ciera, the last model year, had 83 owner complaints at NHTSA when we counted October 10, 2026. For this Ciera, brakes come first at 18, engine and engine cooling next at 14, and air bags at 8.
Does this page cover the Cutlass Cruiser wagon?
Yes. EPA data groups the Cutlass Cruiser and Cutlass Cruiser Wagon with the Ciera, along with the Ciera SL. The complaint and recall counts here are the ones NHTSA files under Cutlass Ciera.
Is the 2,216,325 figure the number of Cieras recalled for seat belts?
No. That is the vehicle count for all of recall 95V173, which may include other GM cars. For the Ciera, the campaign lists the 1989 through 1996 model years.
Can you take a Ciera that hasn't moved in years?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars and offer free pickup anywhere in the US. A Ciera with flat tires or a dead battery is fine, just mention it.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. NHTSA recall 84V011: seat back locks nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA recall 85V034: fuel feed pipe at the throttle body nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 87V034: windshield bond nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 88V164: fuel feed hose nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 92V124: power seat wiring harness nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 94V008: secondary throttle return spring nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 94V159: power door lock relay nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 94V189: right front spindle nut nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 95V173: rear seat belt anchorages nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  12. EPA fuel economy data (model years, classes, name variants) fueleconomy.gov
  13. Wikipedia: Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera en.wikipedia.org