1988 Pontiac Lemans 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 Pontiac Lemans, 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
- Seat belts730.4%
- Suspension313.0%
- Brakes313.0%
- Powertrain (other)28.7%
- Engine28.7%
- Fuel system28.7%
- Interior & seats14.3%
- Steering14.3%
- Heating & air conditioning14.3%
- Visibility14.3%
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
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
FAILURE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT, THE SHOULDER BELT IS LOCKED IN PLACE. *AK
THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT RETRACTOR STOPPED WORKING (FAILED) . PLEASE DESCRIBE .*AK
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
WHILE DRIVING FRONT SPRINGS BROKE. THERE WAS NO WARNING. ONE SET BROKE WHILE ON CRUISE CONTROL. THE OTHER SET BROKE WHILE WAITING AT A STOP LIGHT. HAVE NOT TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER YET. *AK
MISALIGNED FRONT END, CAUSING NOISE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
MISALIGNED FRONT END, CAUSING NOISE.
A/C FAILURE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
A/C FAILURE.
TRANSAXLE FAILED, ALSO TRANSMISSION MOUNTS FAILED THREE TIMES, CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. Z*SKD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
MISALIGNED FRONT END, CAUSING NOISE.
TRANSAXLE FAILED, ALSO TRANSMISSION MOUNTS FAILED THREE TIMES, CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. Z*SKD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
FUEL FILLER NECK LEAKED FUEL DUE TO IMPROPER WELDING PRIOR TO/AFTER RECALL. OWNER NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE (88V-094.000). *AK
TRANSAXLE FAILED, ALSO TRANSMISSION MOUNTS FAILED THREE TIMES, CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. Z*SKD
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
PLASTIC COMPONENTS IN THE DASHBOARD THAT CONTROL THE INTERIOR DASHBOARD LIGHTS MELTED AND STARTED TO BURN.
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
FINGERS BENT AND TWISTED INDEX AND MIDDLE FINGERS ARE BENT AND TWISTED TOWARDS THE BABY FINGERS. THUNBS ARE BENT OUTWARD AWAY FROM HANDS. HANDS ARE PAINFUL. BENDING AND TWISTING DOESN'T APPEAR AS BADLY AS OTHER DRIVERS. PLEASE VIEW PHOTO AT HTTP://PHOTOS.YAHOO.COM/MIKETOMICH THIS INFORMATION IS BEING PROVIDED ON BEHALF OF JOAN LOPEZ BY MIKE TOMICH 989-665-2311. DT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Heating & air conditioning
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
From owner reports, verbatim
A/C FAILURE.
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
MISALIGNED FRONT END, CAUSING NOISE.
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 .