RoadVitals

1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Apr 5, 2001
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
12%
of 77 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Transmission
Filed Apr 5, 2001

WHILE TRAVELING VEHICLE LOST POWER ON THE RIGHT SIDE. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED. TECHNICIAN STATED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
885142
EngineTransmission
Filed Oct 30, 2000

MY CAR HAD A LOSS OF POWER WHEN IT REACHED NORMAL TEMPERATURE AND GOING ON HIGHWAY SPEEDS. YOU HAD TO PUT THE ACCELERATOR ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE MAT IN ORDER TO KEEP GOING. I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AND THEY NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING HOT IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE MOTOR. THEY REPLACED THE THERSMOSTAT AND FLUSHED THE RADIATOR BUT THAT DIDN'T FIX THE CAR. THEY RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE THE CATALIC CONVERTOR BUT THAT DIDN'T FIX IT EITHER. THE NEXT STEP WAS TO GET THE TRANSMISSION TESTED. THAT DID IT, AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE'S A VACUUM LEAK IN BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO OVERHEAT. THAT CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. MR. TRANSMISSION (MY MECHANIC) HAD ANOTHER CUTLASS SAME YEAR, MODEL, & A LITTLE MORE MILAGE THAN MINE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. A CO-WORKER HAD THE SAME MODEL, MILAGE, & YEAR AND HE ALSO REPLACED HIS TRANSMISSION. I HAD CONTACTED GM AND THEIR EXCUSE IS I DIDN'T TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND MY WARRANTY IS EXPIRED. I RE-SEARCHED YOUR SITE AND SINCE 1990 ALL SEDANS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FROM GENERAL MOTORS HAD MAJOR PROBLEMS. BY THE WAY, HERE THE TRANSMISSION MODEL 4T60E. THAT SAME MODEL HAS BEEN USED FOR YEARS ON ALL SEDANS SINCE 1994.

NHTSA ID
735475
Incident
Oct 10, 2000
Transmission
Filed Jul 22, 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
725828
Incident
Jul 21, 2000
Transmission
Filed Mar 21, 2000

WHEN PULLING ONTO STREET FROM PARKING LOT ENGINE SUDDENLY REVVED UP AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. DRIVER HEARD LOUD NOISE COMING FROM TRANSMISSION AND MANAGED TO COAST BACK INTO PARKING LOT. THE AUTO HAD BEEN AT HARDIN OLDSMOBILE FOR SERVICE THE PREVIOUS WEEK . SINCE THE SERVICE INCLUDED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SERVICING THE DEALER WAS CALLED AND VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THEIR LOCATION. THE DEALER SUBSEQUENTLY INFORMED US THAT WHAT THEY HAD DONE COULD NOT HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER CALLING THE OLDSMOBILE 800 NUMBER AND THE SERVICE MANAGER THEY OFFERED TO TEAR DOWN THE TRANSMISSION TO DETERMINE WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPAIR IT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE REVERSE REACTION DRUM HAD FAILED FOR NO KNOWN REASON. I QUESTIONED THAT THE PART COULD SUDDENLY FAIL ONLY 140 MILES AFTER THEY HAD CHECKED OUT THE TRANSMISSION BUT WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD BE SURPRISED AT HOW OFTEN THE TRANSMISSION COULD HAVE SUCH A CATASTROFIC FAILURE WITHOUT ANY INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT SHE WAS NOT ENTERING ON THE FREEWAY BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE AFTER THE FAILURE. AFTER CHECKING YOUR SITE I SEE THAT THEIR ARE SEVERAL SUCH INCIDENTS, AND ONE MENTION THE SAME REVERSE DRUM. OLDSMOBILE WOULD NOT TAKE ANY ACTION WHEN I POINTED THIS OUT TO THEM. THEY SAID THAT MY ONLY RECOURSE WAS TO REPORT IT TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. I FEEL THAT THAT WAS NOT A SATISFACTORY OPTION. I HOPE THIS INFORMATION WILL BE OF USE AND SOMEONE WILL LOOK INTO THIS BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED DUE TO SUCH A FAILURE. *AK

NHTSA ID
720447
Incident
Feb 29, 2000
Transmission
Filed Sep 24, 1999

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ID
712024
Incident
Aug 2, 1999
Transmission
Filed Aug 24, 1999

TRANSMISSION FAILED WHEN DRIVING AT 45 MPH ON A HIGHWAY DURING MORNING RUSH HOURS. TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND LOST POWER. CAN ONLY DRIVE AT AROUND 20 MPH WHILE OTHER CARS FOLLOWING WERE AT 45-50 MPH. FORTUNATELY NO ACCIDENT CAUSED. BROUGHT CAR TO ROYAL OLDS AND LATER WAS INFORMED THAT METAL SHAVINGS WERE FOUND IN TRANSMISSION FLUID. TRANSMISSION WAS DISASSEMBLED AND FOUND THE REVERSE REACTION DRUM CAME LOOSE. THE TOTAL COST FOR THE REPAIR IS $1,900 BUT ROYAL OLDS ADVISED THAT MANUFACTURER IS WILLING TO SUBSIDIZE $1,200 AND I PAY THE BALANCE $700. THE CAR IS ONLY 5,000 MILES OVER THE 36,000 WARRANTY AND WAS SERVICED AT 30,000 MILES FOR SCHEDULED MAINTAINANCE. IT HAS NEVER BEEN USED TO HAUL ANYTHING. UNDER NORMAL USEAGE AND WITH REGULAR TIMING MAINTAINANCE, THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT FAIL AT 41,000 MILES UNLESS THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. I FEEL THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD PAY FOR THE TOTAL REPAIR BILL OF $1,900. NOW I NEED TO PAY THE $700 IN ORDER TO GET THE CAR BACK, BUT WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE TOTALLY RESPONSIBLE, AND IF YES, HOW TO GET MY $700 REIMBURSED.

NHTSA ID
710441
Incident
Aug 19, 1999
Transmission
Filed Feb 19, 1999

TRANSMISSION FAILED.

NHTSA ID
543980
Incident
Jan 29, 1999
BrakesDriver assistanceElectrical+5 more
Filed Jun 17, 1998

THE GAS GAUGE READS INCORRECTLY. IN ADDITION, TRANSMISSION/TRANSAXLE/BRAKES/SEATBACKS/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM/IDLE SPEED CONTROL UNITAND HAZARD LIGHTS FAILED. *AK

NHTSA ID
823276
Incident
Jun 5, 1998
Powertrain (other)Transmission
Filed Feb 6, 1998

TRANS AXLE AND TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED.

NHTSA ID
530094
Incident
Oct 31, 1997

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .