1988 Dakar Rally also known as the 1988 Paris–Dakar Rally was the 10th running of the Dakar Rally event. 311 cars, 183 motorcycles, and 109 trucks started the rally.^[1] The rally was won by Juha Kankkunen, the motorcycle category was won by Edi Orioli, and the truck category was won by Karel Loprais on a Tatra 815.^[2] The event was marred by the death of six people, three participants, a mother and child killed in Mauritania when a camera car ran into a group of spectators, and a 10-year-old girl killed crossing the road in Mali.^[2]

In addition, the rally leader Ari Vatanen's Peugeot 405 was allegedly stolen in Bamako, and would only be returned if a ransom of 25 million francs CFA was paid. The car was eventually found, but it was too late to rejoin the race.^[3]