Total Complaints
32 filings
OLDSMOBILE 98 · model year
32 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998OLDSMOBILE98 carries 32 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 3 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 1998 98 is engine and engine cooling:engine with 4 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (3) and air bags:frontal (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 1998 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.
Total Complaints
32 filings
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 4 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 3 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 3 |
| TIRES | 2 |
| SEATS | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
BOUGHT MY 1998 OLDSMOBILE REGENCY IN JULY OF 2005 WITH 78000 MILES ON IT. MARCH OF 2006 THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND GO OFF. THE COOLANT WAS BONE DRY UPON INSPECTION BY SELF. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE LEAKS. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO HAD TO REPLACE THE PLENUM AT A COST OF $533.00. THE PLENUM HAD CRACKED AND COOLANT RAN INTO THE #3 CYLINDER. I THEN HAD TO HAVE THE FUEL INJECTORS CLEANED AT THE DEALER WHO CHARGED ME $170.00 FOR THAT JOB. NOW I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE ANTI-THEFT LOCK SYSTEM. MY SECURITY LIGHT KEEPS COMING AND GOING AND MY CAR WON'T RECOGNIZE MY KEY. WHEN THIS HAPPENS ABOUT (EVERY 3RD START LATELY) THE FUEL SYSTEM AND THE STARTER SHUT DOWN FOR 3 MINUTES. IT DOESN'T ALWAYS START AFTER I WAIT 3 OR 4 MINUTES EITHER, SO I HAVE TO SIT AND WAIT ANOTHER 3-4 MINUTES AND SO ON. (ONCE I HAD WAITED 2 HOURS BEFORE IT WOULD START.) I HAD A LOCKSMITH LOOK AT IT WHO SAID HE COULD FIX IT (ULTIMATELY HE COULDN'T) BUT ENDED UP PAYING $135.00 FOR THAT SERVICE AND THEN F
Mileage: 85,000
MY 1998 OLDSMOBILE REGENCY WAS LOSING COOLANT. I COULD NOT SEE A VISIBLE LEAK. THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON, SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BE SERVICED. THE MECHANIC FOUND THE UPPER INTAKE (PLENUM) TO BE LEAKING THE COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE (CYLINDER #3.) THE LEAK WAS CAUSED DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE INTAKE PLENUM IS MADE OF PLASTIC. I INTEND TO SEND OLDSMOBILE A COPY OF MY BILL WHICH WAS $533.32. WHY WOULD A COMPANY MAKE A PART SUCH AS THIS OUT OF PLASTIC? BY THE WAY, MY INDICATOR LIGHT IS STILL ON, SO I WILL NEED TO HAVE A DEALER CHECK IT OUT, AS THE ORIGINAL MECHANIC CAN FIND NO REASON FOR IT REMAINING LIT. *NM
Mileage: 88,950
DT: 1996 OLDSMOBILE 98 ELITE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HIT A DEER, AND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID DEPLOY. THIS AIR BAG HAD A BIG HOLE IN IT, ALMOST 6-7 INCHES LONG AND 2-3 INCHES WIDE. ALSO IT HAD A BURNED LOOK TO IT. NO ONE INVESTIGATED TO SEE WHY IT HAD A HOLE. THE WAS TOTALED. THE CONSUMER'S GRANDDAUGHTER SUSTAINED A DEVIATED SEPTUM. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. *AK
COOLANT LEAKED OUT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. HAD TO REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD AND GASKETS. *BF E-MAILED CONSUMER RESPONSE EXHAUST GASES HAD GOTTEN INTO THE PLASTIC UPPER MANIFOLD HAD THERMALLY BROKE DOWN THE PLASTIC AND CAUSED THE LEAK. *SC
I OWN A 1998 OLDS REGENCY WITH 62000 MILES ON IT. THIS CAR HAS THE STANDARD 3.8 LITER V-6 WHICH HAS BEEN IN PRODUCTION FOR PROBABLY 30 YEARS. I NOTICED RECENTLY THE COOLANT RESERVOIR LEVEL WAS SLIGHTLY DOWN AND ADDED COOLANT TO BRING IT UP TO LEVEL. TWO WEEKS LATER MY ENGINE TEMPERATURE WAS SLIGHTLY HIGH SO I CHECKED THE RESERVOIR LEVEL AGAIN. THE RESERVOIR WAS DRY AND I COULDN'T SEE ANY COOLANT IN THE RADIATOR. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, ADDED DISTILLED WATER AND GOT IT THERE. WHEN I ARRIVED THERE WAS COOLANT LEAKING OUT OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THE NEXT DAY THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE UPPER AND LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLDS AND GASKETS AT A COST OF $1050. I QUESTIONED MYSELF AND THE SERVICE MANAGER HOW AN INTAKE MANIFOLD COULD GO BAD. HE INFORMED THAT THE UPPER MANIFOLD WAS MADE OF PLASTIC. I TALKED TO THE MECHANIC AFTER THE FIX. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE EGR NIPPLE THAT FLOW EXHAUST GASES INTO THE PLASTIC UPPER MANIFOLD HAD THERMALLY BROKE DOWN THE PLASTIC AN
