Total Complaints
17 filings
BUICK SKYLARK · model year
1988 BUICK SKYLARK
17 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988BUICKSKYLARK carries 17 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, 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 SKYLARK is vehicle speed control with 3 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (1) and seat belts (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 1 investigation file overlapping the 1988 SKYLARK. 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.
17
Complaints
3
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
3 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010223SUSPENSION
WHILE DRIVING OVER RAILROAD VEHICLE WILL START SHAKING. CONSUMER HAS TO STOP, THEN VEHICLE WILL DRIVE FINE. SOMETIMES HAS TO KEEP ACCELERATING SO ENGINE WON'T SHUT DOWN.*AK
20000922UNKNOWN OR OTHER
PAINT IS PEELING BADLY. VARIOUS SOURCES OF INFORMATION INDICATE A DEFECT WITH CERTAIN NEW PAINT FORMULAS USED DURING THE MID TO LATE 1980'S CAUSING CHIPPING AND PEELING ON NUMEROUS MODELS OF VEHICLES MADE DURING THIS PERIOD. NO SAFETY DEFECT. *AK
19990408SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
19990112ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FAILED.
19990112TIRES
TIRES FAILED (TRIBUNE P 185/80/R13).
19990111SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FAILED.
19980422CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
STARTED THE VEHICLE AND PUT THE GEAR IN REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BACKWARDS WITHOUT PUTTING FOOT ON GAS PEDAL. PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL, THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND WENT INTO THE NEIGHBOR'S BACK YARD AND HIT A TREE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER. *AK
19980312SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
INADEQUATE OR SOFT BRAKES CONTRIBUTED TO A CRASH.
19971027FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AND CAR CUT OFF, RESTARTED AND ATTEMPTED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. RAISED HOOD AND FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH. INSURANCE EXPERT SAID CAUSE OF FIRE WAS FROM FUEL FEED HOSE . *AK *SLC
19971027FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL
DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AND CAR CUT OFF, RESTARTED AND ATTEMPTED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. RAISED HOOD AND FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH. INSURANCE EXPERT SAID CAUSE OF FIRE WAS FROM FUEL FEED HOSE . *AK *SLC
19970806VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHEN PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATES, AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE IS STILL ACCELERATES. CAUSE OF THIS ACCELERATION IS UNKNOWN. *AK
19970804CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE DRIVING AND PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE THE VEHICLE TAKES OFF AND THE ONLY WAY THE VEHICLE WILL STOP IF THE DRIVER HIT SOMETHING. ALSO DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WILL PICK UP SPEED NOT WHEN VEHICLE IS ON LEVEL ROAD. *AK
19961126ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
DURING VEHICLE OPERATION THE VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM AND THE DEALER IS UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK
19960722CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
BRAKE PEDAL TOO CLOSE TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL, CAUSING THEM TO BE DEPRESSED SIMULTANEOUSLY, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *DH
19950814EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY VEHICLE THE HEADLIGHT WENT OFF BY THEMSELVES. TT
19950615SEAT BELTS
THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE DOOR. PLEASE EXPLAIN. TT
19950103ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE HEAD GASKET BLOW AND ENGINE LOCKED UP NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. TT
Compare 1988BUICKSKYLARK to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 BUICK SKYLARK have?▼
The 1988 BUICK SKYLARK has 17 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 BUICK SKYLARK?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 BUICK SKYLARK is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and SEAT BELTS.
Is the 1988 BUICK SKYLARK 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.