Your vehicle report
1995 Oldsmobile 88
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 117
- Received Jan 1995 to Jun 2015
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes19 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Seat belt fails to latch or retract9 complaints · 7.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine suddenly shuts off while driving9 complaints · 7.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #94V138000A spring in the head lamp portion of the head park lamp switch can fail preventing latching of the head lamp portion of the switch in the "on" position.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 12 crashes, 5 fires, 12 people injured, 2 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 12 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 17 |
| 1996 | 7 |
| 1997 | 13 |
| 1998 | 10 |
| 1999 | 19 |
| 2000 | 13 |
| 2001 | 6 |
| 2002 | 4 |
| 2003 | 4 |
| 2004 | 11 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2006 | 4 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 117 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 19 | 16% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 9 | 7.7% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 9 | 7.7% | – | |
| Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant | 4 | 3.4% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 4 | 3.4% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 4 | 3.4% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 3 | 2.6% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 3 | 2.6% | – | |
| Serpentine belt breaks or slips off | 3 | 2.6% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 2.6% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 3 | 2.6% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 3 | 2.6% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #94V138000August 2, 19941,487 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: headlights: switch
A spring in the head lamp portion of the head park lamp switch Can fail preventing latching of the head lamp portion of the switch in the "on" position.
The head lamps would not stay illuminated resulting in reduced driver visibility.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect head/park lamp switch build date codes and replace switches with suspect date codes.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1995 Oldsmobile 88.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN