AI Damage1998 Oldsmobile 98: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Oldsmobile 98 filed 27 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 27
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 30% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 15% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 4 Tires 11% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 7% of all complaints
- 8 Seat belts 4% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 8 complaints (30% of all).
- Air bags: 4 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (11% of all).
- Tires: 3 complaints (11% of all).
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (7% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 27 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The consumer stated the vehicle hit a deer, and the passenger's side air bag did not deploy. The driver's side air bag did deploy. This air bag had a big hole in it, almost 6-7 inches long and 2-3 inches wide. Also it had a burned look to it. No one investigated to see why it had a hole. The was totaled.
March of 2006 the check engine light would come on and go off. The coolant was bone dry upon inspection by self. There were no visible leaks. I took it to my mechanic who had to replace the plenum at a cost of $533.00. The plenum had cracked and coolant ran into the #3 cylinder.
My 1998 oldsmobile regency was losing coolant. I could not see a visible leak. The check engine indicator light came on, so I took the vehicle to be serviced. The mechanic found the upper intake (plenum) to be leaking the coolant into the engine (cylinder #3.) the leak was caused due to the fact that the intake plenum…
Coolant leaked out the intake manifold. Had to replaced intake manifold and gaskets. E-mailed consumer response exhaust gases had gotten into the plastic upper manifold had thermally broke down the plastic and caused the leak.
Over the past four months, the windshield wipers has not worked properly. The dealership was unable to fixe the problem.
Vehicle does not down shift properly. Took vehicle to mechanic, and they were going to replace the pressure control solenoid.
The vehicle had to be towed, due to a failed transmission.
Passenger driver side door will open and close intermittently. Please fill in additional information. Dealer is aware of the problem. Ph
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,189 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 20% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 98 has 14 complaints (21 years in the data). This year has 27, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Oldsmobile 98?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, air bags, powertrain. Total complaints: 27. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: overheating, coolant loss (15%), loss of power / limp mode (7%), steering or power steering problems (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Oldsmobile 98?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1998 Oldsmobile 98 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1998 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.