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1988 Buick Skylark

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1988 Skylark.

The 1988 Buick Skylark, a front-wheel-drive compact, required 4 quarts of 5W-30 API engine oil and generated 16 total owner complaints—most frequently concerning vehicle speed control—along with 4 recalls. This model year falls outside the 1990–2000 complaint history, where the highest annual complaint count reached 100 (in 1995) and the lowest was 1 (in 2000), placing the 1988’s complaint volume well below that later peak.

Model year1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1988

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 12737092. Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12737092 alt 25012305
Engine air filter	25096763 alt 25043334
Fuel filter	25171792 discontinued
Spark plug	05614046 alt 19302726
Front wiper blades	22155381
Serpentine belt	25534241 alt 10032192
Thermostat	10192505 alt 22545290

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	180.3 in
Overall width	66.5 in
Overall height	52 in
Wheelbase	103.5 in
Curb weight	2504 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)	64/36

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4 qt
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4 qt
Engine Oil	10W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.0 qt

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 7,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Throttle Body (torque) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill)
Every 15,000 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 mi	EGR System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The federal year-by-year record begins in 1990, so 1988 predates the earliest available comparative data and no total complaint, recall, or investigation tally is provided for the target year itself. Across the documented generation arc from 1990 onward, complaints and technical service bulletins trended sharply upward, rising from 31 complaints and 1 TSB in 1990 to peaks of 100 complaints and 67 TSBs by 1995. For 1988 specifically, the dataset records only low single-digit complaint counts in individual categories, with Vehicle Speed Control and Service Brakes, Hydraulic each registering 3 reports, Seat Belts and Engine & Engine Cooling registering 2 apiece, plus 3 crash complaints and 1 fire complaint, though the data does not specify root causes. Because 1988 falls before this documented rise, its limited categorical counts suggest it sidesteps the heavier issue concentration seen in the mid-1990s. A well-maintained 1988 example therefore represents a comparatively reasonable used purchase within this lineup.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

3 involved a crash · 1 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’00

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 16 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Vehicle Speed Control3

Service Brakes, Hydraulic3

Seat Belts2

Engine & Engine Cooling2

Suspension1

Unknown Or Other1

Tires1

Fuel System, Gasoline1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

06E043000Fuel System, GasolineReported 19/05/2006

CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18… Remedy: HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION…

90V042000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And FittingsReported 05/03/1990

FRONT FUEL FEED HOSE ASSEMBLY COULD CRACK OR SEPARATE AT THE COUPLING ON THE ENGINE END OF THE HOSE ASSEMBLY, ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. Remedy: REPLACE FRONT FUEL FEED HOSE ASSEMBLY.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 3 of 3 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
000524001	2000-04-01	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	INFORMATION REGARDING SNOW INTRUSION INTO REAR DRUM BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. **MR
476147A	1995-01-01	Engine And Engine Cooling	RATTLING NOISE/ENGINE OVERHEATING. *TW
476147	1994-12-01	Engine And Engine Cooling	RATTLING NOISE/ENGINE OVERHEATING. *TW

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Skylark. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Vehicles taking 4 qt Engine oil filter 12737092 Engine air filter 25096763 Fuel filter 25171792 Spark plug 05614046

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1988 Skylark take?

4 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1988 Skylark have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.