1996 OLDSMOBILE 88 Complaints

STEERING WHEEL- THERE ARE HARD TO TURN SPOTS (BINDING?), EVERY HALF TURN AND THE WHEELS WILL NOT AUTOMATICALLY RETURN TO STRAIGHT AFTER TURNING.*AK THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER A YEAR, AND GETTING PROGRESSIVLY WORSE. THE PROBLEM IS MORE PRONOUNCED WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD, AND HARDLY NOTICABLE WHEN THE ENGINE IS HOT.

SHORT IN WIRING FOR HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. HEATER/AIR CONDITIONER/REAR DEFROST WOULD BE WORKING & THEN STOP. WOULD START WORKING AGAIN INTERMITTENTLY - MINUTES, HOURS, DAYS LATER. TOOK IT TO A SHOP & FOUND THAT THERE WAS A SHORT & THE WIRE WAS BURNT. SHOULD HAVE SMELLED SMOKE. *CB

VEHICLE STALLED TWICE DUE TO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKING ANTIFREEZE. DEALER REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, BUT VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL. *AK 1996 OLDSMOBILE LSS 88 STALLED TWICE DUE TO INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKING ANTIFREEZE. CONSUMER HAD THE INTAKE MANIFOLD PLENUM AND GASKETS REPLACED AS WELL AS A NEW BATTERY INSTALLED AND A NEW STARTER AND VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL.*MR

IT IS MY OPINION THAT MODERN HALLOGEN LAMPS ARE DANGEROUSLY AND UNECESSARILY BRIGHT. THIS HAS BEEN INDICATED TO ME WHEN I USE MY CAR EQUIPPED WITH SEALED BEAM LIGHTS SET ON HIGH BEAM. NO ONE" BRIGHT LIGHTS "ME , INDICATING THAT OTHER DRIVERS DO NOT PERCIEVE THAT THE HIGH BEAM IS BRIGHTER THAT LOW BEAM HALLOGEN LAMPS. ON-COMING LIGHTS THAT ARE TOO BRIGHT IMPAIR VISION AND MAY CAUSE INJURY TO THE EYE. I FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE A STANDARD OF LIGHT INTENSITY BASED ON ACTUAL COMPARISON OF HALLOGEN AND SEALED BEAM LAMPS. *AK

NHTSA RECALL 96-V-116-000 A BACKFIRE DURING ENGINE STARTING, CAN CAUSE BREAKAGE OF THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK

ALARM SYSTEM WILL COME AND OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING AND WEAR THE BATTERY DOWN, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR VEHICLE TO START.*AK

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND CRASHED INTO A WINDOW. *JB

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. ALSO STATED THAT THE ENGINE BLOW UP AND CAUSE SEVERAL PROBLEMS TO THE VEHICLE. ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON 1996 FOR CRACKS ON THE ENGINE AND FOR THE COMPUTER FOR THE ENGINE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT HAD A PROBLEM WITH A FEW OF THE SAME VEHICLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT THE MANUFACTURE IS AWARE OF IT. TS

I WAS DRIVING THROUGH TOWN, EASTON MA, AND THE ENGINE SPUTTERED A BIT. NEXT, A KID HAILED ME DOWN AND I SAW SMOKE FROM MY REAR. I PULLED INTO THE NEAREST PARKING LOT AND OPENED THE HOOD. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS IN FLAMES. GOOD THING I KEPT MY DISTANCE BECAUSE PARTS BLEW APART. CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEY PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TOLD ME THAT HE SAW TWO OTHER GM VEHICLES JUST LIKE MINE (3.8 LITER) ALSO BURN UP. I JUNKED THE VEHICLE. WROTE TO GM, BUT RECIEVED NO RESPONSE. JUST SAW ON CARS.COM THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS RAISING AN INVESTIGATION ON THE GM 3.8 LITER ENGINES. IT REALLY HURTS LOSING $13,000. THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE IF THAT KID DIDN'T WARN ME. NO WONDER THEY DISCONTINUED THE DELTA 88. IS THERE ANY WAY I CAN BE COMPENSATED FOR MY LOSS? DT

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT FOR THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AS MENTIONED IN RECALL 96 V 116 000, HOWEVER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. TS *TT *JB. *AK