1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass problems & reliability
80 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 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.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 18 | 23% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 16 | 20% |
| Tires | 16 | 20% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 13 | 16% |
| Suspension | 11 | 14% |
| Air Bags | 5 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 5% |
| Power Train | 3 | 4% |
| Steering | 3 | 4% |
| Seats | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 64,190 miles (middle 50% between 48,750 and 87,675 miles), based on 30 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While driving my fiances oldsmobile, I noticed a bad shudder under light to moderate braking. Upon investigation, I found that the front left control arm had rusted so badly that it had cracked in several places. The structural integrity had been so badly compromised I am sure that had I needed to brake suddenly the…”
Suspension · filed Jul 10, 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 oldsmobile cutlass. The contact stated that while attempting to start the engine, the vehicle would not start and a burning odor was present inside the vehicle. The driver then noticed smoke emitting from the ignition switch. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed…”
Electrical System · filed Jul 1, 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 oldsmobile cutlass. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start and the anti-theft warning light was illuminated. The failure recurred numerous times. The dealer was notified and instructed the contact to bring the vehicle in for diagnosis. The manufacturer was notified but offered…”
Electrical System · filed Oct 26, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
94 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass. The 10 most recent:
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17-NA-073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 21, 2023
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2022
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 31, 2020
This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to Unlock Delco Radio with Theftlock.
19NA273 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 2, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2019
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17NA073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 18, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 5, 2019
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17NA073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 15, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco Theft Lock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2018
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2017
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
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1999 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 1999 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 64,190 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.