1995 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS SUPREME Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems

I REALIZE THAT AT THE TIME OF FILLING OUT THIS QUESTIONAIRRE THAT THIS MODEL IS NO LONGER BEING MADE BY GM BUT I DID SEE I STORY ABOUT THE OLDSMOBILE ALERO HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AND FELT COMPLELLED TO WRITE. WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES FOUR TIMES ON THIS CAR. WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN 1995 AND IT NOW HAS 61,000 MILES ON IT. THE FIRST TWO TIMES THAT THE BRAKES WERE DONE THEY WERE FIXED UNDER THE WARRANTY BUT WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEM OURSELVES THE PAST TWO TIMES. THE LAST TIME WAS A COMPLETE FOUR WHEEL REPLACEMENT WITH ROTORS AND PADS ALL THE WAY AROUND. WE WERE VERY DISPLEASED WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM AND THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE TO BE REPLACED SO OFTEN.*AK

BRAKES FAILED AND WERE FIXED.

WHILE UNDER WARRANTY BRAKES WOULD MAKING A GRINDING NOISE, AND IT WOULD STICK UNTIL PUMPING BRAKES. THEN, LOW TRACK AND ABS LIGHTS WOULD COME ON. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY COULDN'T FINE A PROBLEM TILL 1 MONTH AGO. DEALER STATED IT WAS ABS PROBLEM.*AK

SINCE PURCHASE OF NEW VEHICLE, ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND OCCASIONAL BRAKE FAILURE. DURING WARRANTY PERIOD, EACH VISIT TO DEALER FOR CHECK WAS UNFOUNDED (NO WRITTEN INDICATION OF CHECKUP ON RECEIPT, FROM MECHANIC OR DEALERSHIP), UPON END OF WARRANTY, THE MECHANIC KNEW THAT THE $800. ABS COMPONANT WAS MAKING KNOCKING NOISE AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. OCCASIONAL BRAKE FAILURE IS STILL HAPPENING. *AK

THE ABS LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED 50 PERCENT OF THE TIME. NLM

CONSUMER HAS TO ADD 2QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES. PROBLEM HAS BEEN SINCE VEHICLE HAD 10,000 MILES. CONSUMER WAS AT DEALERSHIP, AND WAS GIVEN A TSB (87-60-03) REGARDING LOWER INTAKE GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER WAS SAYING THAT CONSUMER HAD TO SPEND $600 TO REPAIR PROBLEM. OLDSMOBILE WILL BE CONTACTED TO EXPLAIN REASON OF LETTER, AND WHY CONSUMER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT. *AK IGNITION CYLINDER REPLACED DUE TO SECURITY LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED, VEHICLE NEEDED BRAKE SWITCH AND LEFT FRONT WHELL SPEED SENSOR. 2 HIGH MOUNT STOP LAMP BULBS BURNT OUT. *SLC

WHEN TRYING TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN OR LIGHT THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM FAILS TO RESPOND, AND VEHICLE ROLLS PART WAY THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. I CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME ON ANOTHER OCCASION. THE SYSTEM FROM TIME TO TIME FAILS TO GIVE IMMEDIATE SENSE OF STOPPING..

THE SENSOR IN THE LEFT REAR HUB ASSEMBLY FAILED CAUSING THE ABS LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. NLM

THIS CONCERNS THE ABS AND LOW TRACTION LIGHTS. THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON WHEN DRIVING IN WET CONDITIONS. IF I FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE MANUAL, WHICH SAYS TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND WAIT A FEW SECONDS THEN TURN BACK ON AGAIN TO RESET THE SYSTEM, THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. OCCASIONALY DURING THIS TIME, THE LOW TRACTION LIGHT COMES ON WHEN BREAKING ALSO DURING DRY CONDITIONS. BRAKE PEDAL BECOMES VERY CHOPPY WHILE APPLYING BRAKES, THEN A SUDDEN STOP. NOT SURE WHAT'S CAUSING THE PROBLEM, BUT THINK IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE ACCIDENT OCCURS.

REAR BRAKE SYSTEM OPERATED ERRATICALLY. BOTH CALIPERS RUSTED. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT REPAIRS WOULD BE AT CONSUMER'S COST. *AK *ML

FRONT AND REAR BRAKE ROTORS RUSTED AND BEGAN TO FLAKE AWAY WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, CAUSING UNSAFE BRAKING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. REPAIRS MADE AT OWNER'S COST. *AK *ML

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH AND HAD ENOUGH TIME TO STOP VEHICLE, BUT BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING NO BRAKING ABILITY AT ALL. WITHOUT ANY WARNING IT RESULED IN A CRASH IN WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS SPLIT IN HALF HORIZONTALLY. COMMON PROBLEM. *AK

THE BRAKE ROTORS "WARPED" ON TWO OCCASIONS CAUSING THE BRAKE PADS TO MALFUNCTION. THEY BOTH WHERE REPLACED 9-26-97 & 8-13-99.

