Total Complaints
35 filings
OLDSMOBILE 98 · model year
1997 OLDSMOBILE 98
35 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997OLDSMOBILE98 carries 35 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.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1997 98 is seat belts:rear/other with 6 filings, followed by seat belts:front:anchorage (5) and seat belts:front:buckle assembly (3). 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 1997 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.
35
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 |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER | 6 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 5 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:STABILIZER BAR | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20141204STEERING
WHILE GETTING ON THE FREEWAY THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED. I NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL FROZE, AND LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THAT THE LIGHTS HAD COME IN AND THE ENGINE HAD STOPPED. I WAS ABLE TO PUT IN PARK AND START THE ENGINE. NO FURTHER PROBLEMS THE REST OF THAT TRIP. ABOUT A MONTH LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO MY DAUGHTER. ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE GETTING ON FREEWAY AND SHE WA ABLE TO START CAR BACK UP. THIS WEEK, TUESDAY, MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING SHE CAME TO A FULL STOP AT A STOP SIGN AND AS SHE STARTED TO GO THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VOLTAGE LIGHT CAME ON, CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD, SHE TRIED TO REV ENGINE NOTHING HAPPENED THAT IS WHEN SHE PUT IN PARK AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP. THE MILEAGE NO IS 117,375. I HAVE LOOKED ON RECALL LIST AND HAVE NOT FOUND THIS YEAR AND MODEL. *TR
Mileage: 97,595
20141204ENGINE
WHILE GETTING ON THE FREEWAY THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED. I NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL FROZE, AND LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THAT THE LIGHTS HAD COME IN AND THE ENGINE HAD STOPPED. I WAS ABLE TO PUT IN PARK AND START THE ENGINE. NO FURTHER PROBLEMS THE REST OF THAT TRIP. ABOUT A MONTH LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO MY DAUGHTER. ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE GETTING ON FREEWAY AND SHE WA ABLE TO START CAR BACK UP. THIS WEEK, TUESDAY, MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING SHE CAME TO A FULL STOP AT A STOP SIGN AND AS SHE STARTED TO GO THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VOLTAGE LIGHT CAME ON, CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD, SHE TRIED TO REV ENGINE NOTHING HAPPENED THAT IS WHEN SHE PUT IN PARK AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP. THE MILEAGE NO IS 117,375. I HAVE LOOKED ON RECALL LIST AND HAVE NOT FOUND THIS YEAR AND MODEL. *TR
Mileage: 97,595
20031230SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
REA SEAT BELTS UNABLE TO FASTEN THEM TO SECURE PASSENGERS. BUCKLES RECESSED TO FAR INTO REAR SEAT CUSHION. REQUIRES ASISTANCE TOBUCKLES PASSENGERS BELTS. VERY DANGEROUS.
Mileage: 36,823
20030512ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
I OWN A 1997 OLDSMOBILE REGENCY V6-3800 3.8L, VIN: [XXX]. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS LEAKING COOLANT, AND THE COST TO REPLACE IS APPROX. $800~$1000, DUE TO A GASKET FAILURE. I DON'T FEEL THAT THE GASKET SHOULD HAVE FAILED SO SOON. THE SERVICE DEPT. AT OLDS TELLS ME THAT THEIR ARE GASKET PROBLEMS WITH 3.1L AS WELL AS 3.8L, WHICH IS WHAT I HAVE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE ARE OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS SAME ISSUE, AND WHAT IS BEING DONE, OR IS MY PROBLEM NORMAL. PLEASE RESPOND ASAP. THANK YOU, [XXX]. *NLM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Mileage: 51,000
20020603ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VEHICLE HAS STALLED 7 TIMES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE TWICE, BUT COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE.*AK TO STOP ENGINE STALLING, THE DEALER REPLACED THE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. *YH
20000721SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
FEMALE PARTS IN THREE REAR SEAT SEAT BELTS ARE TOO SHORT, CAN'T GET A GOOD GRIP TO PLUG THEM INTO THE MALE ENDS. CONSUMER STATED THAT IN WINTER TIME WHILE HAVING ON A LOT OF CLOTHES BELTS ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO FASTEN, SO CONSUMER IS NOT PROPERLY RESTRAINED.*AK
20000718ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DEFECT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND VISUAL SYSTEM
20000718VISIBILITY
DEFECT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND VISUAL SYSTEM
20000711ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY BLEW UP BECAUSE ACID LEAKED FROM THE POSITIVE TERMINAL. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE BATTERY AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE.*AK
19991011ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
WIRES TO SPARK PLUGS ARE DEFECTIVE AND CAUSE MISFIRING. OWNER'S MANUAL SAYS TO REPLACE AT 100,000 MILES. THEY ARE CAUSING PROBLEMS AT 46,000 MILES.
19990924SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST
THIS VEHICLE HAS AN ELCTRICAL DRIVERS SEAT, WHEN THE CONSUMER SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF THE SEAT AUTOMATICALY ADJUSTED ITSELF ALL THE WAY UP TO THE STEERING WHELL AND WILL NOT RETURN. THE SEAT IS SO CLOSE THE CONSUMER CANNOT SIT IN THE DRIVERS SEAT. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. MJS
19990921UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE A/C ON LIGHT/INDICATOR IS TOO SMALL TO BE OBSERVED WHILE DRIVING. YH
19990908SUSPENSION:REAR
FRONT SUSPENSION INSULATOR--BUSHINGS, LOWER CONTROL ARM AND SWAY BAR.
19990908STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
SIDE BARS HOLDING WINDSHIELD OBSTRUCT VIEW. SEAT BELTS HARD TO BUCKLE BECAUSE OF PLACEMENT.
19990908SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
SIDE BARS HOLDING WINDSHIELD OBSTRUCT VIEW. SEAT BELTS HARD TO BUCKLE BECAUSE OF PLACEMENT.
19990611WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
TWO WHEEL STUDS AND LUG NUTS FAILED. MJS
19990308SEAT BELTS
SEAT BELTS DO NOT FIT AROUND THE CONSUMER. THEY ARE TOO SMALL DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
19990224SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
REAR SEAT BELT RECEPTOR ENDS ARE TOO SHORT, USE OF BELTS VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP LATCHED.
19981203SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
REAR SEAT BUCKLE EXTENSION TOO SHORT, DEALER PUT A SLEEVE AROUND EXTENSION BUT DID NOT LENGTHEN THE EXTENSION TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
19981020SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
REAR SAFETY BELTS TOO SMALL TO USE.
Compare 1997OLDSMOBILE98 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 OLDSMOBILE 98 have?▼
The 1997 OLDSMOBILE 98 has 35 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 OLDSMOBILE 98?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 OLDSMOBILE 98 is SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER with 6 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1997 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.