Research · complaint index

Oldsmobile Aurora years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say

We compared 7 model years of the Oldsmobile Aurora by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2001, 1997 stand out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.

01 —Complaint index

Complaints per year on the road

1.0 = typical year for this model
View as table
Model yearComplaints per year since release
19963
19974
19982
19991
20015
20021
20030
YearComplaintsPer year on roadIndexRecallsCrashesSignal
20031000.221Fewest complaints
20022710.521Typical
200112652.518Most complaints
19993710.723Typical
19985721.002Typical
199712642.110Most complaints
199610331.722Typical
  • 200310 complaints · 2 recallsFewest complaints
  • 200227 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
  • 2001126 complaints · 1 recallMost complaints
  • 199937 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
  • 199857 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
  • 1997126 complaints · 1 recallMost complaints
  • 1996103 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 10, 2026

Fewest complaints for their age: 2003.

02 —FAQ

About this comparison

What Oldsmobile Aurora years have the most complaints?

Adjusted for years on the road, 2001, 1997 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 7 model years compared.

Is this a reliability rating?

No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.