THE BRAKE ROTORS "WARPED" ON TWO OCCASIONS CAUSING THE BRAKE PADS TO MALFUNCTION. THEY BOTH WHERE REPLACED 9-26-97 & 8-13-99.

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS ARE DEFECTIVE. OLDSMOBILE FAILED TO ENGINEER SUFFICIENT DURABILITY IN THE METAL ALLOYS TO PREVENT HEAT FROM WARPING THE ROTORS DURING NORMAL BRAKING. THIS HEAT WARPAGE OCCURRED TWICE, IN TWO YEARS, TO MY 1995 OLDSMOBILE. THE FIRST WARPAGE BECAME EVIDENT PRIOR TO MY 30,000 MILE SERVICE ON 9/26/97. THE FRONT BRAKE PADS HAD 50% OF THE PAD REMAINING AT THE 30,000 MILE SERVICE. WHEN BRAKING, THE BRAKE PEDAL AND STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHUDDER RESULTING IN POTENTIAL LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE CAR. GUY SCHMIDT'S SERVICE DIRECTOR, RICK BALASKO, TOLD ME THAT THE FRONT ROTORS MUST BE "MACHINED OR RESURFACED" BECAUSE THEY WERE WARPED OR OUT-OF-ROUND. RICK SAID THE FRONT BRAKE PADS ALSO SHOULD BE REPLACED BECAUSE THEY MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY THE WARPED ROTORS. BOTH FRONT PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED ON 9/26/97. THE IDENTICAL DEFECT RECURRED PRIOR TO THE 60,000 MILE SERVICE ON 8/13/99. WHEN BRAKING, THE PEDAL AND STEERING WHEEL SHUDDERED WITH A WASHBOARD EFFECT. BILL MOORE AND THE SERVICE MANAGER, BOB STEPHENS, SAID THE FRONT ROTORS WERE AGAIN "OUT-OF-ROUND" AND MUST BE MACHINED AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS 50% WEAR STILL REMAINING ON THE FRONT PADS. BOB SAID THE ROTORS CAN NORMALLY BE MACHINED ONLY 3 TIMES BEFORE REPLACING THEM. BOB SAID THE AVERAGE DRIVER GETS ONLY ABOUT 15,000 MILES ON THE FRONT PADS BEFORE REPLACEMENT IS REQUIRED. BOB SAID IT IS GUY SCHMIDT'S POLICY TO MACHINE THE ROTORS EVERY TIME THE BRAKE PADS ARE REPLACED. THEREFORE, THE AVERAGE DRIVER MUST PURCHASE NEW FRONT BRAKE ROTORS EVERY 60,000 MILES (4TH MACHINING DUE AT 60,000 MILES) AT A COST OF $300 TO $400. THIS IS INTOLERABLE FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF A PRIVATE AUTOMOBILE. THE BRAKE ROTORS OF THIS MODEL OLDSMOBILE ARE OBVIOUSLY TOO SOFT FOR THE METALIC SUBSTANCE IN THE BRAKE PADS. THE RESULT IS DANGEROUS OVERHEATING AND WARPING OF THE FRONT ROTORS DURING BRAKING.

THE REAR BRAKE CALIPERS MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING REDUCED BRAKING ABILITY WHICH MAY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK

ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAILED DUE TO A NUT THAT HAD LOOSENED THAT HOLDS A GEAR SYSTEM IN PLACE, THAT OPENS AND CLOSES A HYDRALIC VALVE SYSTEM WHICH ALLOWS THE ABS TO WORK.

HAD STARTED TO APPLY BRAKES AFTER DRIVING 40MPH, WHEN THE BRAKE ROTORS FROZE UP. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. BRAKES, PADS/7 ROTORS NEEDED REPLACING. HAD NAPPENED 3 OTHER TIMES. HAD BRAKE SYSTEM REBUILT EACH OF THOSE TIMES. *AK

THE GAS GAUGE READS INCORRECTLY. IN ADDITION, TRANSMISSION/TRANSAXLE/BRAKES/SEATBACKS/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM/IDLE SPEED CONTROL UNITAND HAZARD LIGHTS FAILED. *AK

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THERE WAS A RUBBING/BUMPING VIBRATION. DEALER SAYS ROTORS ARE PITTED. *AK

WAS COMING OFF A RAMP AT ABOUT 30 MPH WHEN A DEFECT IN ENGINE CAUSED LOSS OF POWER AND STEERING. CONSUMER WENT TO APPLY BRAKES, VEHICLE SPINNED AND HIT GUARDRAIL. *AK