Faults:

Front and rear struts replaced at 295,000 miles.

Electronic dash will not dim.

Lower ball joints replaced shortly after my purchase of the car.

Trunk lock froze so I removed it.

Original transmission slips occasionally.

Bad power steering leak in last 1,000 miles.

Water pump replaced at 315,000.

Crankshaft sensor replaced.

Rubber bushings for ends of rear transverse spring cracked and fell off causing the spring to wear and snap.

Oil pressure is unstable in last 500 miles.

Frame rusted badly near rear trailing arm causing them to separate.

General Comments:

I bought my 1990 Cutlass Supreme after it had been totaled out by insurance in a deer accident and I do not regret the $500 investment.

This car has never left me stranded and I hate to retire it. The 3.1 V-6 is original and does not burn oil, still has power and life to it as well. I have invested minimal into this car besides normal maintenance and the only thing stopping me from driving it today is the rust damage in the rear. This car is tough as nails, reliable, yet comfortable. I highly recommend it to anyone.

3 days before I write this I have purchased another Olds Cutlass Supreme which I have fallen in love with already. I will undercoat it to prevent the rust that stopped my last Cutlass.

Faults:

Transmission sticks in overdrive. Had to cut the wire to the solenoid then slam the hood to make it go out of drive. Paint is going bad, but hey, it is a 14 yr old car. AC system lost charge, but I put two cans of Enviro-air r12 replacement in it, it works fine now. Dash cracked up bad from the heat, REALLY hard to find a good used one. Car sat for 1.5 years, and after 5k miles I now have a lifter tap or a piston pin tap.

General Comments:

It costs me $1,300, then I spent about $200.00 more to get a few minor things fixed.

The quad 4 runs great, I get 26-27 mpg.

Nice smooth ride.

Faults:

First off, I bought the car at 105,000 miles and only paid $3500 for it, so I wasn't expecting a lot.

The alternator went out the day after I bought it. Changed it myself in about 30 minutes. I think the alternator cost about $150.

Nothing else had gone wrong (other than NORMAL maintenance like brake pads) until 170,000 miles. At that point my AC compressor went out. That was pretty expensive (~$800).

At 175,000, my belts started squealing every time I turned the AC on. I changed the tensioner myself in about 10 minutes. I think it only cost about $20-30.

Other than those things my dash lights flicker a lot and the odometor light doesn't work all the time... not a big enough deal for me to want to fix it.

General Comments:

If you pay attention, all the bad reviews are on the 3.4L and the good reviews are on the 3.1L. The 3.4L, while being very fast, is a mainenance hog from what I have seen. The 3.1L is the most reliable engine I have ever owned. I can't believe how much more reliable this car has been than any other car I've ever had, including a 1967 Chevy Malibu, 1967 C10 pickup, 1979 Buick Century, 1987 Honda Civic, 1991 Chrysler La Barron, 1996 Mazda 626, and a 1996 Eagle Talon. None of these cars have even come close to the reliability of my Oldsmobile. I put more money in one year of my Mazda than I have in all the time I've owned this car.

As far as engine power goes, the 3.1L has enormous low end torque, but is lacking in upper end power. It will smoke the tires from a launch, but peters out a little once you get past about 30mph. All in all, pretty strong though.

It is also a pretty smooth ride, but the suspension is a little gushy. Don't try to take sharp corners too quickly with this car.