IllustrationMASTER & BOTH REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID.MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR ALSO HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN ON HIS LOW MILEAGE 1995 BUICK LESABRE WHICH IS THE SAME IS THE SAME PLATFORM. SEALS ON BRAKE CYLINDERS SHOULD NOT LEAK ON SUCH LOW MILEAGE. THIS IS A QUALITY DEFECT IN MY JUDGEMENT AND A SAFETY PROBLEM. THANK YOU.
1994 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: 4 of 63 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 15 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 →
- Electrical System. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
63 reportsTHE PASSENGER 8-WAY POWER SEAT BACK FELL TO A TOTAL RECLINE POSITION WITH THE ADULT PASSENGER IN IT. SHE WAS SHAKEN BUT NOT INJURED. THE POTENTIAL FOR INJURY WHEN THIS EVENT WERE TO OCCUR DURING RAPID DECELERARTION OR EVASIVE MANUVERING IS GREAT. TH POSSIBILITY OF SLIPPING UNDER THE LAP-BELT WITH THE SEAT IN THE TOTAL RECLIN…
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THE PASSENGER 8-WAY POWER SEAT BACK FELL TO A TOTAL RECLINE POSITION WITH THE ADULT PASSENGER IN IT. SHE WAS SHAKEN BUT NOT INJURED. THE POTENTIAL FOR INJURY WHEN THIS EVENT WERE TO OCCUR DURING RAPID DECELERARTION OR EVASIVE MANUVERING IS GREAT. TH POSSIBILITY OF SLIPPING UNDER THE LAP-BELT WITH THE SEAT IN THE TOTAL RECLINE POSITION IS GREAT IF, FOR SOME OTHER REASON, THIS EVENT COUPLED WITH OTHERS, RESULT IN A CRASH. THE MANUFACTURERE MUST UNDERSTAND THE SEVER POTENTIAL OF THIS TYPE OF EVENT. ONE REPORTED OCCURENCE MAY NOT MANDATE A RECALL BUT THE MANUFACTURER SHOUILD BE ENCOURAGED TO TREAT THIS TYPE OF EVENT AS THEY WOULD A WARRANTY ISSUE. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER-DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY UNLESS WIPER SWITCH IS TURNED TO 'HIGH' AND THEN DOWN TO THE INTERVAL I NEED. I HAD TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH WHEN I TURNED THE WASHERS ON AND THE WIPERS DID NOT COME ON. OLDSMOBILE HAS REFUSED TO CORRECT. AIR CONDITIONING-KNOB FELL OFF IN MY HAND THIS AFTERNOON. I CANN…
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WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER-DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY UNLESS WIPER SWITCH IS TURNED TO 'HIGH' AND THEN DOWN TO THE INTERVAL I NEED. I HAD TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH WHEN I TURNED THE WASHERS ON AND THE WIPERS DID NOT COME ON. OLDSMOBILE HAS REFUSED TO CORRECT. AIR CONDITIONING-KNOB FELL OFF IN MY HAND THIS AFTERNOON. I CANNOT SELECT THE DEFROST MODE AND IT IS COLD AND RAINING. ABS MODULATOR VALVE WAS REPLACED BY OLDSMOBILE (I THOUGHT NHTSA WOULD LIKE TO KNOW). AIR CONDITIONING-EVAPORATOR WAS REPLACED AT 38798 MILES. OLDSMOBILE REFUSED TO REIMBURSE BECAUSE I HAD THE WORK DONE AT A NEARBY CHEVROLET DEALER SINCE SMOKE WAS POURING OUT OF THE VENTS AND INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. ALTERNATOR DIED AT 39196 MILES AND OLDSMOBILE REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME.
RANDOMLY ENGINE CUT OFF. DEALER WAS CONTACTED,AND MAJOR REPAIRS WERE MADE. YET, VEHICLE STILL HAS SAME PROBLEM. *AK DEALER REPLACED PLENIUM AND THROTTLE SENSOR AT 93710 MILES, HOWEVER CONTINUES TO STALL. *MJS
VEHICLE EXPERIENCING ENGINE FAILURE CONTINUALLY, REPLACEMENT OF THE FAULTY THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR AND PLENIUM (WHICH WAS WARPED AND ALLOWING COOLANT TO SHORT OUT THE SENBSOR) DID NOT RECTIFY FAILURE. MJSD
PAINT IS PEELING OFF OF ROOF OF VEHICLE IN MULTIPLE SPOTS (BASE COAT AND CLEAR COAT), BUT PRIMER REMAINS. IS THIS A OEM DEFECT IN THE PAINT PROCESS/BASE COAT ADHESION? THE PAINT PEEL BEGINS AS A BUBBLE UNDER THE SURFACE, THEN FLAKES AWAY IN LARGE (QUARTER SIZE AND LARGER) FLAKES.
THE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON WHILE DRIVING WHICH INDICATES THAT THERE IS A SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT AIR BAG WOULD NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT. *AK
AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND HAD THE VEHICLE NUMEROUS TIMES REGARDING THE PROBLEM. REPAIRWORK DONE, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
THE STEERING WHEEL MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING DIFFICULTY OF STEERING WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. NEVER BEEN TO DEALER. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHE INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED.
Official recalls
194V138000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights:switch
Aug 2, 1994
A SPRING IN THE HEAD LAMP PORTION OF THE HEAD PARK LAMP SWITCH CAN FAIL PREVENTING LATCHING OF THE HEAD LAMP PORTION OF THE SWITCH IN THE "ON" POSITION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE HEAD LAMPS WOULD NOT STAY ILLUMINATED RESULTING IN REDUCED DRIVER VISIBILITY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT HEAD/PARK LAMP SWITCH BUILD DATE CODES AND REPLACE SWITCHES WITH SUSPECT DATE CODES.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.