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 repaired for the failure. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,300.
The worst 1999 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.
- Engine33
- Fuel system13
- Electrical9
- Transmission8
- Brakes6
- Seat belts4
- Steering4
- Acceleration3
- Body3
- Lights3
- Suspension2
- Visibility2
- Airbags1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1999 Oldsmobile 88
Fire or smoke 8Check engine light 6Engine failure 5Loss of power 5
Recalls 2
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 04V090000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the manual valve/link assembly with a replacement manual valve/link kit, featuring a spring-type fastener.
Recall number 99V089000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 1999 Oldsmobile 88
Defect investigations
Engine compartment fire
By letter dated march 12, 2008, general motors corp. (gm) has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (identified by the federal safety agency recall number 08v‑118) to address a defect in approximately 207,542 model year (my) 1997-2003 buick regal gs and pontiac grand prix gtp vehicles equipped with the l67 supercharged version of gm's 3800 series ii v6 engine.the recalled regal gs vehicles were built from august 1996 to june 2003 and the grand prix gtp from march 1996 through january 2003.according to gm, oil may escape past the valve cover gasket on the front cylinder bank (cylinders 1-3-5) and deposit onto hot exhaust system components.under certain conditions, it is possible for this oil to ignite a small pilot flame, which may spread to the adjacent plastic spark plug wire channel, the spark plug wires themselves, the plastic engine cover, and other under hood components.reports indicate this most often occurs on higher-mileage vehicles shortly after the vehicle has been driven and then parked.typically, the fire was discovered within 5 to 15 minutes after the vehicle was parked.during this time window, under hood temperatures may become elevated.such elevated temperatures combined with a lack of airflow through the engine compartment may permit a small pilot flame to propagate and ignite other fuel sources.to correct the safety defect, gm will install an improved design front valve cover gasket and spark plug wire retainer.this remedy will be suppliedfree of charge for all recalled vehicles.until sufficient parts become available to repair all of the affected vehicles, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions: (1) they strongly recommend that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, carport, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle - the dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; and (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual.the action taken by gm is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.the subject fire incident rate on the c-, g-, and h-platform subject vehicles is low.the agency will continue to monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.accordingly, this investigation is closed.see document file for additional information regarding this resume.
EA07008
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
Transmission shift lever sequence
RQ99007
Technical service bulletins for the 1999 Oldsmobile 88 32
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy...
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to reprogram the media disc player with the latest...
- Vehicle Recalls
- This informational bulletin provides the technician with information on what E85 fuel may due to a non E85...
- Refinishing Aluminum Wheels
- Underbody Component Corrosion The following information may be helpful when addressing underbody component...
- 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...
- Dealers may comment on a chuggle, surge, misfire condition
What 1999 Oldsmobile 88 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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 show any recalls currently but based on the tsb. The rail should've been replaced with a bosch. I am a service tech at a private shop. If I weren't a tech I wouldn't have known the rail wasn't replaced and I may not have noticed the leak until I burnt to death in a firey crash. Gm has no answer except to take it to a dealership where they want to charge me a ridiculous diagnostics fee which I refuse to pay, especially for a recall repair that wasn't done properly the first time.
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 defect does not occur daily and is unpredictable. The only check engine code present was a "egr valve" code. The egr valve was replaced at the cost of $344.00. The engine shutting off unexpectedly defect has continued to occur after the check engine repair was completed. This is an extreme safety issue that appears to replicate the gm ignition switch recall that this VIN is not included in. From "googling" this defect it appears to affect a large number of similar vehicles with 3.8l gm engines and electrical systems.
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) the federal safety agency 99v089000. This owner nor the previous owner did not receive any kind of notice for this recall. Was the service performed? What happened? Thank you & have a great day !!!
Vehicle will randomly "kill" and it happens sporadically - also possibly something in the electrical system is failing - many different issues with reference to electrical problems.
Tried to start car to go to work in the morning of 6-16-14. Heard loud boom and smoke started pouring out from under hood. Opened hood and engine was on fire. Extinguished flames and found the intake mainifold had litterally blown apart. There was a recall that should have dealt with this problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 oldsmobile 88. The contact stated that while traveling 55 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated as the engine overheated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who confirmed that the failure was caused by a hole that had melted in the intake manifold, causing coolant to leak into the manifold. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 72,602 and the current mileage was 73,102.
The first time I put the car in the shop is because I was driving at about 45 MPH and the car shut off on me while entering the freeway. The second time was because the car wouldn't start until after 15 min or so. I have paid $650 for my ignition switch to be changed $280 for the key lock cylinder with key changed, and $1150 for new head gasket after car over heated cause the plastic manifold gasket melted and cracked causing the car to overheat. I have done all of this within a year and the crazy thing is the car isn't starting again. I really think you all should consider a recall on this car because im wasting money on a car I never get to drive even after I pay for the costly repairs.
1999 oldsmobile 88 plastic intake manifold cracked due to hot pipe routed near it (per the mechanic). This allowed coolant and oil into the engine. Engine is making bad clanking noise. Cost to replace intake, replace plugs, new sensor was $1096. It appears from reading arfc website that this is a common problem and manufacturers defect.
Compare the 1999 Oldsmobile 88
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Questions about the 1999 Oldsmobile 88
Is the 1999 Oldsmobile 88 reliable?
Owners have filed 77 complaints about the 1999 Oldsmobile 88, close to a typical 88 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Oldsmobile 88?
Engine and cooling, with 33 complaints, typically around 92,320 miles. Next is fuel system (13).
How many recalls does the 1999 Oldsmobile 88 have?
2 recalls, covering fuel system, gasoline and power train.
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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