Skip to content
Oldsmobile IntrigueModel year report

1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue Problems

Complaints
510filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
87,524miles, 177 complaints with mileage
Recalls
6campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
21 mpgcombined, 3.8L 6-cyl FWD · 17 city / 27 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe power steering trouble — steering that is hard or impossible to turn, especially to the left and often at low speed or when cold — with many noting the dealer replaced the rack and pinion. A second cluster of complaints concerns engine-compartment fires and oil leaks, several filed after owners received recall notices but could not get parts. Coolant leaks, windshield wipers that stop mid-stroke, and rear seat belts that will not release are also recurring reports.

  1. Steering

    Hard or lost power steering, especially turning left

    • 146 complaints (29%)
    • median 73,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (61 state mileage)
    • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,449 (median of 5 quotes)
    • filed 1998–2014

    Owners describe the steering becoming very hard or impossible when turning left, often at low speed, while turning right stays normal. Some say it improves after the car warms up, and others mention a groaning or clunking noise from the front end. Complaints frequently note the dealer replaced the rack and pinion or steering gear, and several owners say their vehicle was not covered by recall 03V527000 despite matching symptoms. Reported from roughly 15,000 to 135,000 miles, often described as most noticeable on cold starts and during slow left turns.

    Recall 03V5270005 related service bulletins

    What to check: Turn the wheel fully left and right from cold and listen for groans or clunks; ask whether the rack and pinion or steering gear has been replaced and whether recall 03V527000 applies to the VIN.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have a 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue that has developed a problem with the steering. It is very hard to turn to the left especially at low speeds. Gm announced a recall today of certain 1998 intrigues built between 11/96 and 10/97. Mine was built 8/98 I believe. However, the symptoms are exactly as described in recall 03v527000. Will additional vehicles be included in this recall?”

    NHTSA complaint #10052940, filed 2004-01, 60,050 miles

    “The rack and pinion steering in my 1998 olds Intrigue is making a clunking noise. The dealer I took it to says it needs to be replaced. I have researched this problem, and have learned of numerous rack and pinion failures on this model and other GM models. With so very many failures, why must I wait until we have an accident due to steering failure? The most recent recall extends only to build date before 10-97. Ours was built 1-98, but we have the same problem as earlier builds. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10086224, filed 2004-08, 78,862 miles
  2. Engine cooling

    Engine compartment fire and oil leaks onto hot exhaust

    • 58 complaints (11%)
    • median 128,300 mi at 12.3 yrs old (45 state mileage)
    • 39 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 1999–2024

    Complaints describe oil leaks, a burning smell while driving, smoke from under the hood and, in several cases, flames in the engine compartment. Some owners say they had received a recall notice but the dealer did not have parts, and others report the fire occurred after a prior recall repair. Mechanics quoted in the complaints mention valve cover and gasket leaks, and some fires were attributed to oil contacting hot exhaust parts. Spread widely, from about 52,000 to over 200,000 miles, with several reports filed years after a recall notice was received.

    Recall 09V116000Recall 15V701000

    What to check: Check for oil residue and a burning smell around the engine and exhaust, and confirm with a dealer whether recalls 09V116000 and 15V701000 were completed on this VIN.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “There were no events leading up to the engine compartment fire on may 29th at about 10:00pm. Except that prior to the incident whenever the vehicle was driven there was a burning odor inside the vehicle. We had a recall done on the vehicle that we thought would correct the burning odor but it however didn't fix that. The recall number was 09047. We had a small engine compartment fire in may of 2007 but there wasn't any damage. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10279099, filed 2009-08, 109,300 miles

    “My son was driving the car and he was at a friends house when they noticed smoke from under the hood. They opened the hood and the engine had caught on fire.. They were lucky enough to have a 2 liter bottle of soda nearby and managed to put out the fire. However not before extensive damage had been done. I was told by the mechanic who fixed it, that it looks like the oil caught on fire possibly by arcing of spark plugs?? I had over $300.00 in damages. I just heard today that these were recalled.. 04/14/09.. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10265417, filed 2009-04, 155,152 miles
  3. Engine

    Coolant leak at the upper intake manifold

    • 18 complaints (4%)
    • median 109,650 mi at 10.7 yrs old (16 state mileage)
    • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2001–2018

    Owners report coolant loss with no obvious external leak and a check engine light, with the dealer identifying the upper and lower intake manifold or gaskets as the source. Some say the same repair was needed more than once, and a few report overheating that led to radiator replacement. One owner notes the shop mentioned a revised replacement manifold for this engine family. Reported from about 21,000 to 143,000 miles, sometimes with repeated repairs at similar mileage intervals.

