AI Damage1988 Buick Skylark: common problems
Owners of the 1988 Buick Skylark filed 14 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 14
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 21% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 21% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 14% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 7% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
- 8 Suspension 7% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (21% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (21% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (14% of all).
- Seat belts: 2 complaints (14% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.3 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 14 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Started the vehicle and put the gear in reverse and the vehicle accelerated backwards without putting foot on gas pedal. Put vehicle in neutral, the vehicle was out of control and went into the neighbor's back yard and hit a tree. Vehicle was towed to dealer.
While driving and put the car in reverse the vehicle takes off and the only way the vehicle will stop if the driver hit something. Also driver noticed that the vehicle will pick up speed not when vehicle is on level road.
Brake pedal too close to accelerator pedal, causing them to be depressed simultaneously, resulting in an accident.
While driving over railroad vehicle will start shaking. Consumer has to stop, then vehicle will drive fine. Sometimes has to keep accelerating so engine won't shut down.
Driving down highway and car cut off, restarted and attempted to pull off the road, noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. Raised hood and flames were coming from underneath. Insurance expert said cause of fire was from fuel feed hose .
When putting the vehicle in reverse, it suddenly accelerates, and applying the brakes the vehicle is still accelerates. Cause of this acceleration is unknown.
During vehicle operation the vehicle stalls without warning. This has been a continuous problem and the dealer is unable to find the problem.
While driving on highway vehicle the headlight went off by themselves. Tt
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 9,551 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 26% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Skylark has 28 complaints (19 years in the data). This year has 14, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other years of this model
- Skylark 19823 sources
- Skylark 19848 sources
- Skylark 19856 sources
- Skylark 19868 sources
- Skylark 19894 sources
- Skylark 199019 sources
- Skylark 199138 sources
- Skylark 199232 sources
- Skylark 199346 sources
- Skylark 199468 sources
- Skylark 199585 sources
- Skylark 199685 sources
- Skylark 199779 sources
- Skylark 199824 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1988 Buick Skylark?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, vehicle speed control, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 14. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (7%), headlights and tail lights (7%), seat belts (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1988 Buick Skylark?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1988 Buick Skylark from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1988 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.