1999 Oldsmobile 88 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 88 years
- Fewer complaints than other years 5th of 6 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 77 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Oldsmobile 88. That ranks 5th out of 6 88 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (30 complaints, 39%), typically at around 78,660 miles. Complaints mention 11 fires, 1 injury. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 77owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 Oldsmobile 88 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 30 | 39% | 78,660 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 10 | 13% | 62,692 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 9 | 12% | 91,148 | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 10% | 68,140 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 5% | 98,640 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 4% | 108,801 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 4% | 118,300 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 4% | 145,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 3% | 55 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 3% | 118,300 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 3% | 64,140 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 Oldsmobile 88 recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery
Problem: 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.
Risk: The backfire can rupture the intake manifold. The rupture of the intake manifold can displace a fuel line, pulling an injector out of place, and causing a fuel leak and possible fire.
Fix: 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.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 4t65e automatic transmissions. These vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of fmvss no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence." a retaining clip, which secures the manual valve to the linkage of the transmission detent lever, can become loose under a combination of possible driver shifting maneuvers and allow the link to become disconnected from the manual valve.
Risk: If the link disconnects, the driver's indicated prndl state may differ from the hydraulic state of the transmission. If the driver selects 'drive' and the transmission is actually in 'reverse', a vehicle crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will replace the manual valve/link assembly with a replacement manual valve/link kit, featuring a spring-type fastener.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Engine compartment fire (EA07008) — opened Jun 12, 2007, closed May 1, 2008, led to recall 08V118000.
- Engine compartment fires (EA02030) — opened Oct 22, 2002, closed Mar 9, 2004, led to recall 04V090000.
- Transmission shift lever sequence (RQ99007) — opened May 26, 1999, closed Feb 8, 2002, led to recall 99V089000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 1999 Oldsmobile 88. The contact stated that while reversing out of a driveway, the front end of the vehicle lowered without warning. Due to the failure, the contact lost power steering assist as the steering wheel would spin with no control. The vehicle had yet to be diagnosed or…
Body is broken where the front sub-frame bolts to. Customer was told that there is permanent body damage to the body frame. They then sold the vehicle undisclosed the fact that the vehicle is too damaged to drive on the road safely.
I contacted gm bc the technical service bulletin for the fuel pressure regulator says the fuel rail also needs replaced if it is a delphi fuel rail. The regulator on this car has been changed but still has the same delphi fuel rail. The car currently has a gas leak. When i search the vin it doesn't…
1999 oldsmobile 4.8l engine will shut completely off unexpectedly while driving. This occurs both at highways speeds of 65 mph or at slower speeds of 35 or 35 mph. All of the power assisted features such as power brakes and steering also stop working when the engine stops. The engine shutting…
We bought this car in december, 2012 and there was no recall on the carfax report at that time. Today, there is a recall # 1999011 dated 3/13/1999 for power train (transmission 4t65e manual valve link replacement) nhtsa 99v089000. This owner nor the previous owner did not receive any kind of notice…
Other Oldsmobile 88 years
See all Oldsmobile 88 problems by year, every Oldsmobile model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Oldsmobile models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Oldsmobile 88?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, fuel system, gasoline, electrical system problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 30 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Oldsmobile 88?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 Oldsmobile 88 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 88 model years, the 1999 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.