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1992 Oldsmobile 88

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 1 of 73 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 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

12 crash reports7 fire reports10 injury reports

What owners actually said

73 reports
Mileage unknown · Jun 28, 1999
Seat Belts

REAR SEAT BELTS DON'T WORK DUE TO A PLASTIC PART WHICH IS JAMMED AND TWISTED WITHIN THE SEAT BELTS. THE PLSTIC PART COMES OUT TWO TO THREE INCHES, CAUSING THE REAR SEA TBELTS TO GET STUCK. *AK

NHTSA ODI #841249

Mileage unknown · Jun 28, 1999
Seat Belts

REAR SEAT BELTS DON'T WORK DUE TO A PLASTIC PART WHICH IS JAMMED AND TWISTED WITHIN THE SEAT BELTS. THE PLASTIC PART COMES OUT TWO TO THREE INCHES, CAUSING REAR SEAT BELTS TO GET STUCK. *AK

NHTSA ODI #841248

Mileage unknown · Dec 9, 1998
Seats

VEHICLE PULLED OVER BY DRIVER. DRIVER LOOKED UNDER FRONT SEAT FOR CELL PHONE. CLOTHES/ BODY. CAME IN CONTACT WITH SEAT BUTTON & PUSHED TO RIGHT. POWER SEAT CAME FORWARD & PINNED DRIVER BETWEEN SEAT& FRONT DOOR FRAME. COULD NOT GET OXYGEN; SUFFICATION OCCURRED. RESCUE SQUAD CAME & PERFORMED CPR. ON LIFE SUPPORT TWO DAYS. DIE…

Read full complaint

VEHICLE PULLED OVER BY DRIVER. DRIVER LOOKED UNDER FRONT SEAT FOR CELL PHONE. CLOTHES/ BODY. CAME IN CONTACT WITH SEAT BUTTON & PUSHED TO RIGHT. POWER SEAT CAME FORWARD & PINNED DRIVER BETWEEN SEAT& FRONT DOOR FRAME. COULD NOT GET OXYGEN; SUFFICATION OCCURRED. RESCUE SQUAD CAME & PERFORMED CPR. ON LIFE SUPPORT TWO DAYS. DIED TWO DAYS LATER. DEALER CONTACTED; FULLY AWARE OF INCIDENT. MANUFACTURER NOT AWARE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #832068

Mileage unknown · Sep 11, 1998
Visibility

DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70MPH ON THE FREEWAY AND THE BACK WINDOW BLEW OUT ON THE THE FREEWAY. PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #827837

Mileage unknown · May 14, 1998
Air Bags

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 40 MPH. UPON IMPACT, THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #823306

Mileage unknown · May 12, 1998
Seats

THE SEATBACK FRAME BROKE CAUSING THE BASE OF THE HEAD REST TO PUSH FORWARD AGAINIST THE DRIVER'S SPINE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #823221

Mileage unknown · Dec 5, 1997
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

BRAKE PADS FAILED.

NHTSA ODI #525758

Mileage unknown · Nov 14, 1997
Seat Belts

SHOULDER BELT COMES ACROSS DRIVERS NECK, CANNOT ADJUST PROPERLY.

NHTSA ODI #525248

Mileage unknown · Nov 4, 1997
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

BRAKES: WHEN DRIVING ON THE STREET AND APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, APPLIED BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND DID NOT CATCH. APPLIED BRAKES AGAIN AND THE BRAKES WORKED. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. HAD MASTER CYLINDER AND RIGHT REAR WHEEL CYLINDER REBUILT. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ODI #818256

Mileage unknown · Oct 23, 1997
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash

EA94-038, CONSUMER STATES UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL THE PEDAL TRAVELS TO THE FLOORBOARD, RESULTING IN THE CONSUMER RUNNING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #817446

Official recalls

1

96V015000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:cooling Unit And Lines

Jan 23, 1996

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 1991 THROUGH JULY 1995. THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINE CAN SEPARATE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN LOW TEMPERATURES IN COMBINATION WITH HIGH TRANSMISSION LOADS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: VEHICLE FIRES CAN OCCUR DUE TO THE SPILLAGE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINES.

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

5

EA94024 · Inadvertent Shift Of Trans

Opened Jun 30, 1994 · Closed Jun 30, 1995

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train

There is no summary currently available

PE94009 · Turbocharger Malfunction

Opened Jan 31, 1994 · Closed May 24, 1994

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System

There is no summary currently available

PE94006 · Inadvertent Shift Of Transmission

Opened Jan 28, 1994 · Closed Jun 30, 1994

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train

There is no summary currently available

PE93007 · Fuel Line Failure

Opened Feb 10, 1993 · Closed May 3, 1993

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages

There is no summary currently available

PE92010 · Fuel Line Connector Fails

Opened Jan 27, 1992 · Closed May 22, 1992

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages

There is no summary currently available