← New search

1993 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

Other model years Selected 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: 7 of 74 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 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. 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.

9 crash reports10 fire reports6 injury reports

What owners actually said

74 reports
Mileage unknown · Mar 1, 2000
Air Bags

WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED UNDER 10 MPH WHEEL FELT LIKE IT WAS ROLLING OVER A BUMP, BUT WAS NOT. DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #857688

Mileage unknown · Jan 18, 2000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

ABS BRAKE PRESSURE MODULATOR FAILED CAUSING ABS LIGHTS COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. *ET

NHTSA ODI #784437

Mileage unknown · Dec 29, 1999
Power TrainFire

WHEN TRAVELING CONSUMER NOTICED BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF VEHICLE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND FUMES WERE COMING FROM UNDERNEITH THE VEIHCLE. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER DETERMINED THE CAUSE TO BE A TRANSMSSION COOLING LINE WHICH SEPARATED, CAUSING FLUID LEAKAGE, AND RESULTING IN FIRE. ALSO, NHTSA RECALL…

Read full complaint

WHEN TRAVELING CONSUMER NOTICED BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF VEHICLE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND FUMES WERE COMING FROM UNDERNEITH THE VEIHCLE. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER DETERMINED THE CAUSE TO BE A TRANSMSSION COOLING LINE WHICH SEPARATED, CAUSING FLUID LEAKAGE, AND RESULTING IN FIRE. ALSO, NHTSA RECALL 96V015002/MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 95C68 WAS ISSUED DEALING WITH FIRES CAUSED BY TRANSMISSION COOLING LINE. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #854520

Mileage unknown · Sep 3, 1999
Engine And Engine CoolingVehicle Speed Control

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE HESITATED UPON ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. ALSO, THERE WAS A CLICKING AND BANGING NOISE WITHIN THE MOTOR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

NHTSA ODI #846790

Mileage unknown · Aug 24, 1999
Power TrainCrash

WHILE IN PARK VEHICLE JUMPED INTO REVERSE, RESULTING IN A MINOR COLLISION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #845757

Mileage unknown · Jul 29, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

ABS MODULATOR BLOCK FAILED. MJS

NHTSA ODI #547621

Mileage unknown · Jul 29, 1999
Electrical SystemService Brakes, Hydraulic

BRAKES AND ABS FAILED. MJS

NHTSA ODI #547617

Mileage unknown · Jun 17, 1999
Steering

INNER TIE ROD CAME LOOSE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN AT 20MPH, AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE TURNED INWARD, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SKID. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE, AND REPAIRED IT. *AK

NHTSA ODI #837335

Mileage unknown · Apr 21, 1999
Power Train

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #705860

Mileage unknown · Nov 19, 1998
Vehicle Speed Control

CONSUMER WAS EXPERIENCING ERRATIC ACCELERATION WHENEVER VEHICLE WAS STARTED. PROBLEM WAS DUE TO FAILURE IN THE THROTLE POSITION CENSOR. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND REPAIRED AT THE COST TO CONSUMER. *AK *ML

NHTSA ODI #831073

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

1

PE93013 · Fuel Leaks

Opened Mar 5, 1993 · Closed Jul 13, 1993

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

There is no summary currently available