1996 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS Electrical System Problems

HI, I FILED MY COMPLAINT WITH YOU ON THE PHONE IN JANUARY. ANYWAY, I TRIED TO START MY CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START, MY SECURITY LIGHT STAYED ON AND I HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO BERGER CHEVROLET AT 2525 28TH STREET S.E. GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49512 (616)949-5200. I TALKED TO THE SERVICE ADVISOR 4102. MY VEHICLE WAS WITH BERGER CHEVY FROM JANUARY 02 TO JANUARY 05,2015. MY INVOICE STATES MY IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER AND TWO KEYS WERE REPLACED. I WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR $723.56. PLEASE HELP

Mileage: 145,925

COULD NOT TURN IGNITION SWITCH OFF. NEEDED TO DISCONNECT THE CABLE TO THE POWER COIL TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE. AFTER SEVERAL SIMILAR INCIDENTS, HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH AT A COST OF $147.15. GM HAS A RECALL FOR A SIMILAR PROBLEM ON SEVERAL LATER MODEL CARS. REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT OF MY COSTS. *TR

Mileage: 166,000

CADILLAC & 1996 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS CIERA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BOTH VEHICLE SUDDEN ACCELERATION ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED OFTEN, THE ENGINE WOULD SPEED UP RANDOMLY WHILE IDLING OR IN PARK, AS THOUGH HE WERE TRAVELING 50 MPH. SEVERAL TIMES, THE VEHICLE WOULD ABRUPTLY SHUT DOWN. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE SMELL OF SMOKE COULD BE DETECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES THE SMOKE WENT AWAY AND THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. A FEW MOMENTS LATER THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. SMOKE FILLED THE VEHICLE, THE DOORS WOULD NOT UNLOCK, AND THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT ROLL DOWN. THE OCCUPANT CLIMBED TO THE BACK SEAT AND TRIED TO KICK THE WINDOWS OUT. SOMEONE SAW THE VEHICLE ON FIRE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED, THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED, UPDATED 05/30/06. *AK

Mileage: 194,000

LTR FM (FL) RE DEFECTIVE 1996 OLDSMOBILE CIERA. *TS THE ENGINE OVERHEATED, THE BATTERY HAD A LOW CHARGE AND THE VEHICLE WAS LOW ON FUEL AND OIL. THE OXYGEN SENSOR WAS REPLACED WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE INDICATOR FOR THE FUEL NEVER GAVE AN ACTUAL READING OF THE FUEL IN THE TANK, IT FLUCTUATED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND IT WAS HARD TO TELL HOW MUCH FUEL WAS ACTUALLY IN THE TANK. THE CONSUMER HAD A WATER PUMP INSTALLED. *JB

LTR FM CONSUMER (FL) RE DEFECTIVE 1996 OLDSMOBILE CIERA. *TS SIX MONTHS AFTER VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED THE CONSUMER NOTICE THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD FLASH ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE OXYGEN SENSOR. THE VEHICLE RAN FINE FOR A WHILE THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE DEALER REPLACED ANOTHER SENSOR. EVENTUALLY THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE OVERHEATED WHICH RESULTED IN ENGINE DAMAGE. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED UNDER 100,000 MILES . THE FUEL GAUGE NEVER GAVE THE ACTUAL FUEL TANK READING. THE FUEL NEEDLE WOULD FLUCTUATE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN AT VARIOUS SPEED. MANY BATTERIES HAVE BEEN REPLACED IN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY FAIL UNEXPECTEDLY. THE BATTERY INDICATOR NEVER ILLUMINATED INDICATING THERE WAS A PROBLEM. *NM

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER SMELLED AND THEN SAW SMOKE COMING FROM AROUND THE STEERING WHEEL. CONSUMER DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO BE SERVICED, BUT SINCE IT DID NOT HAPPEN AGAIN SHE LEFT IT ALONE.*AK

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, A FIRE HAS STARTED FROM UNDER THE DASH. LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. NLM

CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE WIRING HARNESS WHEN DRIVING MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO ROLL DOWN THE POWER WINDOWS. DEALER NOTIFIED.

VEHICLE BROUGHT INTO DEALER TO PERFORM RECALL CAMPAIGN 99021 SPARK PLUG WIRE FAILURE. HOWEVER, RECALL REPAIRS WERE NOT PERFORMED DUE TO LACK OF PARTS. CONSUMER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. *TT

WE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM SHORT SHOPPING TRIP, PARKED IN DRIVEWAY, AND NOT MORE THAN 10 MINUTES LATER WE NOTICED THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS, PLUS DAMAGE WAS ALSO DONE TO OUR CARPORT AND THE BACKSIDE OF OUR OTHER CAR. THE FIREMEN, POLICE, AND INSURANCE COMPANY FELT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS MOST LIKELY AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, BUT THE DAMAGE WAS TOO SEVERE TO CONFIRM.*AK

I PURCHASED THE CAR AT CONGRESSIONAL OLDSMOBILE, THEY COULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AFTER 2 VISITS IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY, 2000. I TOOK THE CAR TO CONGRESSIONAL 2 TIMES, WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM FIRST. ON FEBRUARY I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH POHANKA DEALER, 4601 ST. BARNABAS ROAD, MARLOW HEIGHTS, MD 20748. THEY PUT A DOOR ASSEMBLY IN MY CAR. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THIS DEALER 7 TIMES AND IT HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED PROPERLY YET. I HAVE CALL JIMMY HICKS TWICE, HE DOES NOT EVEN RETURN CALLS. THEY USUALLY KEEP MY FROM 1 TO 4 DAYS AND I GET IT BACK AND IT DOES THE SAME AS IT DID, WHEN I BROUGHT IN THE VERY 1ST TIME. THEY PUT PARTS IN THAT DON'T WORK LIKE A MODULE, DOOR HANDLE, TAKE THE DOOR ASSEMBLY OUT AND PUT IT BACK IN. MY DOOR GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I COULD NOT OPEN IT FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE AFTER THE PUT THE DOOR ASSEMBLY IN. MY PROBLEM IS THE INTERIOR LIGHTS COME AT WILL, WHICH INCLUDES THE DOME LIGHT AND LIGHTS UNDER THE DASHBOARD. IF YOU GO OVER A BUMP THEY FLICKER ON AND OFF. I HAVE TO KEEP THE DOME BULB OUT OF THE CEILING AT ALL TIMES, OTHERWISE THE BATTERY WILL RUN DOWN. THE DOME LIGHT IT OUT AS I WRITE THIS COMMENT AND HAS BEEN OUT FOR OVE A MONTH. THERE IS NO DIALOGUE WITH JIMMY HICKS, THE SERVICE MANAGER AT POHANKA. HE SIMPLE WILL NOT RETURN PHONE CALLS. I CALL 3 TIMES IN ONE WEEK, HE DID NOT CALL BACK. I HAVE CALLED GM 6 TIMES AND I VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH ENTIRE SITUATION. NO CUSTOMER SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGHT WHAT I HAVE BEEN THROUGH TO GET A CAR REPAIRED PROPERLY. AND TO BE IGNORE IS REALLY POOR TASTE FOR A CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. *AK

WHEN DRIVING AT 30 TO 40 MPH CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, PULLED OVER, AND THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE UNDER THE DASH AERA OF THE VEHICLE. CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS DETERMINED AS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK

VEHICLES STALLS WITH NO STEERING OR BRAKE FUNCTIONS. THEN AFTER A 10 MINUTE PERIOD VEHICLE WILL RESTART. DEALER HAS REPLACED COMPUTERS AND OTHER COMPONETS TO NO AVAIL. *AK

WHEN IT RAINS AND THE DRIVER TRIES TO MAKE A TURN THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *AK