Most common 1998 Oldsmobile 88 problems
Share of the 164 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Oldsmobile 88 complaints by model year
Best 88 years: 1999, 1996. Years to avoid: 1998. Compare all years →
1998 Oldsmobile 88 recalls (1)
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery
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.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 1998 Oldsmobile 88:
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…
What 1998 Oldsmobile 88 owners say
Engine & cooling all 82 →
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Oldsmobile 88. The contact stated that when turning on the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact proceeded to check the coolant in the vehicle finding that there was no coolant in the reservoir. When attempting to turn on the vehicle, the exhaust pipe in the rear of the vehicle released large amounts of white smoke. The contact stated that the when having the vehicle diagnosed by the dealer, the vehicle stalled. The dealer diagnosed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 36,000. The VIN was not available.
Engine using coolant but no evident leak. After a week of adding a little coolant to reservoir engine ran hot and hydro-locked due to cylinders flooded with coolant. Discovered plastic intake manifold had hole in it where the EGR tube entered plastic manifold allowing coolant to flood intake. This engine had 84K miles. Also discovered intake gaskets were replaced at 45K miles by dealer. Definitely an engineering defect.
Brakes all 20 →
Anti-lock braking system has failed 3 times. 1st time was 01-10-03. 2nd time was 04-11-03 and 3rd time was 04-21-03. Ist time resulted in accident and last 2 times I was able to get off highway before rear ending the car in front of me. I will enter the last time this happened.
Starting early 2002 with only 45000 miles on the 1998 Oldsmobile 88 the warning light advising ABS was not operating came on intermittantly. Took to cuesta Cadillac Oldsmobile dealer in san luis obispo calif and was advised that rear brake cylinders were leaking and should be replaced. We did that but intermittant dash error light warnings continued. In 2003 the dealer said to contact GM and request repair but GM refused to accept responsibility. ABS system still inoperative intermittantly and dealer says they will replace ABS pump for $2000 but will not guarantee that it will be fixed.
Fuel & propulsion system all 20 →
I just bought this used car on jan 1, 2013. I noticed a smell from the car but wasn't sure what is was and bought the car anyways. Well a couple weeks later my boyfriend was checking my fluids on the car and noticed a fuel leak under the hood, so we went to auto zone and bought a fuel line that cost around $30, he put it on, still leaking, well we figured since the fuel line that we bought wasn't precrimped it wasn't going to work, so we went to the junk yard and got the exact same part off another 1998 Oldsmobile 88, figured since it was precrimped it would work, not the case, fuel still leaking under the hood, so we went to the Chevy dealership in nashville and bought the very last fuel line in the state around $120, which the difference between this one and the other two is that it is 6 ft. …
While merging into interstate rush hour traffic with no warning engine failed causing lost of braking and steering effectiveness. No warning was received. Vehicle was towed to dealer and upper intake was found cracked allowing coolant to enter combustion chamber. One week and $800.00 later car was "repaired" vehicle continues to experience fuel delivery problems. Hard starting, random stalling. Dealer advised me this is a common problem with the 3800 series ii engine regardless of mileage or type of use and maintenance. Considering the sudden lost of all power this is very dangerous as braking and steering effectiveness is reduced as is electrical power for accessories such as headlamps and windshield wipers.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Oldsmobile 88 a good car?
Based on 164 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 88 rates use caution: 1.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the 88 at the same age. It is one of the 88 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Oldsmobile 88?
The engine & cooling — 82 complaints, 50% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › gasoline. Next are the brakes (20) and fuel & propulsion system (20).
How many recalls does the 1998 Oldsmobile 88 have?
There is 1 recall for the 1998 Oldsmobile 88, the most recent from February 24, 2004 (delivery). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Oldsmobile 88?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1999 and 1996. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1998. See the full Oldsmobile 88 years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 Oldsmobile 88 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 72,000 miles; 21% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.