Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1983 Cutlass Ciera.
The 1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera requires 3 quarts of 20W-20, 20W-40, or 20W-50 engine oil, a notably small capacity for its era. Owner complaints for this model year total 8, with Equipment as the top complaint area, and it has 2 recalls. This places the 1983 model year outside the 1991-1995 complaint history, where the lowest year (1992) recorded 161 complaints, indicating a significantly lower rate of reported issues.
Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 188.2 in |
| Overall width | 69.7 in |
| Overall height | 55.1 in |
| Wheelbase | 104.7 in |
| Curb weight | 2690 lb |
Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.
This engine holds 3 qt of 20W-20 / 20W-40 / 20W-50 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.
| Brake Fluid | DOT 3 |
| Engine Coolant | ETHYLENE GLYCOL |
| Engine Oil | 20W-20 · 20W-40 · 20W-50 · 15W-40 · 10W-30 · 10W-40 · 5W-30 |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 3 qt |
| Engine Oil | 20W-20 · 20W-40 · 20W-50 · 15W-40 · 10W-30 · 10W-40 · 5W-30 |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 4 qt |
| Engine Oil | 20W-20 · 20W-40 · 20W-50 · 15W-40 · 10W-30 · 10W-40 · 5W-30 |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 4 qt |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
The provided year-by-year federal record spans 1991 through 1995 and documents a late-generation trend of substantial activity, with annual complaints ranging from 161 to 266, recalls from four to eight, and TSBs climbing as high as 44. Against that backdrop, the 1983 model year registers only six total complaints across Equipment, Engine & Engine Cooling, Vehicle Speed Control, and Unknown or Other, plus two crash and two fire complaints, while the dataset supplies no recall or investigation figures for the target year. Because 1983 predates the earliest documented year in the federal arc, the data offers no contiguous before-or-after comparison for the target year itself, and it does not specify root causes for the 1983 complaints. The minimal complaint volume suggests low federal reporting visibility relative to the documented 1991–1995 period, though this reflects sparse data rather than confirmed mechanical incidence. Given its extremely limited complaint footprint and the lack of any recalls or investigations in the provided record, 1983 appears comparatively quiet in this dataset, making it a reasonable candidate on paper if a buyer accepts that the sparse history leaves much undocumented.
All 8 complaints on record, top 6 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
THE MASTER CYLINDER REAR BRAKE PIPE, WHICH CARRIES BRAKE FLUID TO THE REAR BRAKES, MAY DEVELOP A LEAK DUE TO EXTENDED CHAFING ON THE AIR CLEANER RESONATOR BRACKET. Remedy: IF UPON INSPECTION THE DEALER FINDS THAT THERE IS INADEQUATE CLEARANCE, THE PIPE WILL BE REFORMED TO OBTAIN THE NECESSARY THREE QUARTER INCH SPACE. ONLY THOSE PIPES SHOWING SIGNS…
THE BRAKE PROPORTIONER VALVES MAY BREAK AND SEPARATE FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER. THIS WOULD ALLOW BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK AND WOULD RESULT IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. Remedy: THE DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE ALL SUSPECT VALVES.
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
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Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
3 qt of ABOVE 40 degrees F: 30, ABOVE 20 degrees F: 20W-20, 20W-40, 20W-50, ABOVE 10 degrees F: 15W-40, ABOVE 0 degrees F: 10W-30 OR 10W-40, BELOW 60 degrees F: 5W-30, per the factory manual.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.