1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme problems & reliability
38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Structure → | 12 | 32% |
| Electrical System | 8 | 21% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 18% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 8% |
| Power Train | 3 | 8% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 5% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 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%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I have a 1990 oldsmoble cutlass supreme. A recall #00065 for gm was done on my car and only the front cradle bolts and retainers were done. But upon reviewing nhtsa's recall #00v189000 the front and rear should have been done. Since the refusal from gm the rear bolts have come down and my engine is leaning back. I…”
Structure · filed Oct 26, 2005
“Engine fell out of vehicle. Mr (note: exec sec controlled a correspondence regarding mr. Grant's vehicle - see odi reference no. 10012283, ccmmercury no. Es03-001972). The replaced the front frame /cradle bolts under recall, however on dec 12, 2002 the rear frame/ cradle bolts and retainer separated. *jb”
Structure · filed Dec 28, 2004
“Consumer noticed that fire was coming from the side of the trunk. Fire department was notified, and it was determined that the antenna wires caused the fire.*ak”
Electrical System · filed Dec 7, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STRUCTURE
Investigation RP01001 · opened Nov 28, 2001 · closed Jun 13, 2002 · led to recall 00V189000
- STICKING THROTTLE
Engineering Analysis EA92024 · opened Jun 26, 1992 · closed Jan 31, 1994
- JACK FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA91049 · opened Nov 26, 1991 · closed Oct 28, 1992
- JACK FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE91107 · opened Aug 1, 1991 · closed Nov 26, 1991
- STEERING WHEEL SEPARATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE91072 · opened May 1, 1991 · closed Jul 8, 1991
Technical service bulletins
2 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme.
Customers may complain of grinding / scraping / groaning noise from rear suspension. *tt
990309004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 1999
Some v6 engines may, on a very infrequent basis, have an oil odor condition that is generally encountered after the engine's oil has been changed.typically the odor lasts approximately 1000 miles after the change of oil…
876002A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 1998
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme?
- · 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.