Stalling or loss of power
1 mentions · 20.0% of complaints
Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).
Matching rule
\b(stall\w*|loss of power|lost power|engine shut\w* off)\bU.S. public vehicle records
1987 Oldsmobile CALAIS problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
5 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
120,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1987 model year. Data updated: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Owner-reported patterns
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 5 complaints (60.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine operation | 1 | 20.0% |
| Braking behavior | 1 | 20.0% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 20.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 3 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 1 |
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 3; Engine And Engine Cooling: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 4 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 2 |
| 1996 | 2 |
| 2004 | 1 |
1995: 2; 1996: 2; 2004: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 478091 · 1995-01-09 (January 9, 1995)
INTERMITTENT STALLING. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 478091 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 484191 · 1995-07-17 (July 17, 1995)
TIMING GEAR REPLACED DUE TO TEETH SHEARING, CAUSING NO POWER STEERING/BRAKES/ENGINE. *SD
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 484191 at NHTSA ↗
Explore the data
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
5 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
20.0%Usable mileage1 / 5 records
100.0%Valid incident date5 / 5 records
100.0%Valid filing date5 / 5 records
100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates5 / 5 records
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 133.3% | 114.3%ODI 969568THE VEHICLE HAS A CRACKED HEAD AT 62,000 MILES. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT | 120.0%ODI 484191TIMING GEAR REPLACED DUE TO TEETH SHEARING, CAUSING NO POWER STEERING/BRAKES/ENGINE. *SD | 738.9% | 422.2% | 18.3%ODI 489256OIL PAN MADE OF ALUMINUM, CAUSING AN OBJECT FROM STREET TO KNOCK A HOLE IN OIL PAN, LEAKING OIL ONTO ENGINE, RESULTING IN ENGINE FAILURE. *AW |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3%ODI 525173ENGINE STALLES WHEN IT OVERHEATS. VEHICLE FAILS TO START WHEN HOT UNTIL ENGINE COOLS DOWN. ALSO, REPLACED IGNITION/COIL AND STARTER. *AK | 360.0% | 422.2%ODI 484763ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED, CAUSING LEAK, RECALL WORK REFUSED PRIOR TO FAILURE. | 422.2% | 216.7%ODI 601595ENGINE FAILED DUE TO WATER LEAKING INTO THE OIL. (SECOND VEHICLE ON 508114) |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 228.6%ODI 525173ENGINE STALLES WHEN IT OVERHEATS. VEHICLE FAILS TO START WHEN HOT UNTIL ENGINE COOLS DOWN. ALSO, REPLACED IGNITION/COIL AND STARTER. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 211.1% | 15.6% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 15.6% | 211.1%ODI 486603INTERMITTENT SUDDEN ACCELERATIONS FROM COMPLETE STOP, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ONE ACCIDENT. *SKD | 216.7%ODI 562717THE VEHICLE WENT OUT OF CONTROL AT A HIGH SPEED WHEN THE DRIVER PUT GEAR IN REVERES TO BACK OUT OF PARKING LOT, AND CAUSED ACCIDENT SERIOUSLY INJURING THE DRIVER AND DAMAGING THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED INVESTIGATION BY THE MANUFACTURER. (THE ADDRESS IS THE OWNERS FATHER)*YH *TR |
| Electrical System:Starter Assembly | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3%ODI 525173ENGINE STALLES WHEN IT OVERHEATS. VEHICLE FAILS TO START WHEN HOT UNTIL ENGINE COOLS DOWN. ALSO, REPLACED IGNITION/COIL AND STARTER. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 316.7%ODI 484763ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED, CAUSING LEAK, RECALL WORK REFUSED PRIOR TO FAILURE. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3%ODI 10071286 · 221,000 miI HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. I BOUGHT IT USED 2 YEARS AGO FOR $1000.00 AND HAVE SPEND CLOSE TO $2000.00 JUST KEEPING THE THING RUNNING. I NOW AM IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE ELECTRIC COMPUTER MODULAR AND THAT IS COSTING ME ANOTHER $440.00 AND NOT THERE IS A LOUD GRINDING AND BANGING COMING FROM THE FRONT END WHEN I DRIVE IT. I HEARD THAT THIS CAR WAS A GOOD MODEL AND FOUND OUT ON MY OWN IT IS A NIGHTMARE ON WHEELS. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER, STUDENT WITH NOT MUCH MONEY AND I DEPEND ON A RELIABLE CAR . THIS MODEL HAS SPENT MO… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 15.6% | 211.1% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Seats | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 211.1% | 18.3%ODI 963016WHEN REAR ENDED, DRIVERS SEAT BOLT SEVERED ALLOWING SEAT TO FLIP BACKWARDS. DRIVER RECEIVED LOWER LEG INJURIES. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT |
| Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 15.6%ODI 983525WHEN BACKING OUT THE DRIVER'S SEATBACK BROKE OFF AND THE OCCUPANT WAS THROWN INTO THE REAR SEAT WHICH CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK | 211.1%ODI 513015PASSENGER'S SEATBACK LATCH FAILED, ALLOWING SEATBACK TO COME FORWARD TOWARD WINDSHIELD WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | Too few reports for a range | 120,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10070058 · 120,000 miOIL PUMP/BALANCER ASSEMBLY ON 2.5L 151CI. TECH 4 (NOT SURE ON SPECIFIC YEARS) CAN CRACK FROM NORMAL WEAR, AND DESTROY CRANK SHAFT AND ENGINE. THE BALANCER ASSM. AND OIL PUMP ARE LOCATED IN OIL PAN. A SIMPLE REPLACEMENT OF OIL PUMP ASSM. WHEN LIFTER NOISE IS PRESENT, OR WHEN METAL FILINGS ARE FOUND IN OIL, WILL SAVE YOU FROM REPLACING ENGINE. THIS ASSEMBLY WILL EVENTUALLY STOP PUMPING OIL AND RUIN ENGINE. SAVE YOURSELF TIME AND MONEY AND DO-IT-YOURSELF. BUT DON'T DRIVE THE CAR WITH THESE PROBLEMS! THIS PUMP WILL RUN YOU $275 AT DEALERSHIP,… |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
1989: 0 complaints · 1990: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 14 | 4 | 0 |
| 1990 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | Engine And Engine Cooling | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | — | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 0 | — | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 0 | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
2 patterns with matching reports.
Steering assistance concerns
1 mentions · 20.0% of complaints
Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).
ODI 484191
TIMING GEAR REPLACED DUE TO TEETH SHEARING, CAUSING NO POWER STEERING/BRAKES/ENGINE. *SD
Matching rule
\b(power steer\w*|steering assist\w*|steering lock\w*|steering wheel lock\w*)\b