Total Complaints
7 filings
OLDSMOBILE 98 · model year
1981 OLDSMOBILE 98
7 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1981OLDSMOBILE98 carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1981 98 is electrical system:ignition with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control (1) and equipment:appliance:air conditioner (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 13 investigation files overlapping the 1981 98. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000824TIRES:TREAD/BELT
FIRESTONE TIRE WAS 2 YEARS OLD, BUT UNUSED (SPARE TIRE). PUT ON RIGHT FRONT OF CAR BEFORE TRIP. DRIVEN 200 MILES AT 70MPH (ON I 75 SOUTH NEAR GAINESVILLE, FL) IN 95 DEGREE TEMPERATURE WHEN TREAD CAME OFF RIGHT FRONT TIRE. TIRE WAS STILL FULLY PRESSURIZED, JUST HAD NO TREAD. TREAD COMING OFF CAR LEFT BLACK RUBBER MARKS ACROSS PAINT ON FRONT FENDER AND TORE OFF PIECE OF CHROME (NEITHER CURRENTLY REPAIRED). FHP STOPPED AND INDICATED A NEARBY EXIT. DROVE VERY SLOWLY TO EXIT AND CHANGED TIRE. RETURNED HOME AND REPLACED TIRE. DID NOT REQUEST REFUND AS DAMAGED TIRE HAD NO TREAD REMAINING.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P21575R15 )
19960909ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
DISTRIBUTOR FAILED.
19960909ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
MAP SENSOR FAILED.
19960909EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER HOSES FAILED.
19960909ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE HEADS LEAK ANTIFREEZE.
19960909FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
FUEL INJECTOR IN FOUR BARREL CARBURETOR FAILED TWICE.
19960909ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED.
Compare 1981OLDSMOBILE98 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1981 OLDSMOBILE 98 have?▼
The 1981 OLDSMOBILE 98 has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1981 OLDSMOBILE 98?▼
The most-complained component for the 1981 OLDSMOBILE 98 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL and EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER.
Is the 1981 OLDSMOBILE 98 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1981 OLDSMOBILE 98; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.