1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS Electrical System Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACT COASTED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000. UPDATED 01/20/16*LJ *CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS. WHEN THE CONTACT INSERTED THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION, THE ANTI- THEFT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START UNTIL THE LIGHT DIMMED. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE OR PROVIDE A SUFFICIENT REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 112,000. UPDATED 11/19/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT START. UPDATED 11/19/08. *JB

ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM ON MY 1997 OLDS CUTLASS COMES ON FREQUENTLY AND WILL NOT ALLOW MY CAR TO START. IN RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE I SEE THERE ARE LITERALLY 100'S OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS VERY PROBLEM. GM SHOULD BE MADE TO FIX THE ISSUE BY COMPLETELY REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE PART WITH ONE THAT IS MORE STABLE. THIS PROBLEM STARTED OUT ONLY HAPPENING EVER ONCE IN AWHILE, NOW IT IS HAPPENING DAILY. MY ONLY OPTION AT THIS POINT, IS TO DISCONNECT THE VERY FEATURE THAT WOULD PREVENT MY VEHICLE FROM BEING STOLEN. OBVIOUSLY, REPLACING THE IGNITION OR KEY IS A SHORT TERM FIX AS THE NEW PART ALSO BECOMES DEFECTIVE IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. *TR

WHILE DRIVING 55-60 MPH, THE CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN. THE CONSUMER PULLED VEHICLE OVER, AND TOWED IT TO REPAIR SHOP, TECHNICIAN COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH SHORTED AND BURNED THE WIRE THROUGH THE COLUMN TO THE FUSE PANEL. *SC *JB

SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 1997, THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS PROBLEMS. THE FRONT BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES, ONCE WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT FAILED, AN $800 REPAIR. THE MOTOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW MALFUNCTIONED, A $400 REPAIR. TODAY, WHILE DRIVING HOME THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON, I WAS WITHIN A MILE OF HOME, SO I JUST KEPT GOING. AS I WAS TURNING INTO MY DRIVEWAY, ALL OF THE CONTROLS ON THE DASHBOARD FAILED, SPEED LIMIT, GAS GAUGE, ETC. I ALSO APPARENTLY HAD NO LIGHTS BECAUSE THE CAR BEHIND ME ALMOST RAN INTO ME WHEN THE TURN SIGNALS DIDN'T WORK.*AK

1) AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR I HAD IT TO THE DEALER AT LEAST 4 TIMES FOR A BODY MODULE MALFUNCTION. 2) IGNITION SWITCH WENT BAD COULD NOT START CAR, HAD TO BE TOWED, TOOK TWO ATTEMPTS TO FIX CORRECTLY 3) AIR-CONDITIONING BUTTON QUIT WORKING 4) SMOKE CAME FROM STEERING COLUMN 5) WHEN USING CIGARETTE LIGHTER, BLOWS AUXILIARY POWER FUSE 6) PASSENGER SIDE FOG LIGHT KEEPS BLOWING ABOUT EVERY THREE MONTHS 7) WINDOWS JUMP TRACK AND BACK WINDOWS GRADUALLY GO DOWN THEMSELVES. 8) WINDSHIELD WIPERS BREAK WHEN IN USE, WHOLE ARM DISCONNECTS LEAVING THEM USELESS, OCCURRED THREE TIMES WITHIN SIX MONTH. *JB

CONSUMER HAD FUEL INJECTOR REPLACED, ELECTRICAL TESTING WAS DONE ON VEHICLE DUE TO ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ALERT, THE NEXT DAY THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. VEHICLE WAS CHECKED BY DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT BATTERY WAS NOT DISCONNECTED DURING TESTING WHICH CAUSED WIRES TO BURN INTO STEERING COLUMN. CONSUMER VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE HORN WAS NOT WORKING. ALSO HAD AN EXPOSED WIRE IN THE STEERING WHICH WAS A POTENTIAL SHOCK HAZARD.*AK CONSUMER STATES HE IS NOW EXPERIENCING OTHER PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM SUCH AS THE AIR CONDITIONING LIGHT COMING ON AND THE AIR BAG SYSTEM FAILED. *JB

ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION CAUSING LIGHTS, SIGNALS AND ALARM TO MALFUNCTION. MJS