Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. 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. 15 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
1998 OLDSMOBILE EIGHTY EIGHTY HAS PROBLEM WHERE THERE IS LEAKAGE OF BATTERY FLUID FROM THE POSITIVE POLE OF THE BATTERY. *MR THE POSITIVE POLE HAD COME OUT OF THE BATTERY AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE DRIVER HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THREE BATTERY'S HAD BEEN REPLACED, THE FIRST WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. (AC DELCO BATTERY) *SC *JB
CAR OVERHEATED WITHOUT ANY VISIBLE SIGNS OF THIS BUT THE RED AREA OF THE GAUGE THEN THE CHECK ENG LIGHT CAME ON. PULLED TO SIDE OF THE ROAD, CHECKED IT GOT IT COOLED DOWN, THEN PROCEEDED TO THE VERY NEXT RD TO GAS STATION FOR BETTER VIEW OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. GOT TO IT VERY QUICKLY AND THE TEMP WAS BACK UP. STOPPED LET IT COOL AND ADDED WATER TO THE NOW EMPTY RESOVAIR THAT WAS FULL WHEN WE STARTED THE TRIP. AND NO SIGNS OF LEAKAGE AND NO BOILING OVER, LET IT COOL. ADDED WATER. THEN TRIED TO CRANK IT UP, IT WOULD NOT. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO DEALER, THOUGHT ENG HAD LOCKED UP. WAS TOLD THEIR WAS A FEATURE TO THIS CAR THAT SHUTS DOWN THE ENG WHEN A LEAK LIKE THIS OCCURS. WONDERING HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE TAKEN BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THE ENG WAS GONE......AND IT WAS NOT. BUT IT SOMEHOW DAMAGED THE STARTER WHEN ALL THIS HAPPENED. I HAD A MECHANIC CHECK OUT THE CAR BEFORE WE LEFT ON THIS TRIP, HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND EVERYTHING. BUT SOMETHING WENT WRONG WHEN THE LEAK, AND RUNNING HOT OCCURED. NOT SURE HOW IT MESSED UP THE STARTER. BUT ALSO KNOW SINCE IT SHUTS THE ENG DOWN, LOCKS IT UP, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO GET A NEW ENG CAUSE THEIR PERSON DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS FEATURE AS WELL. *AK
CONSUMER HEARD AN EXPLOSION WHEN SHE TURNED ON THE IGNITION AND A SMALL FIRE UNDER HOOD MELTED SOME PARTS. *PH SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD ALL MAINTENANCE REGULARLY AT THE DEALER ONLY. THE CONSUMER WAS NOT AWARE OF THE CAUSE. *SC *JB
1) AUG. 2000 GENERATOR FAILURE 2) AUG. 2002 BOTH REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS REPLACED 3) OCT. 2003 COOLANT LEAKING : REPLACED LEAKING WATER PUMP. INTAKE MANIFOLD ALSO LEAKING BUT NOT REPLACED AT THIS TIME DUE TO COST. 3.8L V6
CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE, AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THERE WAS LOTS OF SMOKE AND FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED. *MR *PH *JB
THIS ALTERNATOR GROWLING/NOISE AND TENSION PULLEY ASSEMBLY BEGAN MAKING NOISES AT ABOUT 30,000. THEN AT ABOUT 40,000 IT REALLY BEGAN MAKING GROWLING NOISES ESPECIALLY A LOWER SPEEDS. THEN WHILE WE WERE ON A TRIP TO MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN VISITING MY RELATIVES AND CHILDREN, IT BECAME APPARENT I HAD BETTER GET THIS FIXED BEFORE GETTING BACK ON THE ROAD TO OUR HOME IN BELLA VISTA,AR. SOME 750 MILES. WHILE IN MILWAUKEE I WAS ADVISED TO TO SEE FELSING SERVICE INC. 9128 W. BURLEIGH ST., MILWAUKEE, WI. SINCE GM DEALERSHIPS COULD NOT GUARANTEE ME TO HAVE CAR READY AS I HAD TO BE BACK IN BELLA VISTA ON THURSDAY. MR. FLESING SAID HE COULD REPAIR THIS. I WANTED A NEW ALTERNATOR, BUT NONE COULD BE FOUND IN MILWAUKEE. SO I CONSENTED TO A DELCO REMFG. UNIT AND A NEW PULLEY ASSEMBLY.THIS WAS COMPLETED IN A FEW HOURS. THE BILL WAS $388.10. I FEEL THIS ALTERNATOR SHOULD LAST AND BE ADEQUATELY FUNCTIONAL FOR MORE THAN 40,000. BUT THE VERY FACT THAT NO NEW ALTARENATOR FOR MY VEHICLE COULD BE FOUND IN MILWAUKEE ON THAT MONDAY TELLS ME, AS I ALSO HAVE HEARD, GM IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ALTERNATORS ETC. OTHERWISE THE CAR IS A FINE RUNNIGN CAR WITH GOOD GAS MILEAGE ETC.*AK
ENGINE AND OTHER PARTS WERE REPLACED ON APRIL 3RD 2002. VEHICLE TAKES 3-4 TRIES BEFORE STARTING. ALL COMMUNICATION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD AFTER IT STARTED UP. 5-10 MINUTES INTO DRIVING LIGHTS WENT OUT. DEALER WAS INFORMED OF PROBLEM.*AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE JUST SHUTS OFF.*AK
CONSUMER TRIED TO START VEHICLE,THERE WAS A RATTLING NOISE, DID NOT START. CONSUMER THEN REPLACED STARTER, BUT VEHICLE STILL DID NOT START. TOWED VEHICLE TO DEALER WHO FOUND A GASKET HAD FAILED, COOLANT HAD FILLED CYLINDERS OF ENGINE. *AK
CAR STOPS WITHOUT WARNING DURING TRAFFIC , LOCKING UP STEERING AND BRAKING CAPABILITIES. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON SEVEN DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. TWO OCCASIONS REQUIRED TOWING AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. ALSO BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU. *AK
ALTERENATOR FELL OFF CAUSING DAMAGE TO SERPENTINE BELT AND AIR CONDITIONER SYSTEM. NLM
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT ANY WARNING. CHIME INDICATOR WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. TALKED TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT PROBLEM WHICH COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED, NOR REPAIRED. PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. *AK
PROBLEM IS IN COLD WEATHER THE HORN BLOWS BY ITS SELF. IT WILL START TO BLOW AND KEEP BLOWING TILL DISCONNECTED. WHEN TAKEN TO DEALER THEY SAID THEY HAD TO CALL THE GM TECH SUPPORT AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A DESIGN PROBLEM IN THAT YEAR CAR. THE FIX WAS TO REPLACE THE HORN AND AIR BAG ASSEMBLY FOR THE COST OF 680.00. I CONTACTED GM ABOUT THIS AND WAS TOLD THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I DON'T BELIVE THIS IS A WARRANTY ISSUE ANYWAY. IS THERE ANY THING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS OR HAVE YOU RECEIVED AND OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME NATURE. ANY INFORMATION OR HELP ON THIS MATTER WOULD BE APPERCIATED. THANK YOU DAVID HOOLEY. *AK
ALTERNATOR MADE LOUD HIGH-PITCHED WHINE - REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. GEAR INDICATOR ON CONSOLE DES NOT FUNCTION IN COLD TEMPERATURES.
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 .