1998 Oldsmobile 88

MY 1998 OLDS 88 BACKFIRED UPON STARTING AND BLEW UP THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION DESTROYED THE ENGINE COVER AND THE FUEL RAIL. THE ENGINE IS THE 3800 V6. THE VEHICLE HAS 21,000 MILES BUT WAS OLDER THAN 3YRS, THUS IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. BECAUSE GM WOULD NOT OFFER ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE REPAIR, I HAD IT REPAIRED MYSELF. THE EXPLOSION WAS CAUSED BY A LEAKING FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR THAT VENTED BACK THE INTAKE MANIFOLD THRU A VACUUM LINE. THIS SITUATION LOOKS TO BE EXACTLY LIKE A RECALL ON VERY SIMILAR BUICK CARS. IT WAS NHTSA RECALL # 03V473000 ON NOV 12TH 2003. I BELIEVE THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO COVER VEHICLES LIKE MINE.

IN EARLY 1998, I PURCHASED A 1998 OLDSMOBILE EIGHTY-EIGHT BRAND NEW FROM RELIABLE OLDSMOBILE DEALERSHIP IN CLEVELAND, OH. ALTHOUGH THE CAR IS A FEW YEARS OLD, THE PROBLEM I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT BEGAN AROUND MAY 1998. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS COMPLAINING ABOUT EXCESSIVE, LOUD NOISES THAT WERE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE FIRST TIME I WENT WAS JUNE 1, 1998. EACH TIME THE DEALERSHIP TRIED FIXING OR DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT, BUT THEY NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM. I ENDURED THE NOISE AND THE PROBLEM BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW OF ANYTHING ELSE TO DO. WHILE TRAVELING FROM GEORGIA TO OHIO LAST SUMMER (2003), THE CAR FINALLY BROKE DOWN. THE DEALERSHIP IN TENNESSEE DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A DEFECTIVE TENSION PULLEY. THIS DEFECTIVE PULLEY ALSO CAUSED AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF RESIDURAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. THIS WAS THE NOISE I WAS HEARING . WHEN I CONTACTED THE GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY (THE OLDSMOBILE DIVISION HAS SHUT DOWN), THEY IGNORED ME EXCEPT FOR TELLING ME THAT MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. I RECOGNIZE THAT IT HAS EXPIRED. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM AROSE LONG BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AND COULD HAVE BEEN FIXED LONG BEFORE IT EXPIRED BUT FOR THE OLDSMOBILE DEALERSHIP'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. I DO NOT THINK IT IS FAIR THAT A DEALERSHIP CAN FAIL (DELIBERATELY OR NOT) TO DIAGNOSE A PROBLEM COVERED BY THE WARRANTY WHILE THE WARRANTY IS IN EFFECT AND THEN SCREAM THAT THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. PARTICULARLY, AFTER ONE OF ITS OWN DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM. IF THE DEALERSHIP IN TENNESSEE COULD DIAGNOSE IT, THEN THE ONE IN OHIO SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO SO AS WELL. I WISH TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE COST OF THIS REPAIR, WHICH WAS $1944.67. I AM NOT ASKING FOR THE COST OF THE HOTEL ROOM AND THE WAGES I MISSED, BUT IT SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT AS WELL. *AK

TRANSMISSION: UPPER PLATE GASKET WENT, CAUSING GEAR SLIPPAGE AT HIGH SPEEDS WHICH GRADUALLY BECAME WORSE IN THE LOWER GEARS. TRANSMISSION REPLACED UNDER WARRENTY. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH A REBUILT UNIT WHICH IS NOW EXHIBITING MUCH OF THE SAME SLIPPAGE AT HIGH SPEEDS (ONLY MINORLY AT THE MOMENT) @ 156,000KM. ENGINE: FIRST ENGINE HAD THE EGR/EXHAUST DESIGN DEFECT THAT CAUSES THE INTAKE MANIFOLD TO MELT AND COOLANT TO POOR INTO THE ENGINE. REPORT FROM THE SHOP WAS THAT ENTIRE BOTTOM END WAS DESTROYED BY THE COOLANT, AND A FULL NEW ENGINE HAD TO BE ORDERED (COMPLETE WITH ACCESSORIES, ETC.). THE NEW ENGINE'S IDLER FOR THE SERPENTINE HAD THE BEARING CEASE, KNOCKING THE BELT OFF. SINCE THE WATERPUMP WAS BELT DRIVEN, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. THE CAR WAS LEFT TO IDLE IN THE PARKING LOT FOR A TOTAL TIME OF ~ 5-15MIN. (THE TEMPERATURE OUT WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND -40C / -40F.). BRAKES: PERHAPS CRONICALLY UNDERSIZED FOR THIS VEHICLE, ROTORS HAVE WARPED LIKE CLOCKWORK EVERY 30,000KM. THEY ARE CURRENTLY WARPED APPROACHING 160,000KM AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED --- AGAIN --- SHORTLY. THIS IS NOT A CAR THAT SEE'S MUCH HEAVY USE. GROCERIES ON WEEKENDS, ~ 15-20KM MAX. TOTAL DAILY TRIP DURING WORKDAYS. IT HAS YET TO ACCOMPLISH AN EXTENDED ROAD TRIP (I.E., NORTH BAY -> OTTAWA OR NORTH BAY -> TORONTO, 4 HOURS (~400KM) AND 3 HOURS (~300KM) RESPECTIVELY) WITHOUT THE 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT BEING LIT. ADDITIONAL RECOLLECTION: FRONT FOG LIGHTS CONSTANTLY FILLING WITH CONDENSATION AS WELL, HAVE BEEN REPLACED 4-5 TIMES WHILE UNDER WARRENTY. NO SOLUTION WAS FOUND AND NOW THEY'RE JUST NOT USED.

I WENT TO THE DEALER AND COMPLAINED THAT THE PAINT WAS CHIPPING. I HAD IN HAND 4 ESTIMATES AND EACH PAINT/BODY SHOP ARRIVED AT THE SAME CONCLUSION, "PAINT LAMINATE" PROBLEM. EVERY PERSON WHO WROTE AN ESTIMATE TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A GM PROBLEM. THE LAST PLACE I WENT TO WAS THE GM DEALER IN COUNTRYSIDE, IL, (CELOZZI-ETTLESON). ONE OF THE SERVICE CONSULTANTS (KEVIN ANDERSON) TALKED TO THE BOSS (DARREN D'ANDRE) AND RETURNED WITH A PAPER INDICATING TO ME THAT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED ONCE THE CAR WAS THREE YEARS OLD. SINCE I HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR THAT HAD SUCH A PAINT CHIPPING PROBLEM, I DECIDED TO PURSUE THIS MATTER.