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1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue problems

The most common problem on the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue is steering, typically around 75,000 miles. It has 4.7 times the complaints of a typical Intrigue model year.

Typical year4.7x the typical complaints
Owner complaints
510
Recalls
6
Service bulletins
79
Worst area
Steering
Fuel economy
21mpg

The worst 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

Specific symptoms reported on the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue

Fire or smoke 31Harsh shifting 23ABS 20Steering noise 20Stalling 17Power steering loss 16Wipers 16Seat belt 13Premature wear 11Grinding brakes 9Knocking 8Loss of power 8Won't start 8Ball joint 7Overheating 6Steering lock-up 6Brake failure 5Check engine light 5Shudder 5Tire blowout 5Transmission failure 5

Recalls 6

Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipeReported October 26, 2015 · 1,003,556 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V‑118, 09V‑116, and 15V‑201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
Risk
Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
Remedy
The remedy applied under recalls 08V‑118, 09V‑116, and 15V‑201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engine’s front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V‑118, 09V‑116, or 15V‑201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1‑800‑442‑6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.

Recall number 15V701000 · Recall details

Electrical system: ignitionReported July 3, 2014 · 5,877,718 vehicles affected
What is wrong
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Risk
If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.

Recall number 14V400000 · Recall details

Engine and engine coolingReported April 8, 2009 · 1,497,516 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General motors is recalling 1,497,516 my 1997-2003 buick regal, my 1998-2003 chevrolet lumina, monte carlo and impala, my 1998-1999 oldsmobile intrigue, my 1997-2003 pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l v6 naturally aspirated engine. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which drops of engine oil may be deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking.
Risk
If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the engine’s front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engine’s plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, oldsmobile at 1‑800‑630‑6537, and pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668 or http://www.pontiac.com or http:www.gmownercenter.com.

Recall number 09V116000 · Recall details

Steering: rack and pinionReported December 11, 2003 · 750,283 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
Risk
If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
Remedy
Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began on february 5, 2004. Owners should contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080; chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438; oldsmobile at 1‑800‑630‑6537; or pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668.

Recall number 03V527000 · Recall details

Seat beltsReported February 16, 2000 · 135,475 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Some of these vehicles were built with rear seat shoulder belts that could twist, allowing the webbing to be jammed in the retractor. When the shoulder belt webbing becomes jammed in the retractor, the seat belt becomes unusable.
Risk
This could prevent a person from using the seat belt system, and a risk of injury to an unbelted person in a crash would be increased.
Remedy
Dealers will remove any twists from the rear shoulder belt(s) and install clips to the belt web guide to prevent twisting.

Recall number 00V044000 · Recall details

Exterior lighting: headlightsReported May 18, 1998 · 9,600 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The owner manuals do not contain the requirement information pertaining to the vehicle headlamp aiming device. This does not comply with requirements of fmvss no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Risk
If the headlamp assemblies are replaced, customers may not be able to properly aim the headlights.
Remedy
Owners will be mailed an owner manual's insert which contains the appropriate information.

Recall number 98V103000 · Recall details

See all 6 recalls for the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue

Defect investigations

Power rack and pinion steering failureOpened September 15, 2003, closed December 18, 2003

Gm's letter to the federal safety agency dated december 11, 2003, expands its original recall (the federal safety agency 02v286) to include certain w-body vehicles: 96-97 olds cutlass supreme; 98 olds intrigue; 97-98 olds cutlass; 97-98 chevy lumina, monte carlo and malibu; 96 pontiac grand prix; and 96-98 buick regal.the number of vehicles recalled is 750,283.gm determined that failure of the rack and pinion is related to damage of the lower pinion bearing and the level of the pinion bearing pre-load spring force.gm states, higher rack pre-load spring force (133 lb.) is the design characteristic most closely associated with higher bearing damage rates in most of the vehicle applications that used the general bearing company (gbc) bearing.all of the vehicles covered in the expanded recall have the 133 lb spring force.the 96 lumina/monte carlo and 97-98 century w-body vehicles included in this investigation utilize a lower spring force and are not included in the recall.

EA03019

Power rack and pinion steering failureOpened January 2, 2003, closed September 15, 2003

Gm conducted a safety recall (the federal safety agency # 02v286) to address a steering defect pertaining to a lower pinion bearing (lpb) within the rack and pinion steering gear (r&p). The recall covered 1,159,156 model year 1997-1998 pontiac grand prix vehicles built between march 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, 1996-1998 pontiac trans sport, chevrolet lumina apv, chevrolet venture, oldsmobile silhouette minivans, and chevrolet cavalier and pontiac sunfire sedans built between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997.odi opened this rq after receiving reports that other vehicles were exhibiting the same symptoms as the recalled vehicles.based on odi's review of technical and complaint data collected during the rq, the w-cars are associated with either a higher steering complaint rate or a higher lpb failure rate than the other vehicles investigated under the rq and are above or near the rates for the recalled vehicles.thus, odi will further examine the w-cars (1996-1997 oldsmobile cutlass supreme, 1996-1998 buick regal, chevrolet lumina, chevrolet monte carlo, 1997-1998 buick century, and 1998 oldsmobile intrigue) under a new investigation, engineering analysis (ea)03-019.

