Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Oldsmobile 88 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 20 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
BRAKES FAILED UPON EXITING ON RAMP FROM RTE. 95..DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL, BUT WENT RIGHT DOWN TO THE FLOOR BOARD..NO BRAKES...DOWNSHIFT/ PARKING BRAKE INTO THE BREAKDOWN LANE..JUST LUCKY NO CAR COLLISION OCCURRED ...WAS FRIGHTENING !...I THINK GM VEHICLES SHOULD NOT BE SO BADLY FAULTY..I'M JUST LUCKY I WASN'T HURT OR KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT ! *TR
WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT A LIQUID WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. ALSO, WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES THE PEDAL DID NOT GO TO THE FLOOR. THE BRAKING POWER WAS LESS THAN NORMAL. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE OIL PAN GASKET AND FRONT BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *ER *JB
BRAKE FAILURE, REPLACEMENT OF ALL LINES. BRAKE LINE HAD CORRODED. *BF *TC
STARTING EARLY 2002 WITH ONLY 45000 MILES ON THE 1998 OLDSMOBILE 88 THE WARNING LIGHT ADVISING ABS WAS NOT OPERATING CAME ON INTERMITTANTLY. TOOK TO CUESTA CADILLAC OLDSMOBILE DEALER IN SAN LUIS OBISPO CALIF AND WAS ADVISED THAT REAR BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE LEAKING AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. WE DID THAT BUT INTERMITTANT DASH ERROR LIGHT WARNINGS CONTINUED. IN 2003 THE DEALER SAID TO CONTACT GM AND REQUEST REPAIR BUT GM REFUSED TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. ABS SYSTEM STILL INOPERATIVE INTERMITTANTLY AND DEALER SAYS THEY WILL REPLACE ABS PUMP FOR $2000 BUT WILL NOT GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL BE FIXED. *JB
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.
1998 OLDSMOBILE 88 LS, ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEMS, SYSTEM CHECK OPERATIONAL AND NO WARNING LIGHT ON EVERY START UP. BUT AT 70,000 PLUS MILES IN ONE WEEK'S TIMEFRAME, ABS BRAKES INTERMITTENTLY HAVE A HARD GRAB AT THE END OF A COMPLETE STOP AT INTERSECTIONS. BUT THE ABS SYSTEM HAS PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND ALTERNATES AT ONE OR TWO OF THE BRAKES, WHETHER IN THE FRONT OR REAR BRAKES, CAUSING A LOUD SOUND. FRONT PADS AND ROTORS ARE NEW WITHIN THE LAST 5,000 MILES AND REAR DRUM BRAKES ARE AT 55% LININGS.*AK
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM HAS FAILED 3 TIMES. 1ST TIME WAS 01-10-03. 2ND TIME WAS 04-11-03 AND 3RD TIME WAS 04-21-03. IST TIME RESULTED IN ACCIDENT AND LAST 2 TIMES I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF HIGHWAY BEFORE REAR ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I WILL ENTER THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED. *JB
ANTI- LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM HAS FAILED 3 TIMES RESULTING IN ONE ACCIDENT. I HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND NOTHING CAN BE FOUND WITH WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM. *JB
VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, DEALER HAS SERVICED VEHICLE AND REPLACED VALVES IN THE EXHAUST, HOWEVER PROBLEM REOCCURRED.*AK *SLC
ABS BRAKE LIGHT ILLLUMINATES WHILE TRAVELING. DEALER HAS REPLACED HUB ON EACH WHEEEL. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS HAVE RUSTED WITHIN 10000 MILES. CONTACTED DEALER WHO WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING BECAUSE RUST AND DETERIORATION WAS DUE TO LOW MILEAGE. *AK *TT
THE "ABS" AND "TRACTION CONTROL OFF" INDICATOR LIGHTS STARTED TO COME ON AND STAY ON SOME TIME IN NOVEMBER 2000. I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPT. AT THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE COULD POSSIBLY BE ICE BUILDUP WHICH CAUSES THE SPEED SENSORS TO GO OFF. THE COST TO REPLACE ANY ONE SPEED SENSOR WAS APPROX $450-$500 PER WHEEL HUB. IN JULY 2001 I TOOK MY CAR IN TO HAVE THE ABS AND TRACTIONCONTROL ISSUES FIXED. THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL ISSUES WERE FIXED BY REPLACING THE "BRAIN BOX" FOR THE SPEED SENSORS. TWO WEEKS AFTER THE FIX, THE ABS/TRACTIONCONTROL OFF LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. I TOOK MY CAR BACK AND THEY THEN FOUND THE BREAK PRESSURE MODULATOR VALVE HAD A DEAD SPOT IN THE ARMATURE. TO REPLACE THE BPMV WILL COST APPROX $1600. THESE ISSUES ALL SEEM TO BE ELECTRONIC. DO YOU KNOW OF ANY ISSUES WITH THE ABS OR TRACTION CONTROL IN THIS CAR? THANK YOU.*AK
THE FRONT ROTORS HAVE RUSTED AT ONLY 15000 MILES, THE CONSUMER FEELS THE MATERIALS ARE INFERIOR, THE BRAKE CYLINDERS ARE LEAKING. NLM
FRONT BRAKE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 15,000 MILES DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK CONSUMER STATES THE ORIGINAL CALIPERS WERE DEFECTIVE, DEALER STATED BRAKE PROBLEMS WERE OCCURRING DUE TO VEHICLE NOT BEING DRIVEN ENOUGH, REAR BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE LEAKING FLUID. *SLC
WHILE DECENDING A STEEP GRADE THE TRANSMISSION (IN LOW GEAR) AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. NLM
ABS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK *ML
ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS (8/5/98 -MILAGE2600) (6/23/99) VEHICLE BRAKES FAILED AND VEHICLE ACCELERATED. *AK
WAS ENTERING INTO HIS GARAGE, GOING ABOUT 5MPH AND BRAKES WOULDN'T STOP. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE CAR DID DAMAGES. *AK
WHILE GOING DOWNHILL AT 30MP, THE BRAKES FAILED. LOST CONTROL & HAD NO POWER. DID NOT HIT ANYTHING. TOOK TO MECHANIC & NOTHING FOUND AFTER ON DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE. *AK
BRAKE PEDAL TOO CLOSE TO THE LOWER DASH AREA CAUSING FOOT TO HIT DASH DUE TO DESIGN.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .