RoadVitals

1981 Oldsmobile 98

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Aug 9, 2000
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1981 Oldsmobile 98, most frequently naming the heating & air conditioning, electrical and engine categories.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Heating & air conditioning120.0%
  • Electrical120.0%
  • Engine120.0%
  • Fuel system120.0%
  • Tires & wheels120.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Tires & wheels
Filed Aug 9, 2000

FIRESTONE TIRE WAS 2 YEARS OLD, BUT UNUSED (SPARE TIRE). PUT ON RIGHT FRONT OF CAR BEFORE TRIP. DRIVEN 200 MILES AT 70MPH (ON I 75 SOUTH NEAR GAINESVILLE, FL) IN 95 DEGREE TEMPERATURE WHEN TREAD CAME OFF RIGHT FRONT TIRE. TIRE WAS STILL FULLY PRESSURIZED, JUST HAD NO TREAD. TREAD COMING OFF CAR LEFT BLACK RUBBER MARKS ACROSS PAINT ON FRONT FENDER AND TORE OFF PIECE OF CHROME (NEITHER CURRENTLY REPAIRED). FHP STOPPED AND INDICATED A NEARBY EXIT. DROVE VERY SLOWLY TO EXIT AND CHANGED TIRE. RETURNED HOME AND REPLACED TIRE. DID NOT REQUEST REFUND AS DAMAGED TIRE HAD NO TREAD REMAINING.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P21575R15 )

NHTSA ID
727306
Incident
Jul 21, 1999
Heating & air conditioningElectricalEngine+1 more
Filed Aug 16, 1996

DISTRIBUTOR FAILED.

NHTSA ID
507644
Incident
Aug 9, 1996

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Oldsmobile 98 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2000001—
1999101—
1998270240.6
1997300235.6
1996102257.4
1995302049.0
1994161052.6
1993131042.5
1992381145.1
1991472158.0
1990172050.7
1989111049.5
1988101341.5
1987154657.9
1986133753.1
1985915—
1984113—
1983101—
1982210—
1981Viewing200—
1980120—
1979030—
1977020—
1975120—
1974010—
1972030—
1971010—
1968030—
1967010—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.