1994 Oldsmobile Ciera Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1994 Oldsmobile Ciera, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes1223.1%
- Engine815.4%
- Driver assistance611.5%
- Tires & wheels47.7%
- Visibility35.8%
- Electrical35.8%
- Body & structure35.8%
- Suspension35.8%
- Fuel system35.8%
- Airbags23.8%
- Transmission23.8%
- Seat belts11.9%
- Other / unspecified11.9%
- Steering11.9%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
ANTI LOCK BRAKE LIGHT CONTINUALLY ILLUMINATES.
ANTI LOCK BRAKE LIGHTS INDICATING SYSTEM HAS FAILED.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
DEFECTIVE FUEL SYSTEM
DURING RAINY WEATHER THE SERPENTINE DRIVE BELT GETS WET AND SLIP, SLIPPAGE RESULTS IN LOSS OF POWER ACCELERATION AND MAKES CAR PRONE TO REAR COLLISION, ESPECIALLY AT HIGH SPEEDS, SLIPPAGE ALSO CAUSES ALL ACCESSORIES POWERED BY THE BELT TO LOSE POWER
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
PARKED AT A DRIVE IN PHARMACY, PUT VEHICLE IN REVERSE, AND IT LURCHED BACKWARD, HITTING VEHICLE BEHIND THE CONSUMER. TURNED VEHICLE OFF AND THEN RESTARTED. CONTACTED DEALER . DEALER FOUND A VACUUM LEAK ON THE UPPER INTAKE NEAR THE THROTTLE. THEY REPAIRED VACUUM LEAK. *AK
VEHICLE IN PARKING LOT, STARTED & SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, W/FOOT ON BRAKES (ABS); VEHICLE TOOK OFF BACKWARDS, BRAKES DID NOT STOP VEHICLE. HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE & IT HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. AT DEALER'S NOW IN EAU CLAIRE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
I HAVE FIRESTONE SUPREME RADIAL TIRES ON MY 94 CUTLESS SIERRA. ABOUT A MONTH AGO ONE WENT FLAT. I NOTICED TREAD SEPARTION AT THE SITE OF THE FLAT BUT DISCOUNTED IT. YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING ON A SMOOTH INTERSTATE MY OTHER FRONT TIRE SAME BRAND HAD THE ENTIRE TREAD SEPARATE. THE TIRE REMAINED INFLATED AS I PULLED OFF THE ROAD. MY TWO REAR TIRES ARE THE SAME MODEL AND I AM CONSERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THESE TIRES. I HAD CHECKED THE PRESSURE IN ALL 4 TIRES LESS THAN A WEEK AGO AND THEY WERE TO MANUFATOROR SPECS.
WHEN VEHICLE EXCEEDS 65MPH, THE FRONT END VIBRATES, CAUSING THE FRONT TIRES TO WEAR EXCESSIVELY. CONTACTED SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS, AND CANNOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER CAN ALSO FEEL THE SHAKE IN THE STEERING WHEEL. CONSUMER SAYS IF SHE DRIVES OVER 68 MPH, THE SHAKING SEEMS TO IMPROVE SOMEWHAT. THIS SITUATION HAS WORN OUT THE TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE AND HAS HAD A NUMEROUS AMOUNT OF ALIGNMENTS, BALANCING OF TIRES-FORCED ALIGNMENT. CONSUMER HAS PURCHASED FOUR NEW TIRES, THE VEHICLE SHAKES WHEN YOU SLOW DOWN TO A STOP OR WHEN ONE DRIVES ABOUT 20 MPH, THE ENTIRE FRAME SHAKES. *SCC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
ANTI LOCK BRAKE LIGHTS INDICATING SYSTEM HAS FAILED.
DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW MOTOR INOPERATIVE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
CRUISE CONTROL AND ABS FAILED DUE TO FAILURE OF THE STOP LIGHT FILAMENT, POOR DESIGN OF GROUNDING.
ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SHOCK, VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
BUILDUP ON THE WINDSHIELD COMING FROM DASHBOARD MATERIAL, RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY. TT CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY OLDSMOBILE THAT BUILDUP WAS CAUSED BY PLASTIC IN VEHICLE AND THAT IT WOULD STOP SOME TIME, BUT WOULD NOT SAY WHEN. *SLC
REAR HATCH OFTEN POPS OPEN WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN VEHICLE EXCEEDS 65MPH, THE FRONT END VIBRATES, CAUSING THE FRONT TIRES TO WEAR EXCESSIVELY. CONTACTED SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS, AND CANNOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER CAN ALSO FEEL THE SHAKE IN THE STEERING WHEEL. CONSUMER SAYS IF SHE DRIVES OVER 68 MPH, THE SHAKING SEEMS TO IMPROVE SOMEWHAT. THIS SITUATION HAS WORN OUT THE TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE AND HAS HAD A NUMEROUS AMOUNT OF ALIGNMENTS, BALANCING OF TIRES-FORCED ALIGNMENT. CONSUMER HAS PURCHASED FOUR NEW TIRES, THE VEHICLE SHAKES WHEN YOU SLOW DOWN TO A STOP OR WHEN ONE DRIVES ABOUT 20 MPH, THE ENTIRE FRAME SHAKES. *SCC
THE NUT THAT HOLDS THE BALL JOINTS CAME OFF, CAUSING THE WHEEL TO GO UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STEER. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW MOTOR INOPERATIVE.
WHEN AIR INTAKE VALVE WAS REPLACED IT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL AND ACT ERRATIC. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON ACCIDENT AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH OR LESS IN WHICH DRIVER'S AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND HAD NOTHING POSITIVE TO SAY. SEEKING HELP FROM NHSTA IN THIS MATTER. *AK
AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY DURING FRONTEND COLLISION. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
ANTI LOCK BRAKE LIGHTS INDICATING SYSTEM HAS FAILED.
TRANSMISSION ACCESS TO FIRST GEAR FAILURE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVER'S/PASSENGERS' SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT OR LOCK UP IN EMERGENCY STOPPING. *AK *ML
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE CHANGING TIRE, JACK BENT AND VEHICLE FELL BACKWARDS HITTING (2) PEOPLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING THE REAR TIE ROD/SWAY BAR BROKE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .