1994 Oldsmobile Ciera: problems, recalls and reliability
4 recalls and 46 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is service brakes, hydraulic (24% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Sep 1995
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 46 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“I have firestone supreme radial tires on my 94 cutless sierra. About a month ago one went flat. I noticed tread separtion at the site of the flat but discounted it. Yesterday while driving on a smooth interstate my other front tire same brand had the entire tread separate. The tire remained inflated as I pulled off the road. My two rear tires are the same model and I am conserned about the safety of these tires. I had checked the pressure in all 4 tires less than a week ago and they were to manufatoror specs.”Owner report · Tires · Jan 2003
“4 passenger car replacement tires purchased from firestone on july 23, 1999 at 64,097 miles; tread completely peeled off of one of the tires on august 15, 2000 at 83,685 miles. (dot number: fr360 tiresize: 18575r14)”Owner report · Tires · Aug 2000
“Parked at a drive in pharmacy, put vehicle in reverse, and it lurched backward, hitting vehicle behind the consumer. Turned vehicle off and then restarted. Contacted dealer . Dealer found a vacuum leak on the upper intake near the throttle. They repaired vacuum leak. *ak”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Mar 2000
Show 7 more owner reports
“During rainy weather the serpentine drive belt gets wet and slip, slippage results in loss of power acceleration and makes car prone to rear collision, especially at high speeds, slippage also causes all accessories powered by the belt to lose power”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · May 1999
“Vehicle involved in a head-on accident at approximately 50 mph or less in which driver's air bag failed to deploy. Dealer/manufacturer notified, and had nothing positive to say. Seeking help from nhsta in this matter. *ak”Owner report · Air Bags · Jul 1998
“Vehicle in parking lot, started & shifted into reverse, w/foot on brakes (ABS); vehicle took off backwards, brakes did not stop vehicle. Hit another vehicle & it hit another vehicle. At dealer's now in eau claire. *ak”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · May 1997
“Gear shift from park to drive, car went airborne, applied brakes, car went into a spin, engine roaring, accelerator kept going faster, resulting in a totalled lost, cause undetected.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Nov 1996
“When vehicle exceeds 65mph, the front end vibrates, causing the front tires to wear excessively. Contacted several dealerships, and cannot find the cause of the problem. *ak the consumer can also feel the shake in the steering wheel. Consumer says if she drives over 68 mph, the shaking seems to improve somewhat. This situation has worn out the tires on this vehicle and has had a numerous amount of alignments, balancing of tires-forced alignment. Consumer has purchased four new tires, the vehicle shakes when you slow down to a stop or when one drives about 20 mph, the entire frame shakes. *scc”Owner report · Suspension · Oct 1995
“Rear stop light failed to function on three separate occasions, no indication of failure, no warning to oncoming traffic, could cause accident. *ak *slc”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Sep 1995
“Buildup on the windshield coming from dashboard material, resulting in poor visibility. Tt consumer was told by oldsmobile that buildup was caused by plastic in vehicle and that it would stop some time, but would not say when. *slc”Owner report · Structure · Dec 1994
When filing, owners marked a crash in 6 of these complaints and injuries in 8 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 4 campaigns
THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH REAR OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGES THAT MAY NOT WITHSTAND THE REQUIRED LOAD. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO.210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES."
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING ANCHOR BOLTS WITH A NEW SHOULDER BOLT AND THREAD LOCKING ADHESIVE. ADDITIONALLY, NOISE CONTROL PATCHES WILL BE APPLIED AT EACH ANCHORAGE.
THE RIGHT HAND SPINDLE NUT WAS NOT PROPERLY TIGHTENED DURING ASSEMBLY. THIS CAN CAUSE PREMATURE WHEEL BEARING FAILURE AND OVER TIME, THE SPINDLE CAN FRACTURE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TORQUE ON THE RIGHT HAND FRONT SPINDLE NUT. IF THE SPINDLE NUT IS UNDERTORQUED THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE RIGHT HAND FRONT WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY AND THE SPINDLE NUT WILL BE REPLACED.
IN THE EVENT OF A PRIMARY ACCELERATOR CONTROL SPRING FAILURE, THE SECONDARY (BACK-UP) ACCELERATOR CONTROL RETURN SPRING WILL NOT RETURN THE THROTTLE TO THE FULLY CLOSED POSITION, AS REQUIRED BY FMVSS NO. 124, "ACCELERATOR CONTROL SYSTEM."
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SECONDARY THROTTLE RETURN SPRING.
WATER INTRUSION CAN CAUSE A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE POWER DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE POWER DOOR LOCK RELAY AND ANY CORRODED TERMINALS. IN ADDITION, THE NEW RELAY WILL BE RELOCATED TO AN AREA WHERE WATER INTRUSION IS LESS LIKELY.
How other years compare
Check your exact Ciera by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1994 Oldsmobile Ciera reliable?
NHTSA has 46 owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns on record for the 1994 Oldsmobile Ciera. The most complained-about area is service brakes, hydraulic (24% of complaints).
Does the 1994 Oldsmobile Ciera have open recalls?
4 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning seat belts:front:anchorage. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.