Mileage: 62,000
INTAKE MANIFOLD, MADE OF PLASTIC, RUPTURED DUMPING COOLANT INTO CYLINDERS. RESULTED IN INSTANTANEOUS STOPPAGE OF ENGINE AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING. COULD EASILY HAVE LED TO WRECK. *AK MECHANIC AT FIRST GM DEALER CONTACTED DIAGNOSED PROBLEM SIGHT UNSEEN AS IT IS A KNOWN COMMON PROBLEM. GM STRONGLY SUGGESTED HAVING WORK DONE AT A DEALERSHIP SO THEY COULD MAKE "ADJUSTMENTS" TO THE REPAIR BILL. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALER, NO "ADJUSTMENTS" WERE MADE, TOWING BILL WAS EXHORBITANT, AND REPAIR BILL WAS 30% HIGHER THAN QUOTED BY INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. DEFECTIVE PART IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION (IN MY POSSESSION).
Mileage: 90,195
OVER THE PAST FOUR MONTHS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAS NOT WORKED PROPERLY. *PH THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO FIXE THE PROBLEM. *TT *JB
Mileage: 22,647
VEHICLE DOES NOT DOWN SHIFT PROPERLY. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC, AND THEY WERE GOING TO REPLACE THE PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID. *AK
Mileage: 78,000
THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED, DUE TO A FAILED TRANSMISSION. *JB
THE VEHICLE INTAKE MANIFOLD WARPED WHICH RESULTED IN THE ENGINE OVERHEATING. *NLM
PASSENGER DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL OPEN AND CLOSE INTERMITTENTLY. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PH
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED. PH *DT
WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 70MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, THERE WAS WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE TAIL PIPE DUE TO THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD MELTING. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PH
CONSUMER STATES OF HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR BAG ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. MR
VEHICLE HAD AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH LOSS OF POWER STEERING. POWER STEERING PUMPS HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES FROM 1,000 MILES UP TO PRESENT. PROBLEM IS REOCCURRING, FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE STEERING SYSTEM WOULD SHIMMY, DEALER REPLACED THE TIRES AT 6000 MILES, NO SPECIFIC TIRE INFORMATION GIVEN. *SLC
CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE IS SHIMMYING WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, DEALER HAS COMPLETED A BRAKE JOB, TURNED FRONT BRAKE ROTORS, REPLACED FRONT BRAKE ROTORS, PROBLEM STILL CONTINUES. *SLC
CONSUMER STATED THE SHIFTER SHAFT WOULD SLIDE TO 2ND GEAR AND NOT CLICK TO 1ST,THE DEALER FOUND A LOOSE NUT AND TIGHTENED IT ON THE SHIFTER SHAFT AND ADJUSTED THE CABLE. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT. *YD *CB THE DEALER ALSO FIXED A LOOSE CRADLE BOLT BECAUSE THE CONSUMER HEARD A CLUNK NOISE AFTER BRAKING OR WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE. *JB
CONSUMER STATED THE SHIFTER SHAFT WOULD SLIDE TO 2ND GEAR AND NOT CLICK TO 1ST,THE DEALER FOUND A LOOSE NUT AND TIGHTENED IT ON THE SHIFTER SHAFT AND ADJUSTED THE CABLE. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT. *YD *CB THE DEALER ALSO FIXED A LOOSE CRADLE BOLT BECAUSE THE CONSUMER HEARD A CLUNK NOISE AFTER BRAKING OR WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE. *JB
CONSUMER WAS GETTING A CLUNK AT TIMES WHEN BRAKING AND ALSO WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE. DEALER SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE AN ENGINE MOUNT, WHICH IS A LOOSE CRADLE BOLT. *YD
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.