Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 41 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.
The 25 most recent of 41, in the owner's own words
98 OLDS CUTLASS. REAR BRAKE LINES RUSTED THROUGH IN VICINITY OF LR WHEEL . RESULTED IN SUDDEN TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING DUE TO LOSS OF ALL BRAKE FLUID. NO SEPARATE RESERVOIR FOR FRONT BRAKE FLUID. HEARD OF SIMILAR EVENT WITH SAME MODEL STYLE CHEVY MALIBU. NO YEAR KNOWN. *TR
THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED UNLESS THE LIGHT WAS ON. THE CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THE BRAKE WILL NOT WORK WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *AK *TS *NLM
THERE WAS A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE WHICH CAME FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL AREA WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PURCHASE NEW BRAKE SHOES AND PADS EVERY 6-8 MONTHS. *AK *CB *NLM
NAR 05/21/2003 *MR WATER LEAK IN TRUNK, MISSING ABSORBER IN REAR DOOR, SUSPENSION NOISE, 4 NEW TIRES REPLACED, NEW FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS, AND COOLANT SYSTEM LEAKAGE. *CB
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *JB THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE FRONT DISC/REAR DRUMS WERE REPLACED HOWEVER THE BRAKE PEDAL STILL FELT SPONGY AND CONTINUED TO GO TO THE FLOOR. *TT
A WEEK AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN OCTOBER 2002 THERE WAS NOISE FROM FRONT LEFT END OF VEHICLE....THERE IS ANOTHER NOISE THAT COMES FROM THE STEERING WHEN TURNING THE WHEELS TRYING TO PARK THE CAR.....I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY DON'T HEAR ANYTHING...ALSO I HAD THE CAR CHECKED OUT THE SAME DAY FOR THE BRAKES...THERE WAS A SQUEALING NOISE ON THE FRONT LEFT SIDE AND THE CAR WOULDN'T BRAKE PROPERLY...THE DEALER REPLACED THE LEFT BRAKE PAD..I HAVEN'T HAD ANY TROUBLE WITH THE BRAKES SINCE...THREE WEEKS LATER I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE STEERING NOISES AND THEY SAID IT WOULD BE COSTLY FOR THE LABOR TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT MAY NOT BE COVERED BY WARRANTY...THEY SAID SINCE IT'S ONLY MINOR AND IS NOT CAUSING ANY PROBLEMS IT WOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER TO KEEP DRIVING IT UNTIL SOMETHING WENT WRONG TO WHERE THEY WOULD KNOW WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS COMING FROM....A COUPLE MONTHS LATER..IN MARCH 2003, THE ENGINE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON CONTINUOUSLY AND THE CAR WAS LEAKING ENGINE COOLANT....AFTER CHECKING THE CAR OUT, I HAD THE WATER PUMP REPLACED....IT HAS BEEN A WEEK NOW SINCE I'VE HAD THE WATER PUMP REPLACED AND THE ENGINE COOLANT LIGHT HASN'T CAME BACK ON AND THE ENGINE COOLANT HASN'T LEAKED OUT YET..BUT NOW, WHEN I TURN THE AIR CONDITIONER ON IT, IT GOES OUT BY ITSELF AND COMES BACK ON A COUPLE MINUTES LATER...I HAVEN'T HAD THE CAR CHECKED OUT FOR THAT YET BUT THIS CAR IS ADDING UP TO A HEADACHE AND I HAVEN'T HAD IT FOR 6 MONTHS YET..RIGHT NOW IT'S ONLY AT AN ESTIMATED OF 42,500 MILES DRIVEN ON IT..... *NLM
ANTI LOCK BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. OWNER MUST PULL OVER, SHUT VEHICLE COMPLETELY OFF, AND RESTART TO GET IT TO GO OFF. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
ABS LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. BRAKE PEDAL FEELS NORMAL WHEN BRAKING, AND BRAKING DISTANCE IS NORMAL. DEALER STATED MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK
WHILE DRIVING, ABS LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE ON DASHBOARD. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT LIGHT; HOWEVER, HAS REPLACED BRAKE SENSOR AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING.*AK CONSUMER STATES THAT GAS FUMES AND SMOKE FUMES WERE BEING EMITTED FROM ENGINE. *YD
ENGINE(IGNITION) QUITS WHILE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN. ALL POWER SYSTEMS ARE LOST, MAKING STEERING AND BRAKING DIFFICULT. ENGINE RESTARTS WHEN KEY IS TURNED OFF AND THEN TURNED ON TO RESTART. THIS IS AN ELECTRICAL OR COMPUTER PROBLEM THAT SEEMS TO BE RESET WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS TURNED OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
FOUR TIMES SINCE BUYING VEHICLE HAD BRAKES AND BRAKE ROTORS REPLACED. BRAKE PEDAL FELT SOFT, AND THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
CONSUMER STATED THAT BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON WHEN BACKING UP. BUT , BRAKES DO NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK
