1988 Oldsmobile Toronado 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 Toronado, 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
- Interior & seats125.0%
- Steering125.0%
- Tires & wheels125.0%
- Transmission125.0%
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
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
A FIRE HAD STARTED ON THE FRONT SEAT LUMBAR SYSTEM WHERE THE INTERIOR WAS BURNED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. *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
AFTER STARTING VEHICLE, TAKES AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF PRESSURE TO TURN STEERING; STEERING EVENTUALLY EASES UP; CAUSES HAZARDOUS DRIVING. *AK
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
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY,VEHICLE BECAME UNSTABLE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BECOMING DETACHED FROM VEHICLE, CAUSING THE RIGHT FRONT FENDER TO STRIKE THE ROADWAY, NO TIRE INFORMATION GIVEN.(OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT #10-90-310)*JB
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
WHEN TRYING TO GET INSIDE OF VEHICLE IN THE MORNING CONSUMER SAW THAT AREA AROUND TRANSMISSION PAWL WAS BURNED, FIRE BROKE OUT, AND STOPPED BY ITSELF. *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 .