RQ03001

Engine compartment firesOpened October 22, 2002, closed March 9, 2004

Ea02-030 is closed with gmea02-030 is closed with gm?s actions in 03v‑473 and 04v‑090 recalling approximately 529,000 my 1998-99 c- and h-body vehicles equipped with defective fuel pressure regulators.these vehicles were equipped with plastic intake manifolds that are unable to contain pressures that occur in some backfire events and defective fuel pressure regulators with leaking diaphragms that can provide a source of fuel to produce a combustible air-fuel mixture in the manifold.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by odi that no safety defect exists in the vehicles that are not included in gm?s recalls.odi will continue to monitor the incidence of manifold ruptures and related fires in other my 1995-2002 gm passenger cars equipped with the subject intake manifold.for additional information, see the attached closing report.

EA02030

Power rack and pinion steering failureOpened April 4, 2002, closed December 10, 2002

The lower pinion bearing in the rack and pinion steering assembly may fail.gm will recall 1997-98 grand prix built between 1-mar-96 and 31-oct-97; and 1996-98 u-vans/j-cars built between 1-jan-96 and 31-oct-97.see attached summary.

EA02003

Steering rack and pinionOpened November 14, 2001, closed April 4, 2002

Odi has received 200 complaints fromt consumers and 1,238 from gm alleging failure or lockup of the steering rack and pinion unit (r&p).this alleged condition can result in the loss of steering control of the vehicle and a crash can result.gm has reported six crashes in which eight people have sustained injuries ranging from bruises, airbag burn, seat belt abrasion, facial injury, neck and back pain.all crashes were single vehicle crashes.gm states that one possible failure mode is failure of the lower pinion bearing in the r&p.an engineering analysis has been opened to determine if a safety defect trend exists.

PE01038

Windshield wiperOpened August 20, 1999, closed January 13, 2000

By letter dated december 12, 1999, gm notified the federal safety agency of its plans to conduct a safety related defect campaign to remedy 155,149 of the subject vehicles.the vehicle population for the campaign includes the 1997 buick regal/century and pontiac gran prix models built during the period from the start of production through may 1, 1997.gm determined that the wipers installed prior to this date could stop working, usually during heavy load conditions, due to separation between the drive pin and the crescent in the wiper crank arm assembly.effective may 1, 1997,gm corrected this problem in production by modifying the drive pin and strengthening the crescent.these same improved parts will be installed in the vehicles to be recalled.the scope of the campaign will include all vehicles produced prior to the may 1, 1997 correction (the oldsmobile intrique production did not start until after may 1, 1997, and is therefore not included).vehicles with the scope of this investigation and produced after may 1, 1997, contain the more robust crescent and improved pin design and are not included in the recall campaign.odi will continue to monitor complaint reports on the vehicles produced after may 1, 1997 and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.based on gm's recall action (odi 99v‑348) this investigation is closed.

EA99024

Rear shoulder belt malfunctionOpened July 7, 1999, closed February 22, 2000

The alleged defect concerns two major symptoms:failure to retract webbing and inability to extend the webbinng for use. The root cause of these symptoms is the design of the trim bezel through which the sebbing passes. Built into the rear package shelf, the bezel includes a vertical slot to facilitate vehicle assembly.the slot is positioned such that the shoulder belt webbing tends to slip into it.webbing ingestion by the vertical slot may retard webbing retraction, or allow webbing twists to accumulate on the retractor spool.in either case, the retractor may fail to maintain appropriate tension on the seat occupant.failure of the shoulder belt to completely retract may also result in an inability to extend it for use if the child restraint cinch feature has been inadvertently engage (by extending the webbing to its maximum length).gm will remedy the alleged defect in the subject vehicles by straightening an twisted rear shoulder belt webbing and them installing a plastic cover that will prevent further webbing ingestion by the webbing guide vertical slot.this engineerign ananlysis is closed.

EA99019

Windshield wiperOpened April 16, 1999, closed August 20, 1999

Incidents of wiper failure (owner reports and warranty) are very high, and many of the reports indicate that the failures are still occurring in 1999.

PE99028

Rear safety belt malfunctionOpened February 25, 1999, closed July 7, 1999

There is no summary currently available

PE99016

Technical service bulletins for the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue 79

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 79 bulletins for the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue

1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
3.8L 6‑cylFWD172721

What 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Feb 10, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · IL · fire

The engine had a fire and the ignition switch is very hard Do turn, it would be available for inspection. The fire happen while driving down the highway. I have an appointment set with dealership. No prior inspections have been made and no indications of anything.

