1989 Oldsmobile Ciera problems & reliability
31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Oldsmobile Ciera. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 8 | 26% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 19% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 16% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 6% |
| Structure | 2 | 6% |
| Tires | 2 | 6% |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 3% |
| Power Train | 1 | 3% |
| Seats | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 11 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While traveling at 50 mph during high winds, consumer stated that the landau roof had blown off, manufactuer notified. *tt”
Structure · filed Feb 14, 2002
“Brakes lock when wet, even after new brakes and master cyclinder installed , doing it since the car was new and bought by my mother with 3 miles on it. One brake or another will lock after a rain storm. After continual pumping they will dry and stop locking till they get wet again. Have had all new parts put on over…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed May 25, 2001
“Cruise control comes on by itself, even when turned completely off, during humid or damp driving conditions.”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Mar 1, 1998
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SUB-FRAME ABSORBER FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE94048 · opened Jun 21, 1994 · closed Dec 30, 1994
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1989 Oldsmobile Ciera in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1989 Oldsmobile Ciera?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.