1996 OLDSMOBILE 88 Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 OLDSMOBILE 88. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT A CRASH OR IMPACT OCCURRING. THE DEPLOYMENT DAMAGED THE DASHBOARD AND SHATTERED THE WINDSHIELD. THE PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE SUFFERED A MINOR HAND INJURY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 160,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 OLDSMOBILE 88. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND DIMMED SEVERAL TIMES. MINUTES LATER, THE LIGHT STOPPED FLASHING AND THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 198,722 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 198,522.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 OLDSMOBILE 88. THREE DAYS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM A PRIVATE OWNER, BOTH FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR A CRASH AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 231,363.

WHILE THE CAR WAS IDLING IN A PARKING LOT, THE AIR BAG DASH LIGHT BEGAN BLINKING AND THEN THE DRIVER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

I AM TRYING TO INSTALL CAR SEATS FOR BOTH MY CHILDREN IN MY 1996 OLDSMOBILE LSS AND THERE ARE NO ANCHOR POINTS INSTALLED FOR THE TETHER STRAP, THUS MAKING THE CHILD SEAT USELESS. THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES THAT IF NO ANCHOR POINTS ARE INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE TO CALL YOUR LOCAL DEALER AND HAVE THEM INSTALLED IN THE LOCATIONS SHOWN IN THE MANUAL. THE LOCAL GM DEALER SAYS THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE ANCHOR POINTS AND WILL NOT INSTALL THEM. THEY ARE TELLING ME TO GO TO THE CAR SEAT MANUFACTURER TO GET THE ANCHOR POINTS. THE CHILD SEAT MANUFACTURER (BRITAX) DOES NOT MAKE THEM. THE LOCAL AGENCY THAT INSTALLS AND ENSURES PROPER CHILD SEAT INSTALLATION TOLD ME TO GO TO THE GM DEALER. SO NOW, I AM BACK A SQUARE ONE AND CANNOT HAVE MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR! I ALSO HAVE A 1999 GMC SUBURBAN THAT HAS ANCHOR POINTS FOR THE 3RD ROW SEAT, BUT MY CHILDREN ARE IN THE SECOND ROW. AGAIN, GM WILL NOT INSTALL ANCHOR POINTS FOR ME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 OLDSMOBILE 88. THE VEHICLE HAS COOPER MULTI-MILE GRAND AM RADIAL SE, SIZE P205/70R15 TIRES. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN VIBRATING. THE TIRE MECHANIC BALANCED THE TIRES, HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE TIRE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND HE REPLACED THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRES. APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER, THE STEERING WHEEL VEERED TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT. THE TIRE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS A BULGE ON THE DRIVER SIDE TIRE AND HE REPLACED BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE TIRES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 97,016. UPDATED 01/11/08. *LJ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 OLDSMOBILE LSS. ON NOVEMBER 7, 2007, WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN UNFAMILIAR NOISE COMING FROM HER VEHICLE. SHE PULLED OVER, EXITED THE VEHICLE, AND NOTICED FLAMES RISING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT BELIEVED SAFETY RECALL # 96V116000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM) WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR CAUSING THE FIRE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 186,272 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 184,272.

MY CAR WAS HAVING SOME PROBLEMS STARTING AND STAYING STARTED. IT SOUNDED LIKE A BACK FIRE AND WOULDN'T START BACK UP. WE CHECKED THE PLUGS AND ALSO TESTED TO SEE IF WAS GETTING FUEL. YES, THE PLUGS WERE FINE, AND IT WAS GETTING FUEL. I THEN TOOK OFF THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE HAD THAT TESTED AND THAT WAS FINE. I WAS TOLD THEN IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN. REPLACED THAT, THE CAM SENSOR THE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR, VALVE COVER GASKET, THE LOWER AND UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS THAT WERE CRACKED, PIECES MISSING, AND COVERED IN THICK BROWN GOOD. MY CAR STILL WILL NOT START, AND HAS WATER FALLS OF WATER COMING OUT THE PLUG HOLES. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE NEAR THE SIDE OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING. THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE GOING 55 MPH THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE WINDSHIELD WAS BUSTED DUE TO THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME THEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AS TO WHY THE AIRBAG HAD DEPLOYED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. UPDATED 03/03/06. *JB