Upper intake manifold failure( plastic part) on highway . Engine overheated from coolant leaking inside engine for the 3rd time . First leak coolant outside engine. 2nd time bad oil leak. 3rd time this.
The worst 1997 Oldsmobile 88 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine27
- Electrical14
- Transmission12
- Brakes11
- Fuel system9
- Visibility8
- Seat belts6
- Suspension6
- Airbags5
- Seats4
- Acceleration3
- Steering2
- Body1
- Lights1
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Oldsmobile 88
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect investigations
Engine compartment fires
Ea02-030 is closed with gmea02-030 is closed with gm?s actions in 03v‑473 and 04v‑090 recalling approximately 529,000 my 1998-99 c- and h-body vehicles equipped with defective fuel pressure regulators.these vehicles were equipped with plastic intake manifolds that are unable to contain pressures that occur in some backfire events and defective fuel pressure regulators with leaking diaphragms that can provide a source of fuel to produce a combustible air-fuel mixture in the manifold.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by odi that no safety defect exists in the vehicles that are not included in gm?s recalls.odi will continue to monitor the incidence of manifold ruptures and related fires in other my 1995-2002 gm passenger cars equipped with the subject intake manifold.for additional information, see the attached closing report.
EA02030
Technical service bulletins for the 1997 Oldsmobile 88 43
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to Unlock Delco...
- This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information with the field action courtesy...
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to reprogram the media disc player with the latest...
- Vehicle Recalls
- Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
- Engine coolant consumption or coolant leak (inspect for material degradation/replace intake manifolds) tt...
- Intermittent chuggle or fishbite on light acceleration or a highway speeds with no diagnostic trouble...
- Some owners may comment on a transmission oil leak
- New upper intake manifold and gasket kits
- New rear main seal and special tool for installation
What 1997 Oldsmobile 88 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Died while at stop light. Wont restart, turns over but wont keep running.
For several months we were noticing leaks from the car on the driveway. We knew from touching it was not oil. The car started to hesitate at times and feel like it was going to stall out. Eventually it did stall out and continued to do so, it always started right up though, so we knew it wasn't the battery. The check engine light went on when it stalled. We brought it to the shop and they ran a diagnostic and found repair codes p0300 and p0135, which caused the vehicle check engine light to come on resulting in random misfire and 02 sensor heater circuit malfunction. Followed diagnostic troubleshooting flowchart and found faulty 02 sensor and coolant inside cylinder#4. Upon disassembly of intake manifold to inspect system, found intake manifold cracked. Removed and replaced intake manifold assembly, front 02 sensor assembly and spark plugs with all new oem parts. Refilled coolant and bleed system. Rechecked operation, cleared codes. After further research we found that this was a common problem with this car and probably should have been addressed by gm.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 oldsmobile lss. The contact heard a loud explosion under the hood of the vehicle immediately after it was started. As he opened the hood, he noticed a fire in the engine compartment. He used a fire extinguisher to put the fire out. The air intake and device on the engine cover were destroyed as a result of the fire. The manufacturer advised the contact that a product allegation representative would notify him. The failure mileage was 90,000.
My 1997 chevrolet lumina, 1997 oldsmobile and 1998 oldsmobile all have had brake lines fail due to corrosion in the last two years. The most recent failure almost resulted in an accident as the brakes failed during a panic stop to avoid a collision. All vehicles had steel brake lines replaced to correct the failure. I tend to keep my cars until they are ten plus years old. The majority of my cars have had brakes fail due to corrosion of the tubing. I was wondering why stainless steel tubing is not required on brake lines?
We have had to replace the (plastic) manifold on our 1997 olds 88 three times in the last five years. This is obviously a manufacturer defect, yet no recall has been issued for this car (while recalls have been issue for similar defects on similar cars). We have spent over $2000 getting this problem fixed and that still doesn't fix the coolant in the engine which cannot be entirely cleared out without removing the engine and incurring other possible problems.
Air bags deployed prematurely. Very minor fender bender no damage to other car. Small fist size dent to the car in question. Noted from cop on seen, speed was less than 10 MPH. Air bags deployed and totaled inside of car. Sent 2 persons to hospital.
Dt: the rear brakes have never worked on this vehicle. The back drums are black, they've never had contact unless using the emergency brake.
The fuel pressure regulator had to be replaced twice within week due to the defect described in recall 04v090000. The consumers vehicle was not included in the recall.
On february 25, 2004 my grandparents purchased a 1997 oldsmobile lss from north lake ford in lakeport california. Immediately following the purchase the vehicle developed an intermittent stall, and would not restart for several minutes. In fact the vehicle stalls with no warning and they were nearly ran over by a semi truck when the vehicle stalled. The vehicle has been in to have the problem repaired four times, and it still stalls to this day. Please look into this problem to prevent a catastrophe.
Compare the 1997 Oldsmobile 88
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Questions about the 1997 Oldsmobile 88
Is the 1997 Oldsmobile 88 reliable?
Owners have filed 100 complaints about the 1997 Oldsmobile 88, 1.3 times a typical 88 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Oldsmobile 88?
Engine and cooling, with 27 complaints, typically around 63,257 miles. Next is electrical (14).
How many recalls does the 1997 Oldsmobile 88 have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Oldsmobile 88 have bad engine?
The Oldsmobile 88 model years with the most engine complaints are 1998 (82 complaints), 1999 (33 complaints) and 1997 (27 complaints).
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