1996 Oldsmobile LSS 3.8L V6 from North America
Summary:
A very nice, luxurious, fast family car!
Faults:
EGR valve failed.
Upper intake manifold seal failed.
Traction control and anti-lock brakes failed constantly, even after replacing them twice; I eventually gave up.
Wheel bearings failed twice on 2 wheels; one rear and one front.
Gas gauge failed, causing me to run out of gas and burn out the fuel pump.
Thermostat failed.
Heater core failed.
Heater fans and temp control system failed.
Air conditioning clutch failed and made noises.
Elbow joint in the coolant system leaked.
Wire corrosion to the fuel pump.
Tape deck ate the tape, and the tape never came out.
Fog light failed.
General Comments:
Like a Caprice Classic on steroids, with far better gas mileage.
The car was very smooth, fast (a sleeper), great handling, and is very comfortable to drive with plenty of room inside!
The 3800 series 2 engine is powerful and smooth! The engine by itself is very reliable, but many things attached to the engine are not very reliable.
Excellent gas mileage for the size of the car! I generally got between 31-35 mpg highway going 65mph. City was around 23 MPG. Not bad for a big car, and 230ftlbs. of torque at only 3500 RPM.
Well out-performs and is sportier than an Alero, which I now own.
The steering wheel radio controls were great!
The windows rolled up really fast, which was nice (just watch your kid's fingers. Oops!)
The transmission was a little rough going into 4th gear overdrive, but every GM I've ever driven has had that issue eventually. I didn't like that it shifted into fourth around 45mph; it could never make up its mind over which gear to stay in.
An extremely reliable car up to about 111,000 miles or so, and then it seemed to constantly need work done on it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 8th January, 2011