AUDI 90 · model year

1988 AUDI 90

4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1988AUDI90 carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1988 90 is visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:heater core with 1 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (1) and steering:column locking:anti-theft device (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 1988 90. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

4 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1
STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recent Complaints

20000928UNKNOWN OR OTHER

NO SUMMARY

19991007STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE

THE ANTI-THEFT LOCKING MECHANISM THAT ENGAGES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF, SOMETIMES ENGAGES WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING STEERING TO MALFUNCTION.THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

19971112SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE BRAKES LOSE PRESSURE AND GO TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

19960910VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE

HEATER CORE FAILED AS VEHICLE WA SENTERING GAS STATION, WINDSHIELD BECAME FOGGED UP AND DRIVER'S RIGHT FOOT WAS BURNED BY HOT COOLANT. *AK

Compare 1988AUDI90 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1988 AUDI 90 have?
The 1988 AUDI 90 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 AUDI 90?
The most-complained component for the 1988 AUDI 90 is VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP and STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE.
Is the 1988 AUDI 90 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.