1988 Oldsmobile Delta 88 review from North America
"She will run like a champ if you baby her"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Interior lights do not work.
Lock for my glove compartment is non existent, so now I have this piece of plastic holding it put.
Dash board lights do not work and I cannot figure out why for the life of me. Instead, I have a flashlight duct taped to my dashboard.
Speakers are cracked and the stereo doesn't stay on.
What everyone has said is true about the transmission... at around 120000 miles it has suddenly begun to die on me. It doesn't have a second gear anymore and so there is a lovely grinding noise from 20-40 miles an hour.
Radiator and the fan have gone out at around 125000. I just got the parts at a junk yard.
Leaks oil, radiator fluid and transmission fluid EVERYWHERE.
Muffler is cracked and extremely loud.
The seals for my windows are cracked too, it leaks water everywhere. I now need to have two towels in my car in case of an emergency.
The seats do not move back.
The handles for my manual windows are sticking so now I have an extremely strong left arm!!
I go through windshield wipers like mad.
The SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT is on all the time.
The gauge that tells you how much gas you have in your tank is broken so now I drive on a prayer when I am not sure how much gas I have in the car.
Heat barely works and the A/C is non existent.
The primer is completely gone now so my car doesn't have that much color anymore.
Seat belts do not work for they are stuck.
The license plate lights do not like to work...EVER.
The cloth from the roof of the car is completely loose so now I have tacks holding them in place.
General comments?
When I am at a red light for too long it feels like someone kicks my car from the behind and the SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT will flicker on and stay on until I accelerate.
It used to accelerate like a dream until I started having these gear problems. Now I can barely push it to thirty miles an hour in less than two or three minutes.
The seats are uncomfortable, but extremely large. Good for college students.
This car sucks gas up like you would not believe. I barely get 9 miles to the gallon.
Despite all the problems I have with this car, I can honestly say it is not that bad of a deal. I bought it for 600 dollars about eight months ago. The previous owner had really beaten her up and I'm afraid I wasn't any nicer.
She may be ugly, but she has been running a lot longer than I expected. For 600 dollars... I got the most for my money. I am a bit sad to see her go...
Recommended reviews
  | I virtually destroyed the car and it ran like a champ… LOVED! LOVED! LOVED! this car |
| 1988 - Delta 88 Royale Brougham 3.8L A great first car, especially if you need to move more than 2 people around! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model Year | 1988 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8L Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7/10 |
| Reliability marks | 5/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 11000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 135000 miles |
| Previous car | Toyota Celica |
| Date of Entry | 14th December, 2005 |