IllustrationVEHICLE STARTED TO LOOSE POWER, RAINY WEATHER LIFTED HOOD AND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT ON FIRE.
1988 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 37 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.
- Steering. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports2 fire reports5 injury reports
What owners actually said
37 reportsTRANSIMISSION: CONSUMER WAS PLACING THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE PARK POSITION AND THE VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. *AK
POWER STEERING SEALS LEAK. *DSH
COLD POWER STEERING. *AK
THE STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN CAN NOT TURN STEERING WHEEL IN BAD WEATHER. TT
POOR PERFORMANCE ON THE AIR BAG SYSTEM WHEN CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT. TT
STEERING WHEEL SMOKE UNDER THE DASH, ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE TURN SIGNAL. TT
UPON STARTING, PLACE GEAR INTO DRIVE POSITION, SUDDENLY VEHICLE ACCELERATED THEN SHOT OUT OF CONTROL, HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE AND PINNED A PEDESTRIAN. TT
SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT/INJURY. *SKD
VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
4EA90017 · 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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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