1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass problems & reliability
23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 13% |
| Power Train | 3 | 13% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 13% |
| Steering | 3 | 13% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 9% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 9% |
| Structure | 2 | 9% |
| Tires | 2 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 4% |
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
“While driving 28 mph, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent shop and the technician replaced the fuel pump. *jb”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Aug 19, 2004
“Consumer states that her daughter had a vehicle that had a problem with the engine bolt, which could hurt her. There was a recall on the rear engine cradle bolt in 1997. This was corrected with the recall by the previous owner. The bolt disconnected from the engine at least 3 times since consumer's daughter had the…”
Structure · filed Jul 12, 2004
“Consumer kept hearing noise from the tire, the mechanic found that the tire was splitting in the middle which caused it to go flat (sumitomo 205x75x14-9ss). Nlm”
Tires · filed Feb 27, 2001
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- PARKING BRAKE CABLE
Preliminary Evaluation PE89145 · opened Jul 21, 1989 · closed Sep 22, 1989
- JAMMED STEERING MECHANISM
Preliminary Evaluation PE89104 · opened Mar 17, 1989 · closed May 12, 1989
- THROTTLE NON-RETURN
Compliance Investigation C89001 · opened Mar 6, 1989 · closed Jan 16, 1990
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass 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 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass?
- · 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.