NHTSA Complaint #10151163 — 1993 OLDSMOBILE 88

THIS CAR, LIKE MANY FRONT-DRIVE CARS, USES A FRONT SUBFRAME TO CARRY THE ENGINE, TRANSAXLE, STEERING GEAR AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS. THE SUBFRAME IS ATTACHED TO THE BODY WITH SIX RUBBER ISOLATORS, EACH OF WHICH IS FASTENED IN PLACE WITH A LARGE RETAINING WASHER AND A BOLT. ONE OF THE SIX RETAINING WASHERS RUSTED THROUGH AND THE OUTER HALF OF IT FELL OFF THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO A GM DEALER AND ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER TO INSPECT AND REPORT ON THE CONDITION OF THE OTHER FIVE WASHERS. AS I SUSPECTED FROM MY VISUAL INSPECTION,ALL FIVE WERE SERIOUSLY WEAKENED BY RUST AND IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. THE SUBFRAME HAD ALSO RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT, TO THE POINT THAT THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN COULD EASILY POKE A SCREWDRIVER THROUGH THE RUSTED SECTIONS. THE REST OF THE UNDERBODY, INCLUDING THE FLOOR PAN, ROCKER PANELS, STRUT TOWERS, FUEL TANK, TANK STRAPS AND REAR SUSPENSION PARTS, WAS VIRTUALLY FREE OF RUST. IF THE RETAINERS OR SUBFRAME HAD FAILED ON THE ROAD AND THE REAR OF THE SUBFRAME HAD DROPPED DOWN, THE DRIVER WOULD HAVE LOST STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MODE AND CONSEQUENCES ARE SIMILAR TO SAFETY RECALL 98V323000, WHICH COVERED SUBFRAME RETAINERS ON 2.6 MILLION FORD, MERCURY AND LINCOLN FRONT-DRIVE VEHICLES. I PAID FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE SUBFRAME, THE SIX RETAINERS, THE SIX MOUNT BOLTS, AND SEVERAL OF THE RUBBER ISOLATORS THAT EXHIBITED RUST DAMAGE TO THEIR INTERNAL METAL SLEEVES. WITH LABOR CHARGES FOR THE PARTS REPLACEMENTS AND THE FRONT-END ALIGNMENT THAT WAS REQUIRED AFTER REPLACEMENT OF THOSE PARTS, THE TOTAL BILL CAME TO $1558. I HELD ONTO THE RUSTED RETAINER THAT FELL OFF THE CAR; THE DEALER DISPOSED OF THE REMAINING PARTS, SINCE I DID NOT HAVE STORAGE SPACE AVAILABLE FOR THE LARGE SUBFRAME. I CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY TO HAVE FOUND AND REPAIRED THIS PROBLEM BEFORE IT LED TO AN INJURY OR FATALITY ACCIDENT. THIS SUBFRAME AND RETAINER DESIGN IS NOT UNIQUE TO THE OLDS 88, BUT IS SHARED BY THE GM H-BODY AND C-BODY PLATFORMS.*JB