This factory service and repair manual for the 1988 Chevrolet Corsica serves a four-door sedan offered in Base and LT trim with a choice of two overhead-valve engines: a 2.8L V6 of 173 cubic inches and a 2.0L inline-four of 122 cubic inches, each naturally aspirated and running on gasoline. Where the two differ — cam drive, accessory layout, torque sequence, ignition data — the manual splits the procedure; where the car is common, from the transaxle back through the brakes and the body wiring, one set of instructions covers both.
Engines covered
- 2.8L V6 (173 cu in) — OHV, naturally aspirated, gasoline
- 2.0L inline-four (122 cu in) — OHV, naturally aspirated, gasoline
Body styles covered
- 4-door sedan
Trims covered
- Base
- LT
Known issues on the 1988 Corsica. Five recalls are recorded federally. One concerns front shoulder belt retractors whose locking feature is too insensitive to catch in a hard stop, leaving the occupant held by the lap belt alone. A door hinge can fracture in use and reduce the integrity of the car's side structure. A misadjusted, bent secondary hood latch can keep the primary latch from engaging, so the hood may lift into the windshield. Owners have logged 82 complaints, led by the electrical system with 13, engine and engine cooling with 12, and latches, locks and linkages with 9 — all systems this manual diagnoses and specifies.
SECONDARY HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY ADJUSTED RESULTING IN LATCH BECOMING BENT.
A BENT SECONDARY HOOD LATCH COULD CAUSE THE PRIMARYLATCH TO MALFUNCTION. IF THIS OCCURED
INSPECT AND REPLACE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLIES AS REQUIRED.
A DOOR HINGE (UPPER OR LOWER) MAY BREAK WHILE OPENING OR CLOSING THE DOOR MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO REPOSITION AND CLOSE PROPERLY.
HINGE SEPARATION MAY REDUCE THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OFTHE SIDE OF THE CAR AND INCREASE RI
REPLACE DOOR HINGES ON BOTH DOORS.
COMING OUT OF PARKING LOT THE GAS PEDAL GOT STUCK, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY ACCELERATE, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
PUT FOOT ON BRAKE, PUT VEHICLE IN GEAR, SHOT OUT HIT A WALL, PUT IN REVERSE SHOT OUT AGAIN. TT
THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH BURN OUT OF THE CAR START THE STEERING COLUNM ON FIRE. TT
EXPERIENCE STEERING COLUMN SMOKE, WHEN STARTING THE IGNITION SMALL AMOUNT OF SMOKE. TT
Showing the 4 most serious of 82 complaints filed with NHTSA.
