AI Damage1988 Eagle Premier: common problems
Owners of the 1988 Eagle Premier filed 54 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 54
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 37% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 31% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 24% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
- 5 Seat belts 11% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 9% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
- 8 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- Visibility: 20 complaints (37% of all).
- Service brakes: 17 complaints (31% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 13 complaints (24% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 6 complaints (11% of all).
- Seat belts: 6 complaints (11% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 54 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 17 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Child seat | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 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.
Brakes failed completely when approaching stop w/vehicle hitting propane tank to stop. Please describe details. Tt
Vehicle suddenly accelerated causing loss of vehicle control. Car crashed into an enbankment. Throttle stuck open. Tt
Drive line broke, resulting in pulling very hard to the right, driver pulled it back to the left then vehicle fishtailed, then an accident. Tt
Vehicle accelerated on its own after sticking. Has happened at least 3 different times before. Last time caused transmission to burn up.
Child bleeding on her left upper arm due to a shiny point sticking throuth the cushion part on her car seat, pulled the cushion off and the spring that controlled the front of the car seat, that pulls over the childs head and snaps in place, had somehow straigntened out to somewhat and poked through cushion.
The recall work on heater core by pass was not done partly. They bled the system, and vehicle overheated. Recall 94v006000.
Hot coolant is leaking into the passenger's compartment, causing the windows to fog up. A recall has been issued on the vehicle. The recall was discontinued because the parts are no longer available( per the dealership). Manufacturer will be notified. Recall 94v006000.
Front end shakes at any speed due to broken inner tie rod.
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 5,128 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Premier has 31 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 54, above average.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1988 Eagle Premier?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, service brakes, powertrain. Total complaints: 54. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (15%), brake failure (7%), seat belts (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1988 Eagle Premier?
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 Eagle Premier 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.