1996 Oldsmobile Ciera review from North America
"For the practical driver"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Brakes shoes wear out about every 40,000 miles.
I had to replace an oxygen sensor once about 50,000.
Like most GM cars, the interior pieces started to squeak after about 60,000.
A little bit of rust resulted from a bubble under the paint on one rear fender after about 75,000 miles. It was about $350 to get it repaired at a dealership.
The worst expense I had was when I had to get the spark plugs replaced around 60,000. The engine has to be rocked off of the engine mounts to get to the three plugs underneath the motor. This is quite labor intensive for changing a plug.
General comments?
A great car for the money. It is comfortable and has enough power for just about any situation that might come up. It handles very nicely and has a smooth ride for the money. If you can get past the fact that the car is so plain looking, you will find the vehicle an excellent buy. When I wear out this one, I plan to find another one just like it.
Two engineers that I work with also have pretty much the same car. One is a 1994 model and the other is a 1991 model. Each has high miles on it (one over 200,000). Both say that the car is the best car as far as reliability that they have ever owned.
Recommended reviews
| 1996 - Ciera SL 3.1 Series Fuel Injected V6 An unworthy piece of garbage not worthy of GM's name |
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| The AK-47 of Cars |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.1 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 19000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 95000 miles |
| Previous car | Oldsmobile Ciera |
| Date of Entry | 23rd May, 2002 |