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1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1994 Cutlass Supreme.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme is a passenger car requiring 4 quarts of 5W-30 API-rated motor oil for maintenance, and this model year represents the peak of the nameplate's complaint history, with 252 owner complaints filed—primarily centered on service brake and hydraulic system issues—while the vehicle was subject to five safety recalls during its production run. When viewed across the 1990-1996 model span, the 1994 Cutlass Supreme stands as the most problem-prone iteration, whereas the following year saw complaints drop to just 90, suggesting meaningful improvement in build quality for subsequent production. This trajectory indicates that researchers examining long-term reliability trends should treat the 1994 model as an outlier rather than representative of the nameplate's typical performance.

Model year1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731175 alt 12737090
Engine air filter	19166106
Fuel filter	25121293 discontinued
Spark plug	19302728 alt 5614197
Front wiper blades	10093142
Serpentine belt	24505054 alt 88986821
Thermostat	24507563 alt 10130979

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	194.1 in
Overall width	70.9 in
Overall height	54.7 in
Wheelbase	107.5 in
Curb weight	3538 lb
Track (front / rear)	59.4 / 57.9 in

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4 qt
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4 qt
Power Steering Fluid	USE GM PART NO. 1052884 OR EQUIVALENT

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 7,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 mi	Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate) · Shift Linkage (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Steering System (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Timing Belt (inspect) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · EGR System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Line (inspect)
At 60,000 mi	Timing Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Federal data shows the 1994 Cutlass Supreme sits at the peak of this generation’s complaint activity, with 252 complaints—higher than 1990–1993 (161–240) and 1995–1996 (90–181)—while recalls held steady at five, matching 1993 but well below the eight seen in 1990 and 1991. Owner reports cluster around the hydraulic brake system (51 complaints), followed by visibility, vehicle speed control, and engine cooling (22, 22, and 21 respectively), with 21 crash-related and 2 fire-related complaints; the data does not specify root causes. Technical service bulletins also hit a generation high of 43 in 1994, tied only by 1996, suggesting dealers were addressing many non-recurring service issues. Meanwhile, investigations dropped to just one, lower than every prior year in the run, so the high complaint volume did not translate into expanded federal safety probes. That pattern—high owner complaints and TSBs but moderate recalls—implies a 1994 model with more reported reliability headaches than the surrounding years, particularly in brakes. Bottom line: it is not the strongest year to buy in this generation; a 1993 or 1995 example shows lower complaint volume and similar or fewer recalls, making them more appealing if you want a Cutlass Supreme of this era.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

252

Owner complaints

21 involved a crash · 2 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’93’94’95 ’96

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 252 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic51

Visibility22

Vehicle Speed Control22

Engine & Engine Cooling21

Electrical System20

Air Bags15

Structure13

Suspension11

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 43 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIC4696E	2019-11-22	Equipment	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
PIC4696D	2019-09-05	Equipment	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
PIC4696C	2018-05-31	Equipment	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
130089009	2013-09-01	Engine And Engine Cooling	Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
010601002A	2002-12-01	Engine And Engine Cooling	REVISED PISTON PIN REMOVAL / INSTALLATION PROCEDURE. *TT

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Cutlass Supreme. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Vehicles taking 4 qt Engine oil filter 12731175 Engine air filter 19166106 Fuel filter 25121293 Spark plug 19302728

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1994 Cutlass Supreme take?

4 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1994 Cutlass Supreme have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.