1997 Oldsmobile 98

Routine

Owners filed 30 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seat belts › rear/other. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Seat Belts › Rear/Other5
000
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage4
000
Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly2
000
Seat Belts2
000
Wheels › Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs1
000
Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices › Exterior1
000
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System1
000
Unknown or Other1
000
Suspension › Rear1
000
Suspension › Front › Stabilizer Bar1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Steering
Filed Dec 4, 201497,595 milesCA

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

Seat Belts › Rear/Other
Filed Dec 30, 200336,823 milesSC

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.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed May 12, 200351,000 milesIL

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

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Jun 3, 2002OH

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

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed Jul 21, 2000RI

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

Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery
Filed Jul 11, 2000MI

BATTERY BLEW UP BECAUSE ACID LEAKED FROM THE POSITIVE TERMINAL. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE BATTERY AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE.*AK

Electrical System
Filed May 25, 2000TX

DEFECT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND VISUAL SYSTEM

Electrical System › Wiring
Filed Oct 11, 1999NY

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.

Seats › Front Assembly › Power Adjust
Filed Sep 24, 1999VA

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

Suspension › Rear
Filed Sep 8, 1999CA

FRONT SUSPENSION INSULATOR--BUSHINGS, LOWER CONTROL ARM AND SWAY BAR.

Structure › Frame and Members
Filed Sep 8, 1999CA

SIDE BARS HOLDING WINDSHIELD OBSTRUCT VIEW. SEAT BELTS HARD TO BUCKLE BECAUSE OF PLACEMENT.

Seat Belts
Filed Mar 8, 1999IL

SEAT BELTS DO NOT FIT AROUND THE CONSUMER. THEY ARE TOO SMALL DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

Wheels › Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

TWO WHEEL STUDS AND LUG NUTS FAILED. MJS

Unknown or Other
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

THE A/C ON LIGHT/INDICATOR IS TOO SMALL TO BE OBSERVED WHILE DRIVING. YH

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Jul 16, 1998CA

NEW BRAKE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED AND INSTALLED BY MANUFACTURER WHICH IS CAUSING A LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE AT LEAST 1-2 CAR LENGTHS, AND ALMOST RESULTED IN REAREND COLLISIONS. *AK

Seat Belts › Rear/Other
Filed Jun 17, 1998IL

REAR SAFETY BELTS TOO SMALL TO USE.

Suspension › Front › Stabilizer Bar
Filed Mar 10, 1998FL

GOING HWY SPEED (60MPH) WHEN VEHICLE STARTED TO WONDER FOR NO REASON. TOOK TO DEALER & WAS INFORME THAT STABLIZER LINK WAS MISSING FROM RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. DEALERSHIP ORDER PART THAT WAS MISSING OFF OF VEHICLE.

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed Mar 4, 1998FL

REAR SEAT BUCKLE EXTENSION TOO SHORT, DEALER PUT A SLEEVE AROUND EXTENSION BUT DID NOT LENGTHEN THE EXTENSION TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

Seat Belts › Rear/Other
Filed Jan 29, 1998FL

REAR SEAT BELTS ARE PRACTICALLY UNSABLE.

Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage
Filed Jan 27, 1998CA

REAR SEAT BELT FAILED.

20 of 30 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1991
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
19991000Routine
199827000Routine
1997 — this page30000Routine
199610200Routine
199530210Routine
199416110Routine
199313110Routine
199238100Routine
199147220Routine
199017210Routine

Compare every 98 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.