Equal-exposure complaint evidence and changes in the reported problem mix
1997 vs 1998 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS
NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21
Share shifts show how a vehicle's problem mix changed. They do not measure reliability, and complaint counts are not normalized for sales volume.
First 347 months on market for each model year
Exposure window calculated through Aug 22, 2026
Age-matched reports
▲ 54.2% more reports in the equal exposure window
NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21
Component share shift
Bars start at the neutral midpoint. Left means a smaller share; right means a larger share.
View component share data as a table
| Component | 1997 share | 1998 share | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | 19.8% | 7.4% | ▼ 12.4 pts smaller share |
| ENGINE | 10.4% | 18.9% | ▲ 8.5 pts larger share |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 13.5% | 8.1% | ▼ 5.4 pts smaller share |
| SUSPENSION | 4.2% | 9.5% | ▲ 5.3 pts larger share |
| POWER TRAIN | 5.2% | 1.4% | ▼ 3.9 pts smaller share |
| STRUCTURE | 1.0% | 4.1% | ▲ 3.0 pts larger share |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1.0% | 4.1% | ▲ 3.0 pts larger share |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 20.8% | 23.7% | ▲ 2.8 pts larger share |
| SEAT BELTS | 1.0% | 3.4% | ▲ 2.3 pts larger share |
| TIRES | 2.1% | not reported | ▼ 2.1 pts smaller share |
| WHEELS | 3.1% | 1.4% | ▼ 1.8 pts smaller share |
| VISIBILITY | 4.2% | 5.4% | ▲ 1.2 pts larger share |
| AIR BAGS | 5.2% | 6.1% | ▲ 0.9 pts larger share |
| FUEL SYSTEM | 4.2% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.8 pts smaller share |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1.0% | 0.7% | ▼ 0.4 pts smaller share |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 70.8% | 79.7% | ▲ 8.9 pts larger share |
NHTSA Safety Recalls recalls · snapshot 2026-08-22
Recall campaigns
Campaign components: FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER, STEERING, and VISIBILITY
Campaign components: FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER, STEERING, and VISIBILITY
NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety signals
- ◆ Fires
- 1 → 0
- ◆ Injuries
- 6 → 4