Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 32 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 32, in the owner's own words
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH OR GREATER THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING WHEN THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE TO START AND EVENTUALLY WOULD NOT START AT ALL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE LOCAL MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS NEEDING A NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD AND MADE THE REPAIR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEGUN TO ILLUMINATE AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY STARTING. THE LOCAL MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AS NEEDING ANOTHER INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN, POWERTRAIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND PURCHASE DATE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 140,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 07/10/07 *TR
I HAVE A 1998 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS WITH 55,000 MILES--THE CAR HAS A 3.1 LITER V6 WITH A BLOWN INTAKE GASKET-- IT COST ME $550 TO HAVE THIS FIXED. PER 3 MECHANICS --"ALL"L 3.1 INTAKE GASKETS GO OUT AT AROUND 50,00 MILES I FEEL THE GM SHOULD PAY FOR DEFECTS THAT EFFECTS ALL 3.1S I'VE HAD 40+ CARS IN MY LIFE AND NEVER EVER HAD AN INTAKE MANIFOLD GO OUT ON ANY OF THEM---------TO ME THAT'S A MFG DEFECT!!! *JB
MY COOLENT IS LEAKING. I HAVE HAD MY HEAD GASKET REPLACED TWICE AND IT I STILL HAVE LEAK. I WAS TOLD BY THE GM SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO EXPECT TO REPLACE MY HEAD GASKIT EVERY 20-40,000 MILES. THERE IS A DEFECT. ALSO MY AC KEEPS SHUTTING OFF. MY POWER WINDOW ARE GETTING STUCK WHEN THE WINDOWS ARE DOWN. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A ACCIDENT IN THIS CAR. I AM THE FIRST AND ONLY OWNER.
I CURRENTLY HAVE THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS WITH MY 1998 OLDS CUTLASS GL. MY POWER STEERING IS STIFF AND MAKES A "WAILING" NOISE. MY COOLENT SYSTEM HAS A LEAK. MY HEAT AND AIR HAVE COMPLETEY STOPPED WORKING. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS (IN THE PAST THAT HAVE BEEN REPAIRED_ WITH MY POWER WINDOW LOCKING UP (DRIVERS SIDE). THE SOUND SYSTEM SHORTED OUT. THE CD PLAYER QUIT WORKING. I HAVE REPLACED MY WIPER BLADES SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY STILL DO NOT CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD COMPLETELY. ONE TIME WHEN MY TEENS WERE USING MY CAR, THEY WERE ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE CAR WENT COMPLETELY DEAD...NOT ONLY WERE THEY TERRIFIED, IT WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THEM TO BE IN.*AK
VEHICLE WAS CONSUMING ANTI FREEZE EXCESSIVELY. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE LOWER GASKET IN THE ENGINE LEAKING ANTI FREEZE. THE ANTI FREEZE WAS GOING INTO THE ENGINE AND MIXING WITH THE OIL. *AK
VEHICLE OVERHEATED, AND ENGINE LEAKED COOLANT. HEAT INCREASED IN FRONT ON THE FLOOR AND THROUGH THE DASHBOARD. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE OR DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. *AK
MY 1999 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS HAS HAD SEVERAL HEATING/COOLING PROBLEMS AS WELL AS BRAKE PROBLEMS. MY CAR CONSISTENTLY NEEDS BRAKES SOONER THAN MOST CARS SHOULD AND THE CAR HAS ENGINE PROBLEMS AND HEATING AND COOLING PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE SPENT OVER $2000.00 TO FIX. I THINK THE MANUFACTURER IS NOT REPORTING DEFECTS WITH THIS CAR. THE CAR HAS MECHANICAL PROBLEMS THAT A HIGH MILEAGE CAR SHOULD HAVE. *AK
IMPROPERLY ASSEMBLED ENGINE OR ENGINE ASSEMBLED WITH DEFECTIVE MATERIALS. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILS ALLOWING WATER TO MIX WITH OIL AND/OR FUEL, IF LEFT UNCORRECTED THIS CONDITION WILL DESTROY THE ENGINE. SYMPTOMS SEEN AS EARLY AS 36,000 MILES WITH THE VEHICLE BEING FOUR YEARS OLD. HAD REPAIRED IN MY CUTLASS ON DEC. 27, 2002 FOR $606.06 BY CHUCK NASH CHEVY/OLDS/BUICK/JEEP/EAGLE, SAN MARCOS, TX 41901 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AT THAT TIME THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. GOOD LUCK. MARK C. ERICKSON DIRECTOR OF RECORDING ARTS
1998 OLDS CUTLASS LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD WENT BAD. O-RINGS WENT BAD ON FUEL INJECTORS AND FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. 40,000 MILES. MANIFOLD GASKET PROBLEM IS FAIRLY COMMON ON THE CHEVY LUMINA AND MALIBU. THE MECHANICS AT DEALER TOLD ME AND PARTS MGR. SAID TO KEEP MY RECEIPTS IN CASE OF RECALL. $888. FOR MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACEMENT. *LA
INTAKE GASKET KEEPS BREAKING EVERY 40,000 MILES. I HAVE HAD IT REPLACED TWICE (ONCE AT 40,000 AND THE SECOND TIME AT 80,000 MILES) AND HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT I WILL NEED IT REPLACED AGAIN AT ANOTHER 40,000 MILES. THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT IS A DEFECT WITH OLDSMOBILE. *LA
INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILURE ON MY 1998 OLDS CUTLASS RESULTED IN TOTAL DAMAGE TO MY ENGINE. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM I HAVE FOUND IT TO BE A VERY WIDESPREAD COMPLAINT, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED AT GM'S EXPENSE. THIS CONDITION WAS DISCOVERED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER EXTENDED SERVICE CONTRACT BY MASTER GUARD. WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS REPORTED THE DEALERSHIP WAS TOLD BY MASTER GUARD THAT THE REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED, ALTHOUGH MY PLATINUM COVERAGE SPECIFICALLY SAID IT WAS.
