1988 Oldsmobile Calais 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 1988 Oldsmobile Calais, 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
- Engine934.6%
- Electrical623.1%
- Transmission27.7%
- Seat belts27.7%
- Steering13.8%
- Suspension13.8%
- Body & structure13.8%
- Visibility13.8%
- Driver assistance13.8%
- Interior & seats13.8%
- Exterior lighting13.8%
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
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
BATTERY FAILED. *MJS
VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR ALL QUAD-4 ENGINE HEADS. NO HELP FROM OLDSMOBILE DUE TO AGE/MILEAGE. *AK
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
BATTERY FAILED. *MJS
INTERMITTENT STALLING.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
INTERMITTENT STALLING.
HEAD GASKETS REPLACED TWICE.*SD
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
SEAT BELT IS STUCK IN THE DOOR AND WILL NOT BUCKLE.
VEHICLE OWNER IS CONCERNED THAT HER VEHICLE'S FRONT SEAT BELTS ARE NOT SAFE BECAUSE THEY ARE MOUNTED TO THE DOOR. *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
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE GOES FROM POWER STEERING TO MANUAL CAUSING STEERING TO BECOME HARD TO HANDLE. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
THERE IS A VERY LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FROM OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, CONSUMER NOTICED THE VEHICLE SHAKING AND KNOCKING WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
RIGHT FRONT FENDER AND DOOR RUSTED. *SD
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
HEAD GASKETS REPLACED TWICE.*SD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
SUDDEN ACCELERATION.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN BACKING OUT THE DRIVER'S SEATBACK BROKE OFF AND THE OCCUPANT WAS THROWN INTO THE REAR SEAT WHICH 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.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
ELECTRICAL LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SHORTS. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
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 .