NHTSA vehicle safety data

1997 Oldsmobile 88 Recalls & Complaints

The 1997 Oldsmobile 88 has no NHTSA recall campaigns and 101 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Oldsmobile dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 1997 Oldsmobile 88. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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1997 Oldsmobile 88 owner complaints

Owners have filed 101 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Oldsmobile 88, describing incidents dated January 2, 1997 to October 9, 2016.

Most-cited components

Engine 28 complaints
Electrical System 14 complaints
Power Train 12 complaints
Service Brakes 10 complaints
Fuel/Propulsion System 8 complaints
Visibility/Wiper 7 complaints

Of the 101 complaints on file, 4 report a crash and 14 a fire; across all 101 complaints, owners report 6 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #10916202 · Filed October 14, 2016
UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILURE( PLASTIC PART) ON HIGHWAY . ENGINE OVERHEATED FROM COOLANT LEAKING INSIDE ENGINE FOR THE 3RD TIME . FIRST LEAK COOLANT OUTSIDE ENGINE. 2ND TIME BAD OIL LEAK. 3RD TIME THIS.
ODI #10511176 · Filed May 8, 2013
DIED WHILE AT STOP LIGHT. WONT RESTART, TURNS OVER BUT WONT KEEP RUNNING. *TR
ODI #10402922 · Filed May 27, 2011
FOR SEVERAL MONTHS WE WERE NOTICING LEAKS FROM THE CAR ON THE DRIVEWAY. WE KNEW FROM TOUCHING IT WAS NOT OIL. THE CAR STARTED TO HESITATE AT TIMES AND FEEL LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL OUT. EVENTUALLY IT DID STALL OUT AND CONTINUED TO DO SO, IT ALWAYS STARTED RIGHT UP THOUGH, SO WE KNEW IT WASN'T THE…

Read all 101 complaints

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1997 Oldsmobile 88 in 1 investigation. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

Engineering Analysis EA02-030: ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Closed March 9, 2004
- Recall 04V-090

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 1997 Oldsmobile 88 as of November 3, 2026. New recalls can be issued at any time, so check the specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before buying.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 1997 Oldsmobile 88. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

101 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Oldsmobile 88.

Engine

ODI #10916202

Incident: October 9, 2016 · Filed: October 14, 2016

UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILURE( PLASTIC PART) ON HIGHWAY . ENGINE OVERHEATED FROM COOLANT LEAKING INSIDE ENGINE FOR THE 3RD TIME . FIRST LEAK COOLANT OUTSIDE ENGINE. 2ND TIME BAD OIL LEAK. 3RD TIME THIS.

Electrical System

ODI #10511176

Incident: April 29, 2013 · Filed: May 8, 2013

DIED WHILE AT STOP LIGHT. WONT RESTART, TURNS OVER BUT WONT KEEP RUNNING. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling

ODI #10402922

Incident: May 1, 2011 · Filed: May 27, 2011

FOR SEVERAL MONTHS WE WERE NOTICING LEAKS FROM THE CAR ON THE DRIVEWAY. WE KNEW FROM TOUCHING IT WAS NOT OIL. THE CAR STARTED TO HESITATE AT TIMES AND FEEL LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL OUT. EVENTUALLY IT DID STALL OUT AND CONTINUED TO DO SO, IT ALWAYS STARTED RIGHT UP THOUGH, SO WE KNEW IT WASN'T THE BATTERY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON WHEN IT STALLED. WE BROUGHT IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC AND FOUND REPAIR CODES P0300 AND P0135, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON RESULTING IN RANDOM MISFIRE AND 02 SENSOR HEATER CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION. FOLLOWED DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLESHOOTING FLOWCHART AND FOUND FAULTY 02 SENSOR AND COOLANT INSIDE CYLINDER#4. UPON DISASSEMBLY OF INTAKE MANIFOLD TO INSPECT SYSTEM, FOUND INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED. REMOVED AND REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD ASSEMBLY, FRONT 02 SENSOR ASSEMBLY AND SPARK PLUGS WITH ALL NEW OEM PARTS. REFILLED COOLANT AND BLEED SYSTEM. RECHECKED OPERATION, CLEARED CODES. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH WE FOUND THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED BY GM. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling

