1998 Oldsmobile 98 problems & reliability
27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Oldsmobile 98. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 30% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 15% |
| Power Train | 3 | 11% |
| Tires | 3 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 7% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 7% |
| Structure | 2 | 7% |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 4% |
| Seats | 1 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 14 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Dec 20, 2006
“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…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Mar 19, 2006
“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…”
Air Bags · filed Aug 19, 2005
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE
Recall Query RQ03001 · opened Jan 2, 2003 · closed Sep 15, 2003
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA02030 · opened Oct 22, 2002 · closed Mar 9, 2004 · led to recall 04V090000
Technical service bulletins
13 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Oldsmobile 98. The 10 most recent:
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to reprogram the media disc player with the latest calibrations to correct a condition of the rear entertainment system not operating as intended in colder ambient…
16NA260 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 26, 2016
Vehicle Recalls
Recalls · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 30, 2014
Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
130089009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2013
Concerns of door handles on white painted vehicles truning yellow. *yc
831704 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 1998
Some customers may comment that the vehicle
98833005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 1998
Some customers may comment that the cupholder does not stay latched. *yc
98838313 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 1998
Comments that the engine runs rough, has lack of power, has a knock noise, and/or the mil (malfunction indicator light) is illuminated. *yc
971201776530 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 29, 1998
Condition regarding the engine intermittently stalls during a closed throttle deceleration from about 35 mph. *yc
98876514 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 1998
Information on spark plug tip erosion calibration pcm reflash. *yc
98003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1998
Some owners may comment that the battery is low or dead. *yc
738153 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 1998
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1998 Oldsmobile 98 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Oldsmobile 98?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.