    What to check: Look for coolant residue around the throttle body and intake area, check the coolant level and color, and ask whether the intake manifold gaskets have been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While changing oil I noticed a coolant leak, I looked into the leak further and noticed it was leaking from the upper intake and throttle body area. I was informed by a GM tech that there is a problem with these plastic upper intake manifolds on the GM 3800 series ii engines and GM came out with a better quality and reinforced EGR port on the replacement manifolds. I had to get another upper intake replaced on my 1998 park ave at 50,000 miles. Now my 1998 olds Intrigue with 21,000 miles needs replaced. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10143934, filed 2005-11, 21,114 miles

    “I was the second owner and bought the car in february 2003. Had to replace the radiator twice. Kept having trouble with the temperature showing high. 06 bought a radiator. Summer of 08 going up escondido mtn traveling to california... Caught fire. Had to replace the exhaust manifold. Engine temp kept reading high and service could not find the reason why. Replaced radiator again and traveling to nm may 2009 the temp kept reading high again and I had to pull over and then stay in second gear with the heater on full blast. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10275130, filed 2009-06, 143,000 miles
  4. Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

    Windshield wipers stop working or park upright

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe wipers that stop mid-stroke, park in the vertical position, or fail entirely in rain or under snow load, sometimes repeatedly after a motor or linkage repair. Owners report being told the cause was moisture or weather related, and some describe tightening a bolt as a temporary fix before the problem returned. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 120,000 miles, often in wet or snowy weather.

    What to check: Run the wipers at all speeds and check that they park correctly, and ask whether the wiper motor or linkage has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The windshield wipers on this vehicle have worked poorly for years and are getting worse with time. For a long time, they would just stop. We took the vehicle in for repair and the repair man simply tightened a bolt. From that point on, we did that on our own whenever the wipers stopped. Now for the past year or so, there have been times, just like the one last week, when my husband was on his way home from work and the wipers stopped and wouldn't come back on at all! …”

    NHTSA complaint #10595894, filed 2014-06, 96,884 miles

    “This has happened twice so far. The first time, my windshield wipers stopped in a vertical position instead of the normal horizontal position. I was told by the dealer ship, that the manufacturer stated this happens due to the stopping mechanism getting wet. My warranty wouldn't cover it because it was a weather related repair. I guess I am supposed to drive my car with a big tarp over it, so that nothing gets wet? I paid $300 to get a new wiper motor etc. About 10 months later, the same thing happens. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10182506, filed 2007-02, 120,000 miles

Buying note. Steering and engine-bay fire and leak reports are the two areas owners mention most on this model year, so a pre-purchase inspection covering the steering rack, oil leaks and coolant leaks is worthwhile. Ask for documentation that open recalls were completed and verify rear seat belt operation before buying.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 510 consumer complaints for the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue. 177 of the complaints include a mileage, and 15% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 87,524 miles. Of all complaints, 19 involved a crash, 39 a fire, 12 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns and 30 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Fuel system (11), Other or unknown (11), Body and structure (11), Air bags (10), Exterior lighting (10), Wheels (9), Equipment (8), Vehicle speed control (5), Latches, locks and linkages (4), Seats (3), Interior lighting (1).

Example complaints

Steering: “Father in law went into the hospital and asked us ( daughter and son in -law) to move his car to are house while he was gone. I drove it to our house and had a hard time turning left. I asked my father in-law how long this had been like this and he said about 3 years. I started asking friends and looking on the internet for some advice on why. I found several possible causes and someone suggested that I check for vehicle recalls. …”

NHTSA complaint #10257224, filed 2009-02, 80,000 miles

Brakes: “The antilock and brake light came con while driving. I noticed some change in braking and immedixately went to ge it checke out. The mechanic said it was a computer component that controlled the rear braking system and that it was common for the Intrigue. I then went to my mechanic who maintains my vehicle on a regular basis and he ran a computer diagnostic on my car and also said it was the computer and the motor that operates the rear brakes. This problem is not a normal wear and tear problem for cars and has endangered me and alsois very costly. …”

NHTSA complaint #10118814, filed 2005-05, 91,000 miles

Engine cooling: “Intake manifold failure on a 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue, coolant leaked into oil causing a hydrolock. This could have easily caused the engine to explode if I had been on an interstate. Supposedly this is a common problem with these vehicles according to the mechanic. This leak can also cause a fire. I had to have repairs conducted to the tune of more than 2k.”

NHTSA complaint #10315718, filed 2010-03, 110,000 miles

Seat belts: “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.”

NHTSA complaint #10904582, filed 2016-09, 136,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

15% of the 177 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 60,050 and 128,300 miles.

1%0–103%10–2511%25–5021%50–7522%75–10026%100–15015%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (177 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 87,524 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

’9873’01’04’07’10’14’17’24
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Intrigue · sedan not rated4 / 3———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Intrigue FWD3.8L 6-cyl4-speed automatic172721$3,200

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 30 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 30 bulletins →

Other model years of the Oldsmobile Intrigue

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20026460,0001—21Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200110862,0003—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200020065,1284—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199925678,6006—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199851087,5246—21Not compared (before 2008)Rising

All Oldsmobile Intrigue model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue?

Owners of this model year most often describe power steering trouble — steering that is hard or impossible to turn, especially to the left and often at low speed or when cold — with many noting the dealer replaced the rack and pinion. The issues reported most often: Hard or lost power steering, especially turning left; Engine compartment fire and oil leaks onto hot exhaust; Coolant leak at the upper intake manifold.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue have?

NHTSA recorded 510 consumer complaints for the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue is reported most often?

Steering is named most often, in 160 complaints (31% of the total), followed by brakes with 77.

Has the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue been recalled?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue get?

The EPA rates the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue (Intrigue, 3.8L 6-cyl) at 21 mpg combined, 17 city and 27 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,200 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue reported?

Among the 177 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 87,524 miles and the middle half falls between 60,050 and 128,300 miles; 15% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.