Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Oldsmobile 88 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl 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.
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.
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. …
I was driving my 1997 Oldsmobile 88 and all of a sudden it went boom and the car stopped suddenly and smoke barrelled out of the engine and would not turn over.I had to be pushed out of the wayto the next parking lot.we had our car towed to a mechanic shop and they said that we needed a a new engine.they in turn towed it to yet another reputable shop and they said that the engine blew due to a faulty intake manifold.it was plastic and with the heat of the engine aloowed it to leak into other parts of the engines cooling system.GM didn't take fault even though they stopped using the plastic manifold and had a recall on it.from my understanding. …
Misfiring, backfiring, stalling and coolant leaks due to leaking plastic intake manifold and gaskets. Dealer claims to have found no problems in sept. 2000. Kept having problems. Took to another repair shop and upper intake gasket was replaced, failed 2 weeks later and was replaced again. Leaks coolant onto floor. Can smell coolant in passenger compartment and garage where parked.
While driving 65 MPH vehicle all of a sudden came to a stop. Owner did notice smoke coming from the vehicle. Fire department stated that the engine manifold leaked fuel onto the enigne, which started a fire. Fire was put out by the fire department. Vehicle has been totalled. Referenced in ea02-030
The consumer had taken the vehicle to the dealer to be inspected, and the mechanic determined that the plastic intake manifold had a crack, causing fluid to leak onto the engine. The water pump went out and the spark plugs, head gasket starter, and the accelerator cable was replaced.
Vehicle experienced a back fire while driving and causing an engine compartment fire. Dealer / manufacturer were not notifed at this time. Please provide us with any further information concerning this matter.
I have a problem with the plentium being made of plastic. To put plastic in the engine, this car is only 5 years old. And has had excellant care. The plentium wears out dumping engine collant into combustion chambers. And contaminates the entire engine with water and coolant. Which in turn destroys the engine. GM knows of this problem and state that they have corrected the problem in the later models. I would like to see them recall the ones that were not corrected. Although our instance subjected us to any danger . If this was to happen on the highway at night, whos to say what could happen. If other manufacturers can recoginize this problem and have recalls, then why can't Oldsmobile step up and do the same? If they want information on othe instances on the same part failure from other peoples, I would be more than happy to provide this. Thank you for your time. Tommy rice.
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.
Engine complaints in other 88 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1997 Oldsmobile 88?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1997 Oldsmobile 88, 28% of the model year's 101 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Oldsmobile 88 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1997 Oldsmobile 88. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Oldsmobile 88 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 63,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 10 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.