Filed Aug 2, 2019 · Engine · 121,682 miles · AZ

July 17th 2019 engine dies while driving at high speed without warning. Replaced crank shaft sensor. Died in motion again july 24th, replaced alternator. This same problem originally happened in sept of 2011, again in march of 2015, and march of 2017. Different repair shops have replaced many different parts attempting to fix this over the years. It is extremely dangerous when the car loses all power while traveling 65 miles an hour in heavy traffic.

Filed Mar 6, 2018 · Engine · 170,000 miles · IL · fire

My son was driving the car and it started making a noise and I pulled over and checked and didn't see anything and continued driving. I noticed smoke coming from under the hood and pulled into a gas station and noticed the car was on fire and ran into the gas station and asked for a fire extinguisher. The attendant had one and went and put the fire. I have contacted gm and was told this was due to a recall which caused oil to leak onto the manifold and thus far they have been unable or unwilling to help with this issue. *js - (recall related incident) ts

Filed Sep 27, 2017 · Steering · 273,000 miles · AR

Vehicle can no longer turn to the left or right. I don't think recall 03052 was ever done on it. Can no longer drive this car because it's unsafe for me as well as the public.

Filed Nov 2, 2016 · Suspension · 150,000 miles · IN

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile intrigue. The contact stated that the rear driver side lower control arm bracket failed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear driver side lower control arm bracket needed to be replaced but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.

Filed Oct 6, 2016 · Visibility · 70,000 miles · WI

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile intrigue. The contact stated that the windshield wipers stopped working while driving approximately 55 MPH in the rain. The failure occurred three other times and, sometimes, the wipers would remain in the up position and would not move. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired twice for the same failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The vehicle was not repaired again. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000. Updated 01/11/2017*ct

Filed Sep 16, 2016 · Engine · 148,000 miles · IN · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile intrigue. The contact stated that the engine caught fire independently. The contact extinguished the fire. There were no injuries and a fire report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 09v116000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage and VIN were unavailable. Updated 11/08/16

Filed Sep 7, 2016 · Engine, Seat belts · 136,000 miles · TX

I have called multiple gm dealerships in order to get my ignition recall, oil leak from valve cover recall, and rear seatbelt recalls taken care of and so far none have returned my phone calls regarding the issues. I have had the appointments set for at least 6 months at 2 different dealerships and have yet to hear back on any parts arriving. They told me over the phone at both dealers that it would take a week and a half for parts to arrive and that they would return my call when parts did arrive, but I have yet to hear anything.

Filed May 26, 2016 · Engine · KY

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile intrigue. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling) and stated that the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. Updated 07/13/16*lj updated 08/03/16.

Filed May 23, 2016 · 160,000 miles · IL · fire

Car went to a meineke shop nov2015. In bolingbrook, il at 1330 w boughton rd. Not told the car was under recall at time of repair work-should I be compensated?!? Or at least the $$ returned for the original work done at the meineke shop nov2015? I have receipt. See below for details. Background: the 1998 oldsmobile intrigue the wheel did not turn, car seemed to be ready to die out-drove it to a parking lot at local park a few blocks away; called persons who knew something about cars; decided to drive it drive slowly-with flashers on to a local repair shop (meineke) in bolingbrook, il; they took a look; said a pulley broke/a new serpentine belt was needed. Never was there a mention up that this car was under recall! All they said was-"it is an older car. " I paid $350-$400 in repair work; drove the car 1-2 days. It kept dying out while driving. I went back to the same meineke shop; again no mention came up that the car was under recall! They just said"what can we say, iit is an older car. Unless you want to pay more $$$, we can't (or won't) do anything more for you" no more work was done by them; I decided to slowly drive the car back to the house, and leave it on the drive way, where it has been parked since that time. In late december/2015 I found out the car was in recall via a letter from gm; it is unsafe; do not drive it & parts would not be in until feb2016 -last week it was sold for parts & towed away should something more be done? Some sort of responsibly taken by the repair shop since it was under recall? Also, should gm have paid for any damage done by driving the car not knowing it was in recall? The car did start on fire a few months later-one last try at deciding what to do to have it before it was "junked" ; note: VIN # given here is actually the recall # on vehicle from gm

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Questions about the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue

Is the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue reliable?

Owners have filed 510 complaints about the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 4.7 times a typical Intrigue model year.

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue?

Steering, with 160 complaints, typically around 75,000 miles. Next is engine (97).

How many recalls does the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue have?

6 recalls, covering engine and engine cooling, electrical system and steering.

Was there a recall on the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue steering?

Yes, 1 recall: 03V527000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Oldsmobile Intrigue have bad steering?

The Oldsmobile Intrigue model years with the most steering complaints are 1998 (160 complaints), 1999 (58 complaints) and 2000 (28 complaints).

What gas mileage does the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue get?

Official estimates for the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue range from 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.8L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 17 city and 27 highway.

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