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
1997 Oldsmobile 98
Owners filed 30 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seat belts. No safety recall has been issued.
Not among the Oldsmobile 98 years to avoid. Which Oldsmobile 98 years to avoid →
Most common 1997 Oldsmobile 98 problems
14 of the 30 complaints (47%) are about the seat belts.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts › Rear/Other | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Wheels › Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices › Exterior | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension › Rear | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension › Front › Stabilizer Bar | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsREA SEAT BELTS UNABLE TO FASTEN THEM TO SECURE PASSENGERS. BUCKLES RECESSED TO FAR INTO REAR SEAT CUSHION. REQUIRES ASISTANCE TOBUCKLES PASSENGERS BELTS. VERY DANGEROUS.
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
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
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
BATTERY BLEW UP BECAUSE ACID LEAKED FROM THE POSITIVE TERMINAL. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE BATTERY AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE.*AK
DEFECT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND VISUAL SYSTEM
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.
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
FRONT SUSPENSION INSULATOR--BUSHINGS, LOWER CONTROL ARM AND SWAY BAR.
SIDE BARS HOLDING WINDSHIELD OBSTRUCT VIEW. SEAT BELTS HARD TO BUCKLE BECAUSE OF PLACEMENT.
SEAT BELTS DO NOT FIT AROUND THE CONSUMER. THEY ARE TOO SMALL DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
TWO WHEEL STUDS AND LUG NUTS FAILED. MJS
THE A/C ON LIGHT/INDICATOR IS TOO SMALL TO BE OBSERVED WHILE DRIVING. YH
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
REAR SAFETY BELTS TOO SMALL TO USE.
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.
REAR SEAT BUCKLE EXTENSION TOO SHORT, DEALER PUT A SLEEVE AROUND EXTENSION BUT DID NOT LENGTHEN THE EXTENSION TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
REAR SEAT BELTS ARE PRACTICALLY UNSABLE.
REAR SEAT BELT FAILED.
SEAT BELT LATCHES IN THE REAR SEAT ARE NOT ABLE TO BE LATCHED.
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN REVERSE, IT DOES NOT ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE SPINS LIKE IT IS IN NEUTRAL. IT HAS BEEN SERVICED NUMEROUS TIMES, SAME PROBLEM REOCCURRED. *AK
CONSUMER'S WIFE WEIGHT IS 125LBS. SHE GOT INTO THE REAR SEAT OF THE VEHICLE, BUT COULD NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED. THE REAR SEAT BELTS WERE TO0 SHORT TO FASTEN AROUND HER. *AK
REAR SEAT BELT RECEPTOR ENDS ARE SO SHORT THAT USE OF THE BELTS IS MOST DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE.
CONSUMERS SEAT BELTS ARE NOT LONG ENOUGH TO ACCOMODATE PASSENGERS, THEE REAR SEAT BELTS ARE SUNKEN INTO THE CUSHIONS ,WHEN PULLED OUT THEY DO NOT REACH. DEALER SAID THEY WOULD GIVE EXTEDNERS WHEN CALLED, CONSUMER WAS TOLD THEY HAD TO BE OBESE TO RECEIVE IT. OLDSMOBILE SAID THEY WOULD HAVE SOMETHING IN SEPTEMBER, RETROFITS HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED, CONSUMERS FRONT DRIVER SEAT BELT IS SO FAR BEHIND THE LOCK THAT IT DOES NOT REACH, AND THE REAR SEAT HAS THREE BELTS THAT ARE NOT LONG ENOUGH. *AK CONSUMER STATES RECEPTACLE IS TOO SHORT.*JB
DRIVER'S SIDE OUTSIDE REAR-VIEW MIRROR TOO SMALL.
SEAT BELT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO BUCKLE BECAUSE BUCKLE GOES UNDER THE SEAT.
REAR SEAT SAFETY BELT ARE NOT LARGE ENOUGH FOR AN AVERAGE 150 TO 170 LB. PERSON.
SEAT BELTS STRAPS TOO SHORT.
AUTOMATIC AIR CONDITIONER/HEATING SYSTEM TURNS THE TEMPERATURE DOWN TO 60 DEGREES ERRATICALLY, CAUSING WINDSHIELD TO FOG IN FREEZING WEATHER.
All 30 complaints, reproduced as filed.
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.