ODI #10324520

Fire

Incident: April 8, 2010 · Filed: April 8, 2010

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 OLDSMOBILE LSS. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY AFTER IT WAS STARTED. AS HE OPENED THE HOOD, HE NOTICED A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. HE USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. THE AIR INTAKE AND DEVICE ON THE ENGINE COVER WERE DESTROYED AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT A PRODUCT ALLEGATION REPRESENTATIVE WOULD NOTIFY HIM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

ODI #10308104

Incident: December 18, 2009 · Filed: February 9, 2010

MY 1997 CHEVROLET LUMINA, 1997 OLDSMOBILE AND 1998 OLDSMOBILE ALL HAVE HAD BRAKE LINES FAIL DUE TO CORROSION IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. THE MOST RECENT FAILURE ALMOST RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT AS THE BRAKES FAILED DURING A PANIC STOP TO AVOID A COLLISION. ALL VEHICLES HAD STEEL BRAKE LINES REPLACED TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. I TEND TO KEEP MY CARS UNTIL THEY ARE TEN PLUS YEARS OLD. THE MAJORITY OF MY CARS HAVE HAD BRAKES FAIL DUE TO CORROSION OF THE TUBING. I WAS WONDERING WHY STAINLESS STEEL TUBING IS NOT REQUIRED ON BRAKE LINES? *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling

ODI #10243103

Incident: September 21, 2008 · Filed: September 22, 2008

WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE (PLASTIC) MANIFOLD ON OUR 1997 OLDS 88 THREE TIMES IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT, YET NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS CAR (WHILE RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUE FOR SIMILAR DEFECTS ON SIMILAR CARS). WE HAVE SPENT OVER $2000 GETTING THIS PROBLEM FIXED AND THAT STILL DOESN'T FIX THE COOLANT IN THE ENGINE WHICH CANNOT BE ENTIRELY CLEARED OUT WITHOUT REMOVING THE ENGINE AND INCURRING OTHER POSSIBLE PROBLEMS. *TR

Air Bags

ODI #10221204

Crash 2 injuries

Incident: February 8, 2008 · Filed: March 14, 2008

AIR BAGS DEPLOYED PREMATURELY. VERY MINOR FENDER BENDER NO DAMAGE TO OTHER CAR. SMALL FIST SIZE DENT TO THE CAR IN QUESTION. NOTED FROM COP ON SEEN, SPEED WAS LESS THAN 10 MPH. AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND TOTALED INSIDE OF CAR. SENT 2 PERSONS TO HOSPITAL. *TR

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

ODI #10124090

Incident: June 2, 2004 · Filed: June 3, 2005

DT: THE REAR BRAKES HAVE NEVER WORKED ON THIS VEHICLE. THE BACK DRUMS ARE BLACK, THEY'VE NEVER HAD CONTACT UNLESS USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE.*AK

Fuel System, Gasoline

ODI #10113537

Incident: December 7, 2004 · Filed: March 7, 2005

THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE WITHIN WEEK DUE TO THE DEFECT DESCRIBED IN RECALL 04V090000. THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *JB

Electrical System

ODI #10100167

Incident: February 27, 2004 · Filed: November 18, 2004

ON FEBRUARY 25, 2004 MY GRANDPARENTS PURCHASED A 1997 OLDSMOBILE LSS FROM NORTH LAKE FORD IN LAKEPORT CALIFORNIA. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE PURCHASE THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED AN INTERMITTENT STALL, AND WOULD NOT RESTART FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. IN FACT THE VEHICLE STALLS WITH NO WARNING AND THEY WERE NEARLY RAN OVER BY A SEMI TRUCK WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN TO HAVE THE PROBLEM REPAIRED FOUR TIMES, AND IT STILL STALLS TO THIS DAY. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM TO PREVENT A CATASTROPHE.*AK

Other Oldsmobile 88 model years

Check your 1997 Oldsmobile 88 VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Oldsmobile 88 at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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