1998 Oldsmobile 88: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 164 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine and engine cooling (43% of complaints); the 1996 and 1997 and 1999 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Feb 2004
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 164 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Ignition is messed up the previous owner said there is a recall but never show me papers and I was want to make sure there is one”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jan 2018
“Engine using coolant but no evident leak. After a week of adding a little coolant to reservoir engine ran hot and hydro-locked due to cylinders flooded with coolant. Discovered plastic intake manifold had hole in it where the egr tube entered plastic manifold allowing coolant to flood intake. This engine had 84k miles. Also discovered intake gaskets were replaced at 45k miles by dealer. Definitely an engineering defect.”Owner report · Engine · Sep 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile 88. The contact stated that when turning on the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact proceeded to check the coolant in the vehicle finding that there was no coolant in the reservoir. When attempting to turn on the vehicle, the exhaust pipe in the rear of the vehicle released large amounts of white smoke. The contact stated that the when having the vehicle diagnosed by the dealer, the vehicle stalled. The dealer diagnosed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 36,000. The VIN was not available.”Owner report · Engine · Feb 2016
Show 7 more owner reports
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile 88. When the vehicle was started, smoke appeared without warning. The contact observed oil on the manifold. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.”Owner report · Engine · Oct 2015
“Brakes failed upon exiting on ramp from rte. 95..depressed brake pedal, but went right down to the floor board..no brakes...downshift/ parking brake into the breakdown lane..just lucky no car collision occurred ...was frightening !...I think gm vehicles should not be so badly faulty..I'm just lucky I wasn't hurt or killed in an accident ! *tr”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jun 2014
“Was driving down a toll road, dear jumped in front of car hit the driver side front, car hit median, flipped, and rolled 3 times. Car is totaled. Air bags never deployed. *tr”Owner report · Structure · Nov 2013
“Yesterday our car began overheating. We added a bottle of coolant yesterday and another two gallons today along with a bottle of stop leak and had it towed to our mechanic. Our mechanic told us it seems like the engine has seized completely and he is not equipped to fix it. *tr”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2012
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile 88. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning while driving 40 mph. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic for inspection. The failure was located at the engine plemun, which was fractured and caused fluid to penetrate the engine. The engine was replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 45,191 and the current mileage was 48,000. ..updated 10/30/13 *bf updated 10/31/2013 *js”Owner report · Engine · Apr 2012
“Engine hydro locked when a crack in the plastic intake manifold allowed coolant to be sucked into the engine cylinders, causing the engine to lock up while my wife was driving it. Fortunately, no accident occurred, but this seems to be a very common problem due to what seems to be a design flaw by gm. We had to have the engine replaced, and the intake manifold, at a cost of $5,400.00. We heard that there was a class action lawsuit because of this problem, but people were just afforded a short time to act on it, and we were not even notified. Is there another suit that we can be a part of? We should not have had to replace an engine with just 44,000 miles on it. *js”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Apr 2012
“My car has the same problems described in the latest gm recall in cars with the 3.8 l motor in which oil leaks out onto the exhaust manifold and could cause a fire. I have contacted the number given but it showed my 1998 olds 88 is not covered even though it has the same motor and problem in the recall. *tr”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jan 2009
When filing, owners marked a crash in 9 of these complaints and injuries in 10 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 3800 V6 (L36) ENGINES AND CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, THE REGULATORS HAVE A MUCH HIGHER THAN USUAL RATE OF FUEL LEAKS. A LEAK CAN ALLOW FUEL TO ENTER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD THROUGH A VACUUM LINE. IF THE ENGINE DOES NOT START WHEN CRANKED, THE FUEL FROM THE LEAKING REGULATOR AND A MISTIMED SPARK CAN CAUSE A BACKFIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL NEW FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH IMPROVED DIAPHRAGMS. THE RECALL WILL BE CONDUCTED IN PHASED MAILINGS. PHASE 1 BEGAN ON JUNE 30, 2004, AND PHASE 2 BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537, OR PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668.
How other years compare
Check your exact 88 by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Oldsmobile 88 reliable?
NHTSA has 164 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 1998 Oldsmobile 88. The most complained-about area is engine and engine cooling (43% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1998 Oldsmobile 88 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 72,000 miles or less.
Does the 1998 Oldsmobile 88 have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning fuel system, gasoline:delivery. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.