WHILE DRIVING ENGINES HEAD GASKET FAILED AND AS A RWSULT THE DRIVER HAD TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE ADD ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM
NAR 05/21/2003 *MR WATER LEAK IN TRUNK, MISSING ABSORBER IN REAR DOOR, SUSPENSION NOISE, 4 NEW TIRES REPLACED, NEW FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS, AND COOLANT SYSTEM LEAKAGE. *CB
THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES ON THE CONSUMERS THREE VEHICLES. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ON THIS VEHICLE(1998 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS) WAS REPLACED, THEN ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS ON A 1996 PONTIAC GRAND AM AND A 1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. SCC *JB *JB
A WEEK AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN OCTOBER 2002 THERE WAS NOISE FROM FRONT LEFT END OF VEHICLE....THERE IS ANOTHER NOISE THAT COMES FROM THE STEERING WHEN TURNING THE WHEELS TRYING TO PARK THE CAR.....I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY DON'T HEAR ANYTHING...ALSO I HAD THE CAR CHECKED OUT THE SAME DAY FOR THE BRAKES...THERE WAS A SQUEALING NOISE ON THE FRONT LEFT SIDE AND THE CAR WOULDN'T BRAKE PROPERLY...THE DEALER REPLACED THE LEFT BRAKE PAD..I HAVEN'T HAD ANY TROUBLE WITH THE BRAKES SINCE...THREE WEEKS LATER I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE STEERING NOISES AND THEY SAID IT WOULD BE COSTLY FOR THE LABOR TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT MAY NOT BE COVERED BY WARRANTY...THEY SAID SINCE IT'S ONLY MINOR AND IS NOT CAUSING ANY PROBLEMS IT WOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER TO KEEP DRIVING IT UNTIL SOMETHING WENT WRONG TO WHERE THEY WOULD KNOW WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS COMING FROM....A COUPLE MONTHS LATER..IN MARCH 2003, THE ENGINE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON CONTINUOUSLY AND THE CAR WAS LEAKING ENGINE COOLANT....AFTER CHECKING THE CAR OUT, I HAD THE WATER PUMP REPLACED....IT HAS BEEN A WEEK NOW SINCE I'VE HAD THE WATER PUMP REPLACED AND THE ENGINE COOLANT LIGHT HASN'T CAME BACK ON AND THE ENGINE COOLANT HASN'T LEAKED OUT YET..BUT NOW, WHEN I TURN THE AIR CONDITIONER ON IT, IT GOES OUT BY ITSELF AND COMES BACK ON A COUPLE MINUTES LATER...I HAVEN'T HAD THE CAR CHECKED OUT FOR THAT YET BUT THIS CAR IS ADDING UP TO A HEADACHE AND I HAVEN'T HAD IT FOR 6 MONTHS YET..RIGHT NOW IT'S ONLY AT AN ESTIMATED OF 42,500 MILES DRIVEN ON IT..... *NLM
THE HEAD GASKET CRACKED AND LEAKED COOLANT. *JB TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS SUGGESTED THAT THE PROBLEM OCCURS AS THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE APPROACHES 50K MILES, AND MAY DEFECTIVE. SCC
ENGINE ASSEMBLED INCORRECTLY OR ASSEMBLED USING DEFECTIVE MATERIALS. GASKET FAILURE ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ALLOWS WATER TO MIX WITH OIL AND/OR FUEL, IF LEFT UNCORRECTED THIS WILL DESTROY THE ENGINE. SYMPTOMS SEEN BEFORE THE CAR WAS DRIVEN 40,000 MILES, WHILE THE CAR WAS 4 YEARS OLD.
LOW COOLANT LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND HAD TO KEEP ADDING COOLANT. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC, WHO TOLD ME THAT IT WAS LEAKING AT THE INTAKE GASKET AND THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACE. MECHANIC ALSO TOLD ME THAT HIS SON WAS A MECHANIC FOR A GM DEALERSHIP AND THAT HE HAD SEEN NUMEROUS CUTLASS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK
COOLANT LIGHT ON DASH CAME ON, DEALER DETERMINED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS LEAKING, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED.*AK *YH
WHILE DIVING 75 MPH VEHICLE STALLS. HAD REPAIRED, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. DEALER CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK
WHILE DRIVING, ABS LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE ON DASHBOARD. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT LIGHT; HOWEVER, HAS REPLACED BRAKE SENSOR AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING.*AK CONSUMER STATES THAT GAS FUMES AND SMOKE FUMES WERE BEING EMITTED FROM ENGINE. *YD
INTAKE GASKET IS LEAKING COOLANT. VEHICLE SMOKED, AND HAD TO CONTANTLY KEEP PUTTING COOLANT IN VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER INDICATED THAT INTAKE GASKETS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
THE MECHANIC WHO WORKED ON MY CAR SAID THIS WAS NOT UNCOMMON FOR THIS MAKE & YEAR CAR. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK
WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR COMING TO A STOP VEHICLE IS NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE AT A CORRECT SPEED. WHEN SLOWING DOWN VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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