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1995 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: 23 of 117 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.

  • Air Bags. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 14 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 reports5 fire reports8 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

21 reports
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100,700 miles · Nov 6, 2011
Engine And Engine CoolingSteeringStructure

A TRAGIC ACCIDENT FORTUNATELY DID NOT OCCUR. THE ENGINE CRADLE SUBFRAME MOUNTING WASHERS ON BOTH SIDES RUSTED THROUGH. MY MOTHER (75 YEARS OLD) WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHILE TURNING. THE ENGINE CRADLE DROPPED DOWN PREVENTING HER TO STEER THE VEHICLE. HAD THERE BEEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CLOSE SHE WOULD HAVE DRIVEN DIRECTLY INTO IT. S…

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A TRAGIC ACCIDENT FORTUNATELY DID NOT OCCUR. THE ENGINE CRADLE SUBFRAME MOUNTING WASHERS ON BOTH SIDES RUSTED THROUGH. MY MOTHER (75 YEARS OLD) WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHILE TURNING. THE ENGINE CRADLE DROPPED DOWN PREVENTING HER TO STEER THE VEHICLE. HAD THERE BEEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CLOSE SHE WOULD HAVE DRIVEN DIRECTLY INTO IT. SHE WAS EXTREMELY SCARED AND SHAKEN. THIS IS SUCH A SMALL ITEM THAT IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY AT NORMAL DRIVING SPEED. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED BY GM OR WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT. THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A SINGLE VEHICLE PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10434381

163,000 miles · Aug 21, 2006
Engine And Engine Cooling

DT*: THE CONTACT SATED WHILE PULLING OUT FROM A STOP SIGN, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE AND THE BACK OF THE MOTOR FELL DOWN. THE STEERING LINKAGE FAILED CAUSING THE CONTACT TO HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THEY DETERMINED THE MOTOR MOUNTS HAD DETACHED. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN INFO…

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DT*: THE CONTACT SATED WHILE PULLING OUT FROM A STOP SIGN, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE AND THE BACK OF THE MOTOR FELL DOWN. THE STEERING LINKAGE FAILED CAUSING THE CONTACT TO HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THEY DETERMINED THE MOTOR MOUNTS HAD DETACHED. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN INFORMED.

NHTSA ODI #10166132

130,000 miles · May 20, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ENGINE SUDDENLY QUITS WORKING. THE PLENUM ON TOP OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS A WATER AND AN AIR JACKET THAT ARE SIDE BY SIDE. THEY CORRODE AND EAT THROUGH THE WALL THAT SEPARATES THEM. THIS CAUSES ANTI FREEZE FLOOD INTO THE PISTON, AND STOPS ENGINE FROM RUNNING. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10073943

172,000 miles · Apr 19, 2004
Engine And Engine CoolingFire

THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD EXPLODED AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THIS OCCURRED WHEN THE CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE. ENGINE BACK FIRED, AND SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WHEN CONSUMER CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD IT WAS ON FIRE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10067337

80,000 miles · Feb 24, 2004
Engine And Engine CoolingEquipment

AT 80,000 MILES MY INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKED ANTIFREEZE INTO MY ENGINE. THIS ENGINE WAS REPLACED AND THE NEW ENGINE DONE THE SAME THING. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH THIS. THE FIRST ENGINE WAS THE ORIGINAL OLDS 88 ENGINE. THE SECOND ONE WAS THE SERIES LL ENGINE. I ALMOST GOT HIT WHEN THE CAR STALLED. BOTH OF THE MECHANICS INVOL…

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AT 80,000 MILES MY INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKED ANTIFREEZE INTO MY ENGINE. THIS ENGINE WAS REPLACED AND THE NEW ENGINE DONE THE SAME THING. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH THIS. THE FIRST ENGINE WAS THE ORIGINAL OLDS 88 ENGINE. THE SECOND ONE WAS THE SERIES LL ENGINE. I ALMOST GOT HIT WHEN THE CAR STALLED. BOTH OF THE MECHANICS INVOLVED STATED THEY SEE THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10058914

Mileage unknown · Feb 2, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling

THE PROBLEM I HAVE COME ACROSS IS THAT THE PLENUM THAT SITS ON TOP OF MY INTAKE IS MADE OUT OF SOME KIND OF CARBON FIBER OF SOME SORT . WELL THE FIRST TIME IT WENT OUT MY ENGINE STOPPED INSTANTLY ON THE INTERSTATE. LATER ON THAT DAY I FOUND OUT WHAT IT WAS. THE PLENUM HAS 2 WATER JACKETS ON EACH SIDE OF A VENT FOR THE EXHAUST SY…

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THE PROBLEM I HAVE COME ACROSS IS THAT THE PLENUM THAT SITS ON TOP OF MY INTAKE IS MADE OUT OF SOME KIND OF CARBON FIBER OF SOME SORT . WELL THE FIRST TIME IT WENT OUT MY ENGINE STOPPED INSTANTLY ON THE INTERSTATE. LATER ON THAT DAY I FOUND OUT WHAT IT WAS. THE PLENUM HAS 2 WATER JACKETS ON EACH SIDE OF A VENT FOR THE EXHAUST SYSTEM BY THE THROTTLE SIDE, IT CORRODED AROUND THAT VENT THAT LETS COOLING FLUID INTO THE INTAKE STOPPING THE MOTOR INSTANTLY. I HAD TO HAVE THE MOTOR AND THE PLENUM REPLACED AND NOW IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. I BELIEVE THE MANUFACTURE NEEDS TO STOP MAKING THESE PARTS IN THE MATERIAL THAT THEY DO. BECAUSE I HAVE LOST A LOT OF MONEY AND TIME GETTING THIS PROBLEM FIXED. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10056334

52,000 miles · Sep 25, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling

THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD DEVELOPED A CRACK AND LEAKED ANTI FREEZE INTO THE ENGINE. THIS RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE STALLING WHILE DRIVING AND DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. *NLM

NHTSA ODI #10040674

Mileage unknown · Dec 3, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #737231

Mileage unknown · Jun 30, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUTDOWN, CAUSING LOSS OF ALL POWER. THIS HAPPENED 2 TO 3 TIMES A DAY ERRATICALLY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #864575

Mileage unknown · Feb 9, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

VEHICLE STALLS WHILE DRIVING. YH

NHTSA ODI #550845

Official recalls

1

94V138000 · 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.