1987 Oldsmobile 88 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1987 Oldsmobile 88, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Driver assistance628.6%
- Steering628.6%
- Engine314.3%
- Tires & wheels29.5%
- Visibility14.8%
- Electrical14.8%
- Seat belts14.8%
- Brakes14.8%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
1) MY 1987 DELTA 88 OLDSMOBILE WILL NOT STEER LEFT WHEN COLD, WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TURNING AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. 2) MY BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE THEY KEEP PULSATING. THIS WEARS OUT MY TIRES VERY FAST. 3) WHEN FIRST CRANKED, IT WILL DRIVE FOR A MILE AT A MEDIUM RATE OF SPEED WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR BECAUSE THE IDLE IS MESSED UP, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN ADJUSTED. 4) THE WINDSHIELD WASHER HAS NEVER WORKED. ALL THESE THINGS CONTINUALLY HAPPEN THE 5 YEARS I'VE OWNED IT. *CB
WHEN CONSUMER RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IT STUCK , THE VEHICLE DID NOT RETURN TO IDLE, CAUSING A COLLISION. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
1) MY 1987 DELTA 88 OLDSMOBILE WILL NOT STEER LEFT WHEN COLD, WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TURNING AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. 2) MY BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE THEY KEEP PULSATING. THIS WEARS OUT MY TIRES VERY FAST. 3) WHEN FIRST CRANKED, IT WILL DRIVE FOR A MILE AT A MEDIUM RATE OF SPEED WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR BECAUSE THE IDLE IS MESSED UP, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN ADJUSTED. 4) THE WINDSHIELD WASHER HAS NEVER WORKED. ALL THESE THINGS CONTINUALLY HAPPEN THE 5 YEARS I'VE OWNED IT. *CB
THE STEERING PROBLEM BEGAN IN 1993 AND GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE STEERING WAS ALMOST INOPERABLE IN COLD TEMPERATURES AT FIRST BUT BECAME A PROBLEM EVEN IN WARM TERMPERATURES. THE WHEEL COULD NOT BE TURNED TO THE LEFT UNTIL THE CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING FOR MANY MINUTES. THE PROBLEM INCREASED AND THE DIFFICULTY IN STEERING TO THE LEFT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, EVEN IN SUMMER MONTHS. IT BECAME A HAZARD. I HAD IT REPAIRED AT A COST OF $1,200 AND THE MECHANICS WERE FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROBLEM ON THIS YEAR AND MODEL VEHICLE. THEY ALSO INDICATED THE ENGINE MOUNT APPEARED TO BE FAULTY. MINNESOTA WAS MISSED ON THE RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM AND GM HAS BEEN FORCED TO ADD THIS ONTO A RECALL LIST BUT THE OLDSMOBILE 88 DELTA IS NOT INCLUDED. YOUR WEB SITE INDICATES OVER 50 PROBLEMS WITH RACK AND PINION STEERING FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL. THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS FAILURE TO WARN ON THE PART OF GM TO DRIVERS OF THIS YEAR AND MODEL CAR. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
CRANK SENSOR CONSTANTLY COME LOOSE. WEATHER CHANGES AND TEMPERATURE CHANGES IN THE ENGINE CAUSE THIS CHANGE. REALIGNINMENT AND RETIGHTENING COSTS 25.00 EACH INSTANCE. THIS HAS OCCURED WITH THE PREVIOUS OWNER AS WELL [AS I CALLED HER AND ASKED HER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM] THIS HAS OCCURED MORE THAN 50 TIME AS FAR AS I KNOW. THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO BE INOPERATABLE.
WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY, DRIVER NOTICED THAT SPEED STARTED TO DECREASE, DRIVER HEARD A POPPING NOISE AND PULLED OVER TO INVESTIGATE, WITHIN MINUTES SMOKE FILLED THE CAR WITH MORE POPPING NOISE AND THEN FIRE STARTED, NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED, POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE, OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT. *TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
TIRE DEVELOPED A LARGE BUBBLE(4") IN TREAD. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2KC P15 TIRESIZE: 205/75/14)
RIGHT WHEEL FAILED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
1) MY 1987 DELTA 88 OLDSMOBILE WILL NOT STEER LEFT WHEN COLD, WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TURNING AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. 2) MY BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE THEY KEEP PULSATING. THIS WEARS OUT MY TIRES VERY FAST. 3) WHEN FIRST CRANKED, IT WILL DRIVE FOR A MILE AT A MEDIUM RATE OF SPEED WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR BECAUSE THE IDLE IS MESSED UP, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN ADJUSTED. 4) THE WINDSHIELD WASHER HAS NEVER WORKED. ALL THESE THINGS CONTINUALLY HAPPEN THE 5 YEARS I'VE OWNED IT. *CB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN DRIVING AND STOPPING AT A LIGHT THE CAR STALLS AND ONE OCCASION THERE WAS NO POWER AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT . PLEASE DESCRIBE .*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS HAD TO BE REPLACED. WOULD NOT PULL OUT. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
1) MY 1987 DELTA 88 OLDSMOBILE WILL NOT STEER LEFT WHEN COLD, WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TURNING AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. 2) MY BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE THEY KEEP PULSATING. THIS WEARS OUT MY TIRES VERY FAST. 3) WHEN FIRST CRANKED, IT WILL DRIVE FOR A MILE AT A MEDIUM RATE OF SPEED WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR BECAUSE THE IDLE IS MESSED UP, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN ADJUSTED. 4) THE WINDSHIELD WASHER HAS NEVER WORKED. ALL THESE THINGS CONTINUALLY HAPPEN THE 5 YEARS I'VE OWNED IT. *CB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .