IllustrationAFTER ENGAGING DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE, POPS RIGHT OUT; USE FRONT MIDDLE BELT; PASSENGER SHOULDER RESTRAINT DOESN'T FUNCTION AT ALL,AS THOUGH NOTHING IS THERE
1986 Oldsmobile 88
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 88 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 0 of 19 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
1 reportsOfficial recalls
186V122000 · Suspension:rear
Aug 28, 1986
THE LEFT AND RIGHT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT STUD TO KNUCKLE ATTACHMENT MAY HAVE BEEN INADEQUATELY TIGHTENED. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: THIS COULD ALLOW THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT STUD TO LOOSEN AT THE KNUCKLE ATTACHMENT. A LOOSE BALL JOINT STUD COULD EVENTUALLY BREAK AND SEPARATE FROM THE KNUCKLE. SEPARATION COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL WHICH COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Not supplied
Remedy: REPLACE AND TIGHTEN BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT STUD NUTS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
8EA90017 · Brake Failure
Opened Mar 26, 1990 · Closed Apr 22, 1991
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available
PE89171 · Brake Failure
Opened Sep 26, 1989 · Closed Mar 26, 1990
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
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EA89028 · Rear Brake Pin
Opened Jul 28, 1989 · Closed Jul 27, 1990
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
SUMMARY:THESE VEHICLES HAVE REAR DRUM BRAKES.THE PARKING LEVER PIVOTPIN IS HELD BY AN E RING.WHEN THE RING FAILS, PARTS OF THE RING ANDPIN FALL LOOSE INTO THE DRUM AND MAY JAM THE BRAKE, LOCKING THE WHEEL.A STRONGER E RING IS USED IN 1988 AND NEWER CARS.THIS INVESTIGATIONHAS BEEN EXPANDED TO INCLUDE GMS C BODY CARS LISTED ABOVE (E RING COMMONTO ALL CARS SHOWN).===
PE89101 · Rear Brake Pin
Opened Mar 15, 1989 · Closed Jul 28, 1989
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
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PE89098 · Anti Lock Brakes
Opened Mar 10, 1989 · Closed May 17, 1989
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
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C89001 · Throttle NON-RETURN
Opened Mar 6, 1989 · Closed Jan 16, 1990
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available
EA87022 · Stalling
Opened Aug 27, 1987 · Closed Nov 27, 1991
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
SUMMARY:THE COMPLAINTS ALLEGE THAT STALLING IS DUE TO VARIOUS FAULTYCOMPONENTS OF THE FUEL INJECTION AND/OR IGNITION SYSTEM. THE FOLLOWINGMODELS ARE INVOLVED:BUICK ELECTRA, LESABRE, RIVERA, CENTURY; OLDS CUTLASSCIERA, 88, 98, TORONADO; PONTIAC BONNEVILLE.STATUS:THIS INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.WE ARE CONTINUING TO ANALYZEINFORMATION PROVIDED BY GM AND ARE PREPARING AN ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONREQUEST TO GM TO CLARIFY CERTAIN TECHNICAL ITEMS.===
PE87041 · Throttle System Failure
Opened Aug 4, 1987 · Closed Nov 30, 1987
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:GM REPORTED KNOWLEDGE OF 137OWNER COMPLAINTS, 317 FIELD REPORTS, AND 2 LAWSUITS, IN ADDITION TO THEREPORTS RECEIVED DIRECTLY BY THE NHTSA.THE REPORTS RECEIVED BY GM CITETHE OCCURRENCE OF 263 ACCIDENTS,INCLUDING 77 INJURY ACCIDENTS, 100 INJURIESAND 1 FATALITY.SEVERAL POSSIBLE MODES OF THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE OR MALFUNCTIONARE UNDER CONSIDERATION IN THIS PE, INCLUDING SELF-ACTUATION, FAILURE TODEACTIVATE UPON DRIVER COMMAND, AND THROTTLE SYSTEM STICKING OR BINDING.HAVING EVALUATED THE 456REPORTS RECEIVED DIRECTLY AND THE 36 CONSUMERCOMPLAINTS SUBMITTED BY NHTSA, GM INDICATED THAT NO MEANINGFUL FREQUENCYOR MODE OF MALFUNCTION COULD BE IDENTIFIED TO SUGGEST THE EXISTENCE OF ADEFECT WHICH RELATES TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY.SEVERAL DESIGN/MANUFACTURING CHANGES WERE IDENTIFIED AS RELEVANT TO THESUBJECT OF THIS PE; HOWEVER, NO SERVICE BULLETINS OR RECALL NOTIFICATIONSHAVE BEEN ISSUED ON THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM PROBLEMS.ANALYSIS:DURING GM'S COMPILATION AND EVALUATION OF INFORMATION REQUIREDTO RESPOND TO THE NHTSA'S REQUEST, INDICATIONS WERE GIVEN TO ODI THAT THENUMBER OF CONSUMER AND OTHER REPORTS CLEARLY SUGGESTED THE EXISTENCE OF ASAFETY PROBLEM AND THAT CORRECTIVE ACTION BY THE MANUFACTURER WERE INORDER.GM'S FORMAL LETTER RESPONSE, HOWEVER, RETREATED FROM THIS POSITION.NOTWITHSTANDING THE INCOMPLETE ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION SUBMITTED TO THENHTSA, THE NUMBERS OF OWNER AND FIELD REPORTS, TOGETHER WITH CLEAR DATATO SHOW THAT THROTTLE SYSTEM FAILURES HAVE RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT NUMBERSOF ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES, INDICATE THAT A MORE RIGOROUS EVALUATION OF THISMATTER IS IN ORDER.===