I HAD THE CAR INTO THE DEALER THREE TIMES PRIOR TO THE WARRANTY EXPIRATION WITH COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE BRAKES. MY CONCERN WAS THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT (ABS) KEPT COMING ON AND OFF. FINALLY, THE END OF AUGUST THEY AGREED TO REPLACE THE ROTORS IF I PAID TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS. THIS WAS DONE. THE NEXT WEEK, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I IMMEDIATELY PICKED UP THE CELL PHONE AND CALLED THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A COMPUTER GLITCH AND TO BRING IT IN AT MY CONVENIENCE. I SCHEDULED IT TO GO IN ON FRIDAY, THREE DAYS LATER. ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, I WAS DRIVING, CAME TO A STOP SIGN AND HAD NO BRAKES. A TREE STOPPED ME! THE DEALERSHIP AND OLDSMOBILE WOULD ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY, SO I PAID FOR THE REPAIRS MYSELF. TODAY, AFTER I HAVE HAD IT ON THE ROAD AGAIN FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS, THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AS SOON AS I STARTED THE CAR. AM I SAFE IN THIS CAR???? DO I FEEL SAFE? NO HELP. *AK
EVERY 6000-9000 MILES ROTORS NEEDED TO BE CHANGED, IF THEY WERE NOT, VEHICLE WOULD ALMOST GO OUT OF CONTROL WHILE TRYING TO STOP. *AK
TOOK VEHICLE TO HAVE ROTORS TURNED OVER 1 YEAR AGO DUE TO BEING WARPED. WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC NOT TO HAVE ROTORS TURNED AGAIN DUE TO USE OF POOR MATERIALS CONTRUCTING THE ROTORS. THIS WOULD CAUSE ROTORS TO BECOME THIN & USELESS. CURRENTLY, EVERY TIME BRAKES ARE APPLIED, IT WOULD CAUSE STEERING WHEEL TO SHAKE. *AK *SLC
ABS LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF, HAD TO HAVE BRAKES REPLACED AT 19K MILES(WARPED ROTORS) AND AGAIN AT 32K (REFACE ROTORS, NEW BRAKE PADS), SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG WHEN A LESS THAN 3 YR. OLD CAR IS ON IT'S THIRD SET OF BRAKES. THE ABS HARNESS HAD TO BE REPLACED TOO. DEALER SAID BRAKES NOT UNDER WARRANTEE, BUT SEEMS THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM FROM THE COMMENTS I READ ON THE INTERNET.
DUE TO DEFECTIVE BRAKE ROTORS WHICH HAD TO BE REPLACED 6 TIMES, EVERY 21,000 MILES. BRAKES OPERATED POORLY, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
A/C TURNED OFF ON ITS OWN. CONSUMER HAS COME CLOSE TO HAVING AN ACCIDENT, TRYING TO PUSH BUTTONS TO TURN IT BACK ON. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS UNSAFE. CONSUMER NOTICED STEAM, PULLED OVER ,AND IT WAS GUSHING COOLANT OUT. TOOK TO DEALER , AND THEY SAID WATER PUMP WENT OUT, AND THERMOSTAT FAILED. CONSUMER FELT LUCKY THIS DIDN'T CAUSE A FIRE. ALSO, ABS FLASHED ON AND OFF SOMETIMES.*AK
ABS BRAKE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON PERIODICALLY. DEALER SAID IT WAS FIXED 5 TIMES. WHEN DO I HAVE ABS BRAKES & WHEN DO I HAVE REGULAR BRAKES. HOW DO I PROCEED IN EMERGENCY STOP?*AK
STEERING PULSATES WHEN BRAKE ARE APPLIED. ROTORS HAVE BEEN RESURFACED TWICE, AND REPLACED ONCE. DEALER CANNOT FIND THE CAUSE. *AK
BRAKES SERVICED 6 TIMES. ROTORS TURNED THREE TIMES, REPLACED TWICE, PADS ONCE. PULSATIONS RETURNED AGAIN.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES INTERMITTENTLY FAIL. DEALER CAN NOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH EXCESSIVE WEAR OF PADS AND ROTORS AS OF 8,000 MILES. DEALER REPLACED FRONT PADS, AND TURNED THE ROTORS. AS OF 15,10O MILES REPLACED BOTH FRONT ROTORS. AT 23,300 MILES, TURNED FRONT ROTORS AND REPLACED FRONT PADS; AT 34,300 MILES REPLACED FRONT PADS AND TURNED ROTORS, AND AS OF 39,000 MILES, PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
CONSUMER HAS HAD PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASING IT ON 12-17-1998. DIFFERENT BRAKE PADS & ROTORS HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO THE EXTREME. VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAKING A GRINDING NOISE. ALSO, TIRES HAVE BEEN CHANGED. DEALER SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. *AK
EXTREME PULSATION WHEN BRAKING - STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKE PEDAL ARE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE DEALER HAS TRIED REPLACING THE BRAKE PADS, TURNING THE ROTORS, AND REPLACING THE ROTORS AND NOTHING HAS WORKED. AFTER EACH OF THE 5 TIMES WE HAVE THIS CAR SERVICED, THE PULSATION RETURNS AFTER 3,000 TO 4,000 MILES. WE ARE ENTERING ARBITRATION PROCEEDINGS WITH OLDSMOBILE TO DEMAND A BUY-BACK.*AK
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.
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