"How reliable is the 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass?"

"Based on 161 NHTSA complaints, the 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass has a median complaint mileage of 82274 miles. The most common issue is STEERING:RACK AND PINION."

"What are common problems with the 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass is STEERING:RACK AND PINION, accounting for a significant portion of the 161 total complaints filed."

1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 161 complaints

161

Total Complaints

82,274mi

Median Mileage

STEERING:RACK AND PINION

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

60,000 25th Percentile

82,274 Median Mileage

133,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

STEERING:RACK AND PINION

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND HEARD A "GRINDING NOISE" AT THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WHEN APPLING THE BRAKE. (SAME PROBLEM WITH A CUTLASS SUPREME 1996, DEALER TRADED IN FOR THIS 1997 WITH THE SAME PROBLEM). *AK"

"DRIVING 65 MPH W/CRUISE CONTROL ON; VEHICLE STARTED DRIFTING LEFT, OFF ROAD, PUT BRAKES ON, BUT TO NO AVAIL; VEHICLE SPUN AROUND & WENT RIGHT; HIT POST; AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY; VEHICLE WENT UP POST THEN LANDED ON ROOF. *AK"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

STEERING:RACK AND PINION 12 complaints

25th: 67,912 mi Median: 79,701 mi 75th: 87,640 mi

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8 complaints

25th: 71,000 mi Median: 73,000 mi 75th: 100,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

PA: 28 CA: 16 MI: 12 OH: 11 WI: 10 MA: 10 GA: 9 AL: 7 VA: 6 FL: 6

Who Files Complaints?

57.1%

Original Owners

42.9%

Second+ Owners

Oldsmobile Cutlass — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1990	151	-	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC	11
1991	266	96,000	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER	13
1992	182	106,000	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS	13
1993	193	110,000	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS	11
1994	200	75,000	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP	21
1995	199	96,791	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL	15
1996	160	115,000	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP	14
1998	223	60,537	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR	8
1999	117	60,205	TIRES:TREAD/BELT	3

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28