1991 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS Electrical System Problems

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 1991 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS SUPREME. I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 2 TIMES ALREADY BECAUSE IT WILL CUT OFF WILL DRIVING, PUTTING MYSELF AND OTHERS AT RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE CAR. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATING USING CONSUMER AUTOMOBILE REVIEW SITES ON THE WEB. I FIND THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR MODEL OR ONES VERY SIMILAR PRODUCED BY GM/OLDSMOBILE. KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 39,700 MILES ON IT. I HAVE A 2 YEAR WARRANTY, THAT HAS YET TO BE HONORED BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT. I AM SERIOUSLY WONDERING IF THERE IS SOME TYPE OF COVER UP OR INTENTIONAL IGNORING OF A COMMON MECHANICAL DEFECT WITH THIS AND SIMILAR VEHICLES. PLEASE HELP! THANK YOU. *JB

Mileage: 39,600

WHEN USING AIR CONDITIONING, ALTERNATOR GOES OUT AND KILLS THE BATTERY. HAD 4 ALTERNATORS AND BATTERIES REPLACED. TOOK TO DEALER WHO INDICATED ENGINE WAS TOO BIG FOR ALTERNATOR ALSO CAUSING ENGINE TO STALL, ENGINE COOLING FAN REPLACED, POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE FAILED AND REPLACED, REARVIEW MIRROR FELL OFF, CEILING FABRIC COMING UNGLUED AND DASHBOARD VENT COVER COMING OFF. *AK *TT

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE JUST STOPPED, AND ALL POWER WAS LOST. AS SOON AS VEHICLE WAS TAKEN OUT OF DRIVE AND PUT INTO PARK, IT WOULD START AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE JUNE OF THIS YEAR. DEALERSHIP WAS NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS CAUISNG THIS PROBLEM. *AK CLEANING THE FUEL SYSTEM AND REPLACING SPARK PLUGS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM.. *YH

ELECTRONIC DASHBOARD FLICKERS OFF FOR MINUTES AT A TIME. THIS AFFECTS THE DISPLAY OF THE SPEEDOMETER, GAS GAUGE AND MILEAGE. SMOKE COME OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN 2 YEARS AGO, AND I HAD THE SIGNALS AND HIGH BEAM SWITCH REPAIRED ALREADY.

OUR OLDS CUTLAS SUPREME HAS A DIGITAL ELECTRONIC DASH. THIS ENTIRE AREA HAS A CONSTANT PROBLEM WITH GOING ON AND OFF WHEN IT IS OFF IT CAUSES AN UNSAFE AND UNDESIREABLE PROBLEM OF NOT KNOWING IF THERE IS ANY MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE ENGINE,COOLING SYSTEM,AMOUNT OF FUEL THAT IS LEFT AND MOST IMPORTANT THE SPEED THAT YOU ARE TRAVELING.ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE EACH BY THEM SELVES A DANGER TO THE DRIVER AND ANYONE FOLLOWING OR ARROUND THE EFFECTIVE VEHICLE. *AK

A POSSIBLE SHORTAGE IN THE MAIN COMPUTER MAY BE CAUSING VEHCILE TO STALL. *YC

ANYTIME THE BATTERY IS DISCONNECTED, IT WIPES OUT THE COMPUTER MEMORY, CAUSING STALLING, ERADIC SHIFTING, ENGINE FAILURE, AND LOSS OF CONTROL. THIS IS NOT NOTICED UNTIL CAR IS DRIVEN, AND DIDN'T APPEAR UNTILL TRAVELING AT 45 MPH. DEALER SAID THIS IS PART OF HE VEHICLE DESIGN AND IT WILL COST $60.00 TO REPROGRAM THE COMPUTER ANY TIME THAT THE BATTERY IS DISCONNECTED OR FAILS. THIS PROBLEM CAN BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IF THE CAR FAILS AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED CAUSING VERY STIFF STEERING AND BRAKING.

THIS IS THE SECOND ELECTRICAL FIRE I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THIS VEHICLE THIS YEAR. THE FIRST WAS THE CENTER CONSOLE, MELTING DOWN (WHICH HAS BEEN REPORTED TO YOU ,AND THE DEALER HAS BEEN MADE AWARE. TODAY, AS I WAS SITTING IN THE VEHICLE, COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF CHOKING ACRID SMOKE BILLOWED FROM UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT. WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE UPHOLSTERY SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR THE DRIVERS SEAT HAS BEEN BREAKING DOWN UNTIENG THE WIRE HARNESS WHICH SHORTED OUT THE POWER SEAT MOTOR, CATCHING THE DRIVERS SEAT ON FIRE. THANK GOD THERE WAS A FIRE EXTINGUISHER NEARBY AND A FRESH BATTERY IN MY CELLULAR PHONE TO CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH , AND I WAS NOT TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AT THE TIME. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION, AND THE OWNERS OF THESE CARS MUST BE NOTIFIED BEFORE SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENS.

VEHICLE HAS HAD LONG HISTORY OF UNRESOLVED ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS, WHICH EVENTUALLY LED TO ELECTRICAL FIRE.

CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. WHILE DRIVING NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM HOOD. THE MANUFACTURER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. *AK

ALTERNATOR AND ALTERNATOR BELT HAVE HAD PROBLEMS ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE ALTERNATOR AND ALTERNATOR BELT WERE REPLACED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE, DEALER IS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WIRING HARNESS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE DUE TO ABRASION ON A SHARP EDGE OF SHEET METAL.

THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WIRING HARNESS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE DUE TO ABRASION ON A SHARP EDGE OF SHEET METAL.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WIRING HARNESS CAUGHT ON FIRE WHICH CAUSED INJURIES. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK

THE IDLE SPEED WOULD RUN AWAY MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. FROM A COMPLETE STOP, THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE TO 40 MPH AND MAINTAIN THAT SPEED WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR BEING TOUCHED. THE ECM WAS REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT REOCCURRED.

VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES WHEN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAS YET TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. *AK

DRIVING VEHICLE, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN, PULLED VEHICLE OVER, WAITED, STARTED VEHICLE AND STARTED SMOKING AGAIN, HAD IT TOWED. *AK

COMPUTER COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM FAILED.

STARTER FAILED.

WHILE DRIVING, AT APPROX. 10-12MPH, IN ICE & SNOW, MAKING LEFT TURN, ENGINE STALLED, ALLOWING TO BE HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. TT

BARE WIRES STICKING OUT UNDER DRIVER'S SEAT. *AK

DISTRIBUTOR MODULE COMPUTER CHIP REPLACED.

ALTERNATOR FAILED/REPLACED. *AW

WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED OF 15 MPH, EXPERIENCED UNDER THE HOOD FIRE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. TT

ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS,HAD FIXED, SAME PROBLEMS REOCCURED, CAR CAUGHT FIRE. TT