IllustrationVEHICLE STALLIS WHEN GAS TANK IS 1/4 TANK FULL.
1997 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: 16 of 101 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.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports14 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
101 reportsINTERMITTENTLY, WHEN THE ELECTRONIC DISPLAY SHOWS THAT VEHICLE IS IN REVERSE OR DRIVE, IT IS ACTUALLY IN NEUTRAL. DRIVER WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. VEHICLE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. DEALER NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR CORRECT PROLBEM. *AK
LOAD LEVEL SYSTEM/SOLENOID AND ELC PUMP FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE TO BOTTOM OUT.
WHILE DRIVING APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKES STARTED SLIPPING WHICH DID NOT ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO STOP. DEALER CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THIS SLIPPING OF THE BRAKES CAUSED THE OWNER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. *AK
TRANSMISSION WON'T ENGAGE IN REVERSE (STICKING) INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO PISTON SEAL LEAK.
REAR SEAT BELTS HAVE NEVER WORKED DUE TO DESIGN, IMPOSSIBLE TO LATCH.
WHILE PULLING INTO APARKING SPOT, WITH BRAKE PEDAL ENGAGED, VEHICLE ACCELERATED SUDDENLY AT VERY FAST SPEED, RAN OVER A SIGN AND OVER A CURB. COULD NOT GET BRAKES TO STOP VEHICLE FOR A WHILE. THEN ENGINE SLOWED DOWN SOMEWHAT AND VEHICLE STOPPED. HAD BOTH FEET ON BRAKES AT TIME. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
WHEN THE THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE VEHICLE VIBRATES AND SHAKES . ROTORS WERE ROTATED AND REPLACED. LATER THEY CHANGED THE REAR HUBS,THEN THE PADS. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING BETWEEN 60-65 MPH IT SEEMS TO SHIMMY, SOMETIMES THE SHIMMY SEEMS TO RELATE TO THE ENGINE ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION. THIS ALSO SEEMS TO OCCUR DURING NORMAL DRIVNG. *AK
REAR RESTRAINTS IN VEHICLE ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO LATCH. THE PASSENGER OPPOSITE OF THE RESTRAINT HAS TO BUCKLE THE BELT FOR THE OCCUPANT . DEALER WILL BE CONTACTED. *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
1EA02030 · Engine Compartment Fires
Opened Oct 22, 2002 · Closed Mar 9, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline; Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery; Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
EA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GMEA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GM?S ACTIONS IN 03V-473 AND 04V-090 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 529,000 MY 1998-99 C- AND H-BODY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS THAT ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN PRESSURES THAT OCCUR IN SOME BACKFIRE EVENTS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH LEAKING DIAPHRAGMS THAT CAN PROVIDE A SOURCE OF FUEL TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE IN THE MANIFOLD.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY ODI THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS IN THE VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GM?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INCIDENCE OF MANIFOLD RUPTURES AND RELATED FIRES IN OTHER MY 1995-2002 GM PASSENGER CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE SUBJECT INTAKE MANIFOLD.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery
EA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GMEA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GM?S ACTIONS IN 03V-473 AND 04V-090 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 529,000 MY 1998-99 C- AND H-BODY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS THAT ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN PRESSURES THAT OCCUR IN SOME BACKFIRE EVENTS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH LEAKING DIAPHRAGMS THAT CAN PROVIDE A SOURCE OF FUEL TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE IN THE MANIFOLD.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY ODI THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS IN THE VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GM?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INCIDENCE OF MANIFOLD RUPTURES AND RELATED FIRES IN OTHER MY 1995-2002 GM PASSENGER CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE SUBJECT INTAKE MANIFOLD.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
EA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GMEA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GM?S ACTIONS IN 03V-473 AND 04V-090 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 529,000 MY 1998-99 C- AND H-BODY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS THAT ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN PRESSURES THAT OCCUR IN SOME BACKFIRE EVENTS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH LEAKING DIAPHRAGMS THAT CAN PROVIDE A SOURCE OF FUEL TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE IN THE MANIFOLD.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY ODI THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS IN THE VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GM?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INCIDENCE OF MANIFOLD RUPTURES AND RELATED FIRES IN OTHER MY 1995-2002 GM PASSENGER CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE SUBJECT INTAKE MANIFOLD.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.
Fuel System, Gasoline
EA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GMEA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GM?S ACTIONS IN 03V-473 AND 04V-090 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 529,000 MY 1998-99 C- AND H-BODY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS THAT ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN PRESSURES THAT OCCUR IN SOME BACKFIRE EVENTS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH LEAKING DIAPHRAGMS THAT CAN PROVIDE A SOURCE OF FUEL TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE IN THE MANIFOLD.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY ODI THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS IN THE VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GM?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INCIDENCE OF MANIFOLD RUPTURES AND RELATED FIRES IN OTHER MY 1995-2002 GM PASSENGER CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE SUBJECT INTAKE MANIFOLD.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.