IllustrationELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSES WIRING HARNESS TO BE BURNED UP AND MELT MOST OF THE WIRING. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
1995 Oldsmobile 88
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 88 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 23 of 117 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
12 crash reports5 fire reports8 injury reports
What owners actually said
117 reportsTHREE SETS OF BRAKE PADS AND ONE SET OF ROTORS WERE REPLACED WITHIN 16,000 MILES OF WEAR. DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
LOST STEERING CONTROL - THREE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE PUMP JUST BROKE OFF & WENT ON TO PUSH RIGHT BOOT INTO RIGHT TIRE. WATER PUMP BROKE & ALSO OVERFLOW ANTIFREEZE TANK BROKE. HAD TO REPLACE TWO TAIL LAMPS BECAUSE OF BROKEN BRACKETS OR PRONGS THAT HOLD IT.
DRIVER AND PASSENGERS SEAT BELTS WILL NOT EXTEND FROM RETRACTING MECHANISM, CAUSING SEAT BELTS TO BECOME INOPERABLE. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE RIGHT REAR HAS COMPLETELY FAILED. *SLC
ABS SYSTEM OPERATES ERRATICALLY. WHEN CONSUMER ATTEMPTS TO APPLY BRAKES AT ANY SPEED, THERE IS LITTLE TO NO PRESSURE BEHIND BRAKE PEDAL, AND PEDAL WILL GO TO FLOOR. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
WITHIN APPROX. 1 MONTH BOTH REAR BRAKE CYLINDERS AND THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER FAILED. OF ALL THE VEHICLES I HAVE OWNED IN MY 70 YEARS I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM SUCH AS THIS. THE INSTALLED ITEMS MUST HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE AND I WAS JUST LUCKY THAT NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT ON THE EVENING OF 02-01-00. AFTER THE LIGHT CHANGED I PROCEDED ACROSS THE INTERSECTION. JUST AFTER I CROSSED THE INTERSECTION, THE CAR CAME TO AN ABRUPT HAULT AS IF SOMEONE HAD STEPPED ON THE BRAKES AS HARD AS THEY COULD. I DON'T KNOW HOW THE VEHICLE BEHIND WAS ABLE TO AVOID ME BUT, THANKFULLY HE …
Read full complaint
I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT ON THE EVENING OF 02-01-00. AFTER THE LIGHT CHANGED I PROCEDED ACROSS THE INTERSECTION. JUST AFTER I CROSSED THE INTERSECTION, THE CAR CAME TO AN ABRUPT HAULT AS IF SOMEONE HAD STEPPED ON THE BRAKES AS HARD AS THEY COULD. I DON'T KNOW HOW THE VEHICLE BEHIND WAS ABLE TO AVOID ME BUT, THANKFULLY HE DID. I TRIED PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK AND TRIED TO GO FORWARD AND BACK. IT WOULD BACK EASIER THAN IT WOULD GO FORWARD. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO FORCE THE CAR TO GO FORWARD A LITTLE BIT SO I COULD GET IT OUT OF THE STREET. I THEN CALLED AAA AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO BILL COOKE CADDILAC/OLDSMOBILE IN ITHACA THEY HAVE SINCE HAD THE CAR AND CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG. WHAT ON EARTH WOULD CAUSE A CAR TO LOCK UP IT'S BRAKES ALL BY ITSELF? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AND FEEL SAFE? HOW DO I KNOW WHEN IT WILL DO IT AGAIN? WHAT IF IT HAPPENS WHILE I AM TRAVELLING AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED? THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO HAPPEN ON A VEHICLE. I HAVE SINCE HEARD OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO ONE OTHER PERSON WHO WAS DRIVING AN APPROX. 1996 BUICK REGAL WHICH WOULD HAVE THE SAME SYSTEM AS MY CAR. THAT INSTANCE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT CAUSING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF DAMAGE. HAS THIS HAPPENED TO OTHER PEOPLE TOO? MAYBE SOME ACCIDENTS HAS BEEN CAUSE BY THIS HAPPENING TO OTHER VEHICLES AND WE JUST DON'T KNOW IT BECASUE THE DRIVER IS DEAD. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? I CAN'T AFFORD TO GO BUY ANOTHER CAR. I JUST HAVE TO DRIVE THIS ONE AND SOMEHOW HOPE IT DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.*AK
WHILE LEAVING A SERVICE STATION AND TURNING RIGHT HEARD NOISE AND STARTED HAVING PROBLEM TURNING. WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT AUTO SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT BOLTS ON STEERING PUMP BROKE. AK THE LOSS OF STEERING RESULTED REARLY IN AN ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER ALSO LOST POWER BRAKES. *YH
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. *AK
Official recalls
194V138000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights:switch
Aug 2, 1994
A SPRING IN THE HEAD LAMP PORTION OF THE HEAD PARK LAMP SWITCH CAN FAIL PREVENTING LATCHING OF THE HEAD LAMP PORTION OF THE SWITCH IN THE "ON" POSITION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE HEAD LAMPS WOULD NOT STAY ILLUMINATED RESULTING IN REDUCED DRIVER VISIBILITY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT HEAD/PARK LAMP SWITCH BUILD DATE CODES AND REPLACE SWITCHES WITH SUSPECT DATE CODES.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.