Total Complaints
34 filings
OLDSMOBILE CALAIS · model year
1988 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS
34 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988OLDSMOBILECALAIS carries 34 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 1 fire, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1988 CALAIS is engine and engine cooling:engine with 7 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (4) and electrical system:starter assembly (3). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 13 investigation files overlapping the 1988 CALAIS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
34
Complaints
2
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 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 | 7 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 4 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 2 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000207ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY FAILED. *MJS
20000207ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
CRACKED ENGINE HEAD. *MJS
19990322ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR ALL QUAD-4 ENGINE HEADS. NO HELP FROM OLDSMOBILE DUE TO AGE/MILEAGE. *AK
19990107SUSPENSION:FRONT
THERE IS A VERY LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FROM OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, CONSUMER NOTICED THE VEHICLE SHAKING AND KNOCKING WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. *AK
19970717VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN ACCELERATION.
19970318ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
OWNER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE THE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT, OWNER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO GET VEHICLE REPAIRED. *AK
19970205EXTERIOR LIGHTING
ELECTRICAL LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SHORTS. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19970205SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
SEAT BELT IS STUCK IN THE DOOR AND WILL NOT BUCKLE.
19960923ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
INTERMITTENT STALLING.
19960923POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
TRANSMISSION CONVERTER CLUTCH SOLENOID REPLACED.
19960923ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE MOUNT REPLACED.
19960923ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IGNITION COIL HOUSING REPLACED.
19960923POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
19960923ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
STARTER FAILED.
19960601ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE FAILED THREE TIMES. *DSH
19960509ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKETS REPLACED TWICE.*SD
19960509ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
EXHAUST SYSTEM FAILED DUE TO IGNITION COIL LEAK. *SD
19960509VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
WINDOWS LEAK. *SD
19960509CrashFireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IGNITION COIL HOUSING WAS DEFECTIVE, CAUSING GAS TO LEAK INTO EXHAUST SYSTEM/FIRE/ACCIDENT. *SD
19960509POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
CLUTCH REPLACED 3 TIMES. *SD
Compare 1988OLDSMOBILECALAIS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS have?▼
The 1988 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS has 34 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1988 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1988 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.