AI Damage1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass filed 155 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 155
- involving a crash
- 7
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 26% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 21% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 14% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 12% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 7% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 41 complaints (26% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 32 complaints (21% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 21 complaints (14% of all).
- Suspension: 18 complaints (12% of all).
- Electrical system: 16 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 3.1 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 155 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 41 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 32 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 9 | 5 | 0 |
| Visibility | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 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.
Upon impact, the front air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained facial injuries and was transported to the hospital.
20mph- car hesitates- travels 3-5mph-need to stop the car to pick up speed. Had it to the dealer 10 times- replaced pcm, fuel regulater/pump and catalytic converter -power loss problem still remains.
The next week, I was driving down the highway and the brake light came on again. I immediately picked up the cell phone and called the dealer. I was told that it was probably a computer glitch and to bring it in at my convenience. I scheduled it to go in on friday, three days later.
Driving at approximatley 35-40 mph hit a vehicle head-on. Upon impact, dual airbags did not deploy which could have caused injuries.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile cutlass. The contact stated that fuel was leaking from the vehicle. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 07e021000 (fuel system, other). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,500.
Frame, where steering rack bolts to, rusted out. Steering rack became separated from the frame causing a dangerous steering condition. Frame needs to be replaced at a very high cost.
Rear brake lines rusted through in vicinity of lr wheel . Resulted in sudden total loss of braking due to loss of all brake fluid. No separate reservoir for front brake fluid. Heard of similar event with same model style chevy malibu. No year known.
The contact stated that the vehicle would hesitate to start and eventually would not start at all. The check engine light illuminated. The local mechanic diagnosed the failure as needing a new intake manifold and made the repair.
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 2,564 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Cutlass has 67 complaints (24 years in the data). This year has 155, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
- Cutlass 19763 sources
- Cutlass 19773 sources
- Cutlass 19803 sources
- Cutlass 19813 sources
- Cutlass 19835 sources
- Cutlass 198416 sources
- Cutlass 198518 sources
- Cutlass 198623 sources
- Cutlass 198716 sources
- Cutlass 198874 sources
- Cutlass 1989113 sources
- Cutlass 1990103 sources
- Cutlass 1991193 sources
- Cutlass 1992136 sources
- Cutlass 1993139 sources
- Cutlass 1994148 sources
- Cutlass 1995156 sources
- Cutlass 1996123 sources
- Cutlass 199796 sources
- Cutlass 199980 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine and cooling, steering. Total complaints: 155. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (8%), knocking, grinding or other noise (6%), A/C or heater (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass?
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 Cutlass 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.