- Vehicles
- 38,309
- Built between
- Sep 1985 – Jan 1986
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 22 September 1986
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between September 1985 and January 1986. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1986 Oldsmobile 88Built September 1985 to January 1986
What the defect is
The left and right rear lower control arm ball joint stud to knuckle attachment may have been inadequately tightened. Consequence of defect: this could allow the rear lower control arm ball joint stud to loosen at the knuckle attachment. A loose ball joint stud could eventually break and separate from the knuckle. Separation could cause a loss of vehicle control which could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.
What gets fixed
REPLACE AND TIGHTEN BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT STUD NUTS.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtSeptember 1985 to January 1986
- Recall reported to NHTSA28 August 1986
- Owners notified22 September 1986
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 28 August 1986.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
System: suspension/rear lower control arm ball joint stud.vehicle description: passenger cars.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.