1997 Oldsmobile 88 LS review from North America

The previous owner spent $1500. four years ago at 48k miles to replace the faulty plastic intake manifold and gaskets. At 66k, I had to perfom the same repair. This is a common problem with GM vehicles of early 90's to present. The previous owner kept meticulous maintenace records and the car was still like new. At 72k, it looks like the car is using ant-freeze again. A class action law-suit was won against GM for this problem - Dex Cool. But the age if the car does not qualify. I can see why GM is on the verge of bankruptcy.

The previous owner paid 25k for this car in 1997. I can think of better ways to spend that on a car even 11 years later. It does not have leather, sunroof, or auto-climate control for that price. Also, the rear seat does not fold down - you can carry more in sub-compact car with the rear seat folded. I do like the car though - it runs nice, rides smooth and is very comfortable. MPG is around 21 highway/city mix which is reasonable. I would advise anyone to stay clear of GM products that suffer from this Dex-Cool problem. The repair is expensive, and can re-occur. Used I spent 2500 for this vehicle, and sunk another 1500 into it. I thought it would be a reliable and safe winter car. For $ 4,000, I could have purchased a better car from the start.