AI Damage1987 Oldsmobile 88: common problems
Owners of the 1987 Oldsmobile 88 filed 18 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 18
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 33% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 33% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 17% of all complaints
- 4 Tires 11% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 6% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- Steering: 6 complaints (33% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 6 complaints (33% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (17% of all).
- Tires: 2 complaints (11% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (6% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 18 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 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.
When driving and stopping at a light the car stalls and one occasion there was no power and caused an accident . Please describe .
Accelerator cable stuck, causing sudden acceleration/accident.
Sudden acceleration, causing accident prior to recall. (88v-080)
Sudden acceleration, causing loss of control/accident/injury.
Crank sensor constantly come loose. Weather changes and temperature changes in the engine cause this change. Realigninment and retightening costs 25.00 each instance. This has occured with the previous owner as well [as I called her and asked her about this problem] this has occured more than 50 time as far as I know.
1) my 1987 delta 88 oldsmobile will not steer left when cold, which is very dangerous when turning at a busy intersection. 2) my brakes have been repaired several times because they keep pulsating. This wears out my tires very fast.
While traveling on highway, driver noticed that speed started to decrease, driver heard a popping noise and pulled over to investigate, within minutes smoke filled the car with more popping noise and then fire started, no other vehicles were involved and no injuries were sustained, possible engine failure, ohio…
Tire developed a large bubble(4") in tread. (dot number: w2kc p15 tiresize: 205/75/14)
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 8,622 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 88 has 41 complaints (23 years in the data). This year has 18, below average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1987 Oldsmobile 88?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, vehicle speed control, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 18. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: unintended acceleration (17%), smoke, burning smell, fire (11%), steering or power steering problems (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1987 Oldsmobile 88?
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 1987 Oldsmobile 88 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 1987 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.