BRAKE FAILURE
Opened Mar 26, 1990
Closed Apr 22, 1991
There is no summary currently available
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
1988 Oldsmobile 88
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
37
Latest Sep 9, 2002
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
4
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
9
9 injuries, 0 deaths reported
Overview
Our database contains 37 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1988 Oldsmobile 88, most frequently naming the steering, seat belts and driver assistance categories. 4 NHTSA investigations name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 1995 | 3 | 3 |
| Apr 1995 | 2 | 5 |
| Jun 1995 | 2 | 7 |
| Aug 1995 | 2 | 9 |
| Sep 1995 | 2 | 11 |
| Nov 1995 | 1 | 12 |
| Dec 1995 | 1 | 13 |
| Jan 1996 | 1 | 14 |
| Apr 1996 | 1 | 15 |
| May 1996 | 3 | 18 |
| Aug 1996 | 1 | 19 |
| Oct 1996 | 1 | 20 |
| Dec 1996 | 1 | 21 |
| Jan 1997 | 1 | 22 |
| Apr 1997 | 1 | 23 |
| Jun 1997 | 1 | 24 |
| Jul 1997 | 2 | 26 |
| Oct 1997 | 2 | 28 |
| Jun 1998 | 1 | 29 |
| Jul 1998 | 1 | 30 |
| Sep 1999 | 2 | 32 |
| Oct 1999 | 1 | 33 |
| May 2000 | 2 | 35 |
| Apr 2001 | 1 | 36 |
| Sep 2002 | 1 | 37 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Steering1127.5%
- Seat belts512.5%
- Driver assistance512.5%
- Engine512.5%
- Tires & wheels37.5%
- Brakes37.5%
- Body & structure25.0%
- Transmission12.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
BRAKE FAILURE
Opened Sep 26, 1989
Closed Mar 26, 1990
===
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
ANTI LOCK BRAKES
Opened Mar 10, 1989
Closed May 17, 1989
===
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
THROTTLE NON-RETURN
Opened Mar 6, 1989
Closed Jan 16, 1990
There is no summary currently available
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Engine
Filed Sep 9, 2002
WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND IF TEST REGISTERS A HALF OF TANK OF GASOLINE VEHICLE WILL STALL AND SHUTDOWN. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 8018239
- Incident
- Sep 1, 2002
Seat belts
Filed Apr 30, 2001
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT OUT OF RETRACTOR MECHANISM, CAUSING SEAT BELT TO BECOME INOPERABLE, CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 887166
- Incident
- Apr 30, 2001
Engine
Filed May 30, 2000
THE ENGINE CRADLE FALLING TO THE GROUND DUE TO RUSTED OUT BOLTS. YH
- NHTSA ID
- 552430
- Incident
- Mar 1, 1999
BrakesSteering
Filed May 1, 2000
RACK & PINION STEERING WOULD LOCK UP IF VEHICLE SATTOO LONG. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHEN THE WEATHER WAS COLD OR HOT. ALSO, BRAKE PADS WORE OUT THE ROTORS. PADS WERE HARDER THAN THE ROTORS. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES FOR REPAIRS OF RACK & PINION STEERING, AND EACH TIME MECHANIC REFUSED TO REPAIR IT. *AK *ML
- NHTSA ID
- 861186
Seat belts
Filed Oct 25, 1999
HEAD REST DESIGN DOES NOT PROPERLY PROTECT FROM INJURY, DOES NOT SUPPORT HEAD. MJS
- NHTSA ID
- 549160
Filed Sep 22, 1999
THE PAINT ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE CAR TURNED A CHALKY WHITE COLOR AND APPEARED THAT THE CLEAR COAT FAILED COMPLETELY OVER MOST OF THE CAR. WE HAD TO HAVE THE WHOLE CAR REPAINTED.
- NHTSA ID
- 711825
Seat belts
Filed Sep 2, 1999
FRONT SEATBELT BUCKLED UP AND BECOME DIFFICULT TO UNDO. OWNER HAS TO PLAY WITH THE BUCKLE FOR AWHILE TO GET THEM LOOSE. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE, BUT STILL NO SOLUTION. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 846408
ElectricalEngine
Filed Jul 31, 1998
IGNITION MODULE AND CRANK SENSOR FAILED CAUSING STALLING.
- NHTSA ID
- 538645
- Incident
- Feb 23, 1998
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1999 | 77 | 2 | 3 | 60.1 |
| 1998 | 164 | 1 | 1 | 51.5 |
| 1997 | 101 | 0 | 1 | 46.3 |
| 1996 | 92 | 2 | 1 | 56.8 |
| 1995 | 117 | 1 | 0 | 46.5 |
| 1994 | 63 | 1 | 0 | 41.0 |
| 1993 | 74 | 1 | 1 | 54.5 |
| 1992 | 73 | 1 | 5 | 60.1 |
| 1991 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 57.7 |
| 1990 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 49.6 |
| 1989 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 53.9 |
| 1988Viewing | 37 | 0 | 4 | 53.6 |
| 1987 | 18 | 2 | 8 | 70.9 |
| 1986 | 19 | 1 | 8 | 49.9 |
| 1985 | 7 | 2 | 2 | — |
| 1984 | 9 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 1982 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1968 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1967 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.