Total Complaints
14 filings
OLDSMOBILE 98 · model year
1989 OLDSMOBILE 98
14 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989OLDSMOBILE98 carries 14 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 1 fire, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1989 98 is electrical system:horn with 3 filings, followed by seats (2) and vehicle speed control (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 13 investigation files overlapping the 1989 98. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
14
Complaints
3
Crashes
1
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
3 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:HORN | 3 |
| SEATS | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050607FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DT: CONSUMER PURCHASED A. HEATER SWITCH. CONSUMER INSTALLED THE SWITCH HIMSELF. THERE WERE NO INSTRUCTIONS/WARNING OR CAUTIONS ON THE BOX. THERE WERE SPECS ON THE BOX ON HOW MANY INCHES TO KEEP IT AWAY FROM ANYTHING FLAMMABLE. CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE CAR WITH THE INSTALLED SWITCH AND THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE 5 MINUTES LATER. *AK
Mileage: 117,000
19990922UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE OCTOBER '99 ISSUE OF CONSUMER'S REPORT STATES THAT BULLETIN 331708 COVERS A HIDDEN WARRANTY ON 1988-1992 OLDSMOBILES IF THE BASE COAT CLEAR COAT CHALKS, DEGRADES, OR WHITES. OUR CAR HAS BEEN THIS WAY FOR MANY YEAR AND WE WERE UNAWARE OF THE HIDDEN WARRANTY. WHEN I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER TODAY, HE STATED THAT THIS BULLETIN EXPIRED SEVEN (7) YEARS AFTER THE CAR WAS BUILT (1996). WE WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS COVERAGE OR WE WOULD HAVE TAKEN ACTION EARLIER.
19990122ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
THE HORN SOUNDS INTERMITTANTLY BECAUSE THE RACKETS THAT THE HORN PAD CONNECTS TO ARE BROKEN.
19971002ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
HORN SWITCH FAILED CPMPLETELY WHICH LEAVES HORN ACTIVATED CONTINUOUSLY. HORN HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED. *AK
19970903ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
HORN DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. DEALER SUGGESTED GOING TO A JUNK YARD TO REPLACE HORN. *AK
19960909FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
FUEL TANK SENDING UNIT NOT REGISTERING PROPERLY, SHORTING OUT FUEL PUMP, WHICH CAUSED VEHICLE TO STALL WHEN APPLYING BRAKES.
19960909FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
FUEL TANK SENDING UNIT NOT REGISTERING PROPERLY, SHORTING OUT FUEL PUMP, WHICH CAUSED VEHICLE TO STALL WHEN APPLYING BRAKES.
19960709ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
INTERMITTENT STALLING. *AK
19960227CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
BACKING OUT OF GARAGE, CAR ACCELERATED SUDDENLY, WENT INTO NEIGHBOR'S FENCE. *AK
19960227CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
BACKING OUT OF GARAGE, CAR ACCELERATED SUDDENLY, WENT INTO NEIGHBOR'S FENCE. *AK
19960215SEATS
THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BROKE AWAY FROM THE WELD AND THE SEAT COLLAPSED BACKWARDS. IF VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
19960215SEATS
THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BROKE AWAY FROM THE WELD AND THE SEAT COLLAPSED BACKWARDS. IF VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
19951122CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT
DRIVER SHOULDER LAP BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN DRIVER FROM HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL, DURING TOTALLED HEAD ON COLLISION. TT CONSUMER SUFFERED SEVERE INJURIES.*JB
19950303ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHEN CAR IS WARM AND AT STOP LIGHT CAR MAKE NOISE. TT
Compare 1989OLDSMOBILE98 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 OLDSMOBILE 98 have?▼
The 1989 OLDSMOBILE 98 has 14 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 1 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 OLDSMOBILE 98?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 OLDSMOBILE 98 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEATS and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 1989 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 as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.