1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass 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 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass, 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
- Brakes133.3%
- Fuel system133.3%
- Tires & wheels133.3%
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
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 10 TO 15 MPH WHEN THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN THE MASTER CYLINDER WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKES TO LOCK UP, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *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
THIS IS TO BOB YOUNG: AFTER READING THE WALL ST JOURNAL ARTICLE I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT I LEARNED FIRST HAND ANOTHER CAUSE OF RUNAWAY VEHICLES: ELECTRONIC CARBURETOR DIDNT LIKE FUEL RICHNESS SO ACCELERATED EVERYTIME I TRIED TO STOP AT A SIGN. LA VEGAS DEALER ADJUSTED IT TO IGNORE PROBLEM. TOOK 2 TIMES TO FIX. MORE INFO IF BOB YOUNG WANTS TO EMAIL ME... ALEX
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
ABOUT A 1.5 TO 2 YEARS AGO I PURCHASE A FIRESTONE 721 PASSENGER CAR TIRE. I ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR RIDING RUFF. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE FIRESTONE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE TIRE AND TOLD THEM THAT MY TIRE WERE OUT OF BALANCE AND THAT THEY NEEDED REBALANCING. THEY SAID THAT MY RIMS WERE BENT, THEY REPLACED THEM AND IT STILL DIDN'T STOP THE VIBRATION. NEXT, THEY SAID MY REAR AXLE WAS BENT AND THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE VIBRATION. I DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS AT THE TIME TO REPLACE MY REAR ALXE I WOULD HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THE ROUGH RIDE. SHORTLY THERE AFTER, ON A TRIP TN THE VIBRATION GOT ALOT WORSE, UNTIL I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED SOMEONE HITTING THE SIDE OF MY CAR WITH A BASEBALL BAT I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND FOUND THAT THE NEW 721 THAT I BOUGHT THREADS CAME OFF AND HIT THE SIDE OF MY CAR KNOCKING THE TRIM OFF OF IT. I DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY TO MEMPHIS ON THE DONUT, ALSO, I NOTICE AS SOON AS I PUT THE SPARE ON AND WAS ON THE HIGHWAY THE VIBRATION I HAD PUT UP WITH FOR THE LAST YEAR COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED. IN MEMPHIS THEY GAVE ME ANOTHER 721 FIRESTONE TIRE THAT I CURRENTLY HAVE NOW, THAT WAS OVER A YEAR AGO. IN THE LAST WEEK, I HAVE NOTICED ANOTHER VIBRATION CROPPING UP IN MY CAR. I HAVE 3 NEW MICHELINS AND THE 721 THAT I GOT IN MEMPHIS ON MY CAR. WHEN I GET UP TO ABOUT 55MILES/HR THE VIBRATION GETS ALOT WORSE. I AFRAID THE 721'S BELTS ARE ABOUT TO SPLIT AGAIN. ALTOUGH THE 721 HAS OVER 60 TO 70 PERCENT OF IT'S THREAD LEFT. WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IN MY CASE?( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 195R14 )
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 .