NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
164 reports75,463 miles · Sep 10, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH, ESP. ON STARTING. MADE APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER WHO COULDN'T LOOK AT IT FOR A WEEK. WE REALIZED IT WAS LOSING COOLANT, BUT THERE WAS NO APPARENT LEAKAGE UNDER THE CAR OR HOOD, ETC. FILLED WITH COOLANT, DROVE APPROX. 4 MILES THEN ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. CHECKED OIL AND IT WAS OVER "FULL". CA…
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CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH, ESP. ON STARTING. MADE APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER WHO COULDN'T LOOK AT IT FOR A WEEK. WE REALIZED IT WAS LOSING COOLANT, BUT THERE WAS NO APPARENT LEAKAGE UNDER THE CAR OR HOOD, ETC. FILLED WITH COOLANT, DROVE APPROX. 4 MILES THEN ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. CHECKED OIL AND IT WAS OVER "FULL". CALLED THE DEALER BACK WITH THE NEW SYMPTOMS AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF CAR TO HAVE COOLANT LEAK INTO THE OIL (THEN INTO ENGINE) AND IT PROBABLY NEEDED MANIFOLD WORK $600.--$700. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER WHERE THEY FOUND THE MANIFOLD DID NEED TO BE REPLACED. IN RESEARCHING, WE HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN 88'S AND SOMETIME RESULTS IN ENGINE FIRES. WE ARE WONDERING WHY THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL AND WHY WOULD THE MANUFACTURER USE PLASTIC IN ENGINE PARTS!? *JB
NHTSA ODI #10038644
55,000 miles · Aug 6, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
CAR HAS 55,000 MI ON IT, AND THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD RESTING ON TOP OF THE ENGINE CRACKED, LEAKING ALL COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE. VEHICLE WAS SHUTDOWN AS SOON AS THE TEMPERATURE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 250 F. PROBLEM WAS FIXED BY REPLACING THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD, AND NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE RESULTED.
NHTSA ODI #10030907
62,945 miles · Jul 24, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE GASKET LEAKED COOLANT WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. THE CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE. *AK *CB *NLM
NHTSA ODI #10026202
73,000 miles · Jul 7, 2003
Engine And Engine CoolingFire
IN FEBRUARY I WENT TO START MY ENGINE IN THE MORNING AND IT BLEW UP. I TURNED THE KEY, NO ENGINE TURNOVER BUT SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD, FLAMES CAME OUT. THE FIRE DEPT. PUT OUT THE FIRE AND SAID THE CAR WAS TOTALLED. SOME OF THE VINYL SIDING ON MY HOUSE WAS SLIGHTLY MELTED.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10025571
Mileage unknown · Jul 2, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
LEAK IN COOLANT SYSTEM SPREAD TO THE ENGINE WHICH RESULTED IN THE ENGINE NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. *MR THE ENGINE DEVELOPED A LEAK IN THE COOLING SYSTEM BEFORE IT HAD BECOME OBVIOUS, THE LEAK SPREAD TO THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. THE CONSUMER'S FATHER HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH A NEW 02 BUICK LESABRE DUE TO…
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LEAK IN COOLANT SYSTEM SPREAD TO THE ENGINE WHICH RESULTED IN THE ENGINE NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. *MR THE ENGINE DEVELOPED A LEAK IN THE COOLING SYSTEM BEFORE IT HAD BECOME OBVIOUS, THE LEAK SPREAD TO THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. THE CONSUMER'S FATHER HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH A NEW 02 BUICK LESABRE DUE TO THE 3800 ENGINE'S DEFECT THAT CAUSED THE LEAK. (THIS HAPPENED TO THREE OF THEIR BUICK VEHICLE'S) NHTSA ACTION #EA02030 *SCC *JB
NHTSA ODI #10026461
72,000 miles · Jun 30, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ON MT 1998 OLDSMOBILE 88 FAILED RECENTLY. THE PLASTIC ON ALUMINUM INTAKE MANIFOLD IS VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO CORROSION. APPARENTLY MINE FAILED AND ALL THE WATER DRAINED FROM THE ENGINE. THE REPAIR BILL TO GET THE CAR RUNNING AGAIN WAS $1838. I AM TOLD BY SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON GM CARS. …
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THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ON MT 1998 OLDSMOBILE 88 FAILED RECENTLY. THE PLASTIC ON ALUMINUM INTAKE MANIFOLD IS VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO CORROSION. APPARENTLY MINE FAILED AND ALL THE WATER DRAINED FROM THE ENGINE. THE REPAIR BILL TO GET THE CAR RUNNING AGAIN WAS $1838. I AM TOLD BY SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON GM CARS. BECAUSE OF THE COMMON OCCURANCE OF THIS PROBLEM, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT A RECALL IS IN ORDER. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10025187
127,993 miles · Jun 27, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START BECAUSE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKED ANTIFREEZE INTO THE CYLINDER. *NLM
NHTSA ODI #10025076
49,002 miles · Jun 19, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
NAR 06/19/2003. *MR THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE TWO PROBLEMS, ONE WAS A FAULTY HEAD GASKET, AND THE OTHER WAS A FAULTY THERMOSTAT IN WHICH GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR. IN ADDITION, THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED THE WARRANTY RATES OFFERED SO THE CONSUMER ENDED …
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NAR 06/19/2003. *MR THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE TWO PROBLEMS, ONE WAS A FAULTY HEAD GASKET, AND THE OTHER WAS A FAULTY THERMOSTAT IN WHICH GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR. IN ADDITION, THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED THE WARRANTY RATES OFFERED SO THE CONSUMER ENDED UP PAYING LARGE SUMS OF MONEY TO HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE. WITH FRUSTRATION THE CONSUMER RETURNED THE VEHICLE BACK TO MILLER BROTHERS AND IS NOW ASKING THAT THE TOTAL REPAIR COST BE REFUND FOR THE AMOUNT OF $2,946. *CB *JB
NHTSA ODI #10024447
Mileage unknown · Jun 11, 2003
Electrical SystemFire
THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED. *MR *PH *JB
NHTSA ODI #10022081
Mileage unknown · Jun 11, 2003
Unknown Or Other
1998 OLDSMOBILE 88 *MR *PH *JB
NHTSA ODI #10022075
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