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1988 Oldsmobile Toronado

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

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1988 Oldsmobile Toronado records EPA fuel‑economy ratings of 17 city, 26 highway and 20 combined miles per gallon and is paired with an automatic four‑speed transmission. It generated a total of four owner complaints during the 1990‑1995 observation window, with the bulk of those complaints concentrated in the tires category and a single recall documented. Within that span the highest annual complaint count was 16 in 1990, while the following year saw only one complaint, marking a marked decline in reported issues. Consequently, the 1988 model sits at the beginning of a reliability trend that eased over time, suggesting that its later years benefited from a reduction in owner problems.

Model year1992 1991 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984

Quick specs

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

EPA fuel economy17/26/20 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory fuel filter and serpentine belt are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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	12731175 alt 25322835
Engine air filter	24577608
Fuel filter	25171792 discontinued
Spark plug	19354416
Front wiper blades	22155381
Serpentine belt	10230725 discontinued
Thermostat	24506986 alt 12337860

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	187.4 in
Overall width	70.9 in
Overall height	52.8 in
Wheelbase	107.9 in
Curb weight	3364 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)	65/35

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	17 / 26 / 20 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Power Steering Fluid	USE GM PART NO. 1050017 OR EQUIVALENT

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	Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (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 record for the Toronado generation shows a sharp decline in complaints and recalls from 1990 (16 complaints, 3 recalls) to 1995 (1 complaint, 0 recalls). 1991 and 1992 also saw a drop to 4–5 complaints and 1–2 recalls, suggesting a trend of improving reliability over the decade. 1988 sits at the beginning of this arc, but the data set does not include that year, so its exact position in the trend cannot be quantified. The top complaint areas for 1988—tires, seats, power train, and steering—each appear once, with no crash complaints and two fire complaints, indicating isolated issues rather than systemic failures. Given the lack of 1988-specific data and the subsequent improvement in later years, a 1988 Toronado may carry more unresolved concerns than later models, so a buyer should proceed cautiously and seek a thorough pre‑purchase inspection.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

0 involved a crash · 2 a fire

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

Overall★★★★★

Frontal★★★★★

Side★★★★★

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’95

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 4 complaints on record, top 4 components.

Tires1

Seats1

Power Train1

Steering1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 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…

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 Toronado. 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.

Engine oil filter 12731175 Engine air filter 24577608 Fuel filter 25171792 Spark plug 19354416

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

Does the 1988 Toronado have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Toronado get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 26 highway / 20 combined mpg.