1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass GLS review from North America
"A Recall that never happened"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
This car is the poster child for why GM failed, I have a 99 GLS. The owners are now paying for it with dismal trade in and retail values. My car is mint, but the best offer I got was from a dealer who offered me $3600 for trade in, I jumped. He's my experience:
-The fan not working at 1-2 settings is a problem almost every owner has, and GM has done NOTHING.
-The coolant leaks in almost every car. Mine started leaking at around 30k miles.
-The Oil is burning, as the car, no matter how well your coolant is maintained burns HOT.
-The brakes shook at about 12000 miles, and I rotors cut and new ones put in, 10k miles later, same thing.
-The engine light! Oh My God, does this just go on and off at will? Its almost as possessed as the AC light.
-AC leaks, its happened twice already, $200 to test and $400 to fix.
-The window on the drivers side sometimes just stops working. This is especially good news when you have no AC (See above) and its 90+ degrees out.
-I will say this, the stereo works great, its good to have blasting in order to drown out he humming sound from the Transmission.
-And yes that battery/alternator light when it rains. I can't figure this one out.
General comments?
They not only killed Oldsmobile, which ONCE was a good car company, but they added insult to injury by manufacturing these lemons, forever tainting the legacy of Oldsmobile.
Recommended reviews
![]() ![]() | Avoid this car |
![]() ![]() | It's a pretty driveway ornament |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 6 cylinder Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7/10 |
| Reliability marks | 5/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 3 miles |
| Most recent distance | 41000 miles |
| Previous car | Subaru Wagon |
| Date of Entry | 26th July, 2004 |

