1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass SL-IV review from North America

The brakes wear too fast (every 20,000 miles). The rotors warp terribly.

The interior lighting completely failed. All lighting repaired by the dealer under warranty.

Every item of interior trim comes loose, rattles, and eventually breaks or falls off. Dealer reluctantly "quick-fixed" some items under the warranty. Problems continued throughout my ownership of the car.

Vehicle speed sensor failed. Dealer replaced under the warranty.

Alternator failed, 1000 miles out of warranty. Cost $200 to replace.

Front and rear sway bar bushings failed. Dealer failed to locate and fix the problem, then broke other parts of the car. Independent mechanic quickly (and cheaply) replaced and lubricated the bushings.

Oil starts to leak from the cheaply made, poorly designed plug on the oil pump drive shaft. Cost $5 parts, $400 labor. Dealer causes a vacuum leak while fixing the oil leak. Dealer refused to repair until threatened with a lawsuit.

Trunk lock broke off of inside of the trunk.

Fuel pump begins to fail. Gas gauge "jittery" and grossly inaccurate; car refuses to start at times; sometimes stalls while driving; gas fumes increasingly evident when starting.

This has to be one of the worst mistakes of my life. After this car, and the Bonneville, I won't ever buy American again.

The engine is pathetically weak, made even more so by the automatic (no manual available, of course) transmission. It's very poorly designed, with the sluggishness (and fuel inefficiency) of a pushrod motor, and the high RPM for peak torque and HP of a DOHC motor.

The brakes are too small and soft to stop a ten-speed bicycle, let alone a car, let alone a big American boat. Pray that you never need to "panic-stop".

The turning radius is equivalently boat-like. Don't try any U- or 3-point- turns if there's even a hint of oncoming traffic. Even if you can complete the turn, you won't have enough power to safely accelerate away.

The underhood layout is baffling. The battery is located under the washer fluid reservoir, the latter of which must be removed to access the former. Expect to spend $20 for additional labor to change it. The rear three spark plugs are as good as inaccessible.

The interior couldn't be made more cheaply in a Third World Country. The plastic is thin and flimsy. The fasteners to hold down that plastic are themselves thin, flimsy plastic, and there are too few of them. If you dislike squeaks and rattles, and still buy this car, keep velcro, duct tape, epoxy, and some type of soundproofing foam handy.