Total Complaints
6 filings
OLDSMOBILE CALAIS · model year
1987 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS
6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987OLDSMOBILECALAIS carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 3 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 1987 CALAIS is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 4 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (1) and engine and engine cooling (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 13 investigation files overlapping the 1987 CALAIS. 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.
6
Complaints
0
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040422ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
OIL PUMP/BALANCER ASSEMBLY ON 2.5L 151CI. TECH 4 (NOT SURE ON SPECIFIC YEARS) CAN CRACK FROM NORMAL WEAR, AND DESTROY CRANK SHAFT AND ENGINE. THE BALANCER ASSM. AND OIL PUMP ARE LOCATED IN OIL PAN. A SIMPLE REPLACEMENT OF OIL PUMP ASSM. WHEN LIFTER NOISE IS PRESENT, OR WHEN METAL FILINGS ARE FOUND IN OIL, WILL SAVE YOU FROM REPLACING ENGINE. THIS ASSEMBLY WILL EVENTUALLY STOP PUMPING OIL AND RUIN ENGINE. SAVE YOURSELF TIME AND MONEY AND DO-IT-YOURSELF. BUT DON'T DRIVE THE CAR WITH THESE PROBLEMS! THIS PUMP WILL RUN YOU $275 AT DEALERSHIP, BUT THIS BEATS A NEW ENGINE. I HAVE SEEN THIS TO BE THE MAIN CAUSE OF FAILURE IN HIGH MILEAGE ENGINES OF THIS KIND. GM DOESN'T COVER OR CLAIM TO KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND. I HOPE THIS HELPS YOU.
Mileage: 120,000
19960601FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. *SD
19960229FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960229FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960125ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TIMING GEAR REPLACED DUE TO TEETH SHEARING, CAUSING NO POWER STEERING/BRAKES/ENGINE. *SD
19950216ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
INTERMITTENT STALLING. *AK
Compare 1987OLDSMOBILECALAIS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS have?▼
The 1987 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Is the 1987 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS 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.