AI Damage1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue filed 510 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 510
- involving a crash
- 19
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 31% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 10% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 6 Visibility 7% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 6% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 6% of all complaints
- Steering: 160 complaints (31% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 77 complaints (15% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 70 complaints (14% of all).
- Seat belts: 51 complaints (10% of all).
- Electrical system: 50 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.
- 3.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 510 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 160 | 6 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 77 | 4 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 70 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 51 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 50 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 36 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 29 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 10 | 8 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 10 | 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.
As a result, the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact received a notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system) prior to the crash. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.
The contact stated that while making a u-turn, the vehicle suddenly stalled causing the power steering and power brakes to also stop working. The contact lost control of the vehicle during the incident and crashed into a curb. The contact suffered a neck injury. A police report was not filed.
L rr seatbelt installed twisted at factory- shoulder strap wouldn't lock for child safetyseat, dealer fixed. 4. Warped front rotors, 5. I have experienced the dash going haywire or completely out accompanied by the sensation of a slipping trans and sluggish/clunking steering (twice, once about 8 months ago and about a…
1998 oldsmobile intrigue, steering failure which caused car to veer off the roadway into a light pole causing vehicle to spin. The car is totaled.
I had an accident and hit my chest on the steering wheel, and my airbags did not deploy, as I thought they were suppose to.
Consumer state resulting in hitting a parked vehicle at 25 mph vehicle, air bags did not deploy at any time. Please provide further information. Ph
While driving power steering gave out, and consumer ended up running into a field. Contacted dealer, and dealer was not willing to do anything. Rack and pinion assembly locked up could not turn.
While at a stop the vehicle surged forward,causing an accident. Been to dealer prior to the accident. Dealer cannot determine problem.
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 729 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 2% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Intrigue has 143 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 510, above average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- 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.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, service brakes, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 510. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (9%), smoke, burning smell, fire (9%), knocking, grinding or other noise (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue?
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 Intrigue 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.