Problems · by component

1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue engine and engine cooling problems

68 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue cite engine and engine cooling, 13% of all 518 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 2 recalls on this component.

Complaints
68
13% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
25
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine and engine cooling

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V116000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 11/08/16*LJ”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 16, 2016Engine and engine coolingFire reportedODI 10907123
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V701000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. UPDATED 07/13/16*LJ UPDATED 08/03/16.*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 26, 2016Engine and engine coolingODI 10871009
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR VALVE COVER AND THE REAR GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V701000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. UPDATED 04/22/16*LJ *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 3, 2016Engine and engine cooling, EngineODI 10839648
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED FLAMES EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE, WHICH MELTED ALL THE WIRES AND VALVE COVERS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CONTACTED. A FIRE EXTINGUISHER WAS USED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. FOUR MONTHS AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V116000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000..........UPDATED 04/01/16 *BF”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 4, 2016Engine and engine coolingFire reportedODI 10817558
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE DISPLAYED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD AND DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE/FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. ..UPDATED 12/03/14 *BF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. UPDATED 12/11/14*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 27, 2014Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system, EngineFire reportedODI 10650494
“I AM WRITING THIS FOR MY HUSBAND. MY DAUGHTER'S CAR (WHICH IS IN MY NAME) WAS PARKED IN HER DRIVEWAY FOR 3 WEEKS WHILE SHE WAS OUT OF THE COUNTRY. THIS MORNING APPROX. 10:30AM., TUE. 17TH. 2012, HER DAD WANTED TO GET IT CLEANED UP FOR HER BEFORE SHE CAME HOME TONIGHT. HER DAD PUT THE KEY IN BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT START. HE FIGURED THAT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD (THE BATTERY WAS ONLY A FEW MONTHS OLD). HE PULLED HIS VEHICLE NEXT TO THE 1998 OLDS INTRIGUE AND HOOKED UP THE BATTERY CABLES. WHEN HE WENT TO START THE INTRIGUE, THERE WAS A VERY LOUD BOOM (HE DESCRIBED IT LIKE AN M-80 GOING OFF) AND HE THEN SAW FLAMES!!! UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. HE RAN AND GOT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. AS THE SMOKE CLEARED, HE SAW PIECES OF BROKEN PLASTIC/METAL ON THE DRIVEWAY IN FRONT OF THE CAR AND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD BLOWN 10 TO 15 FEET INTO THE GARAGE!!! IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN STANDING NEAR THE FRONT OF THE CAR, THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN VERY SERIOUSLY INJURED OR EVEN KILLED. MY HUSBAND TALKED TO A COUPLE OF PEOPLE HE KNOWS (ONE IS A MECHANIC), AFTER THE EXPLOSION, AND THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPENING TO A VEHICLE! I JUST THANK GOD NO ONE WAS STANDING IN FRONT…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 17, 2012Engine and engine coolingFire reportedODI 10455513

Showing 6 of 68 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

2 recalls on this component

Engine and engine cooling: engine

Free remedy

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.

Engine and engine coolingReported Oct 26, 2015NHTSA 15V701000

Engine and engine cooling

Free remedy

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 1,497,516 MY 1997-2003 BUICK REGAL, MY 1998-2003 CHEVROLET LUMINA, MONTE CARLO AND IMPALA, MY 1998-1999 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE, MY 1997-2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 3.8L V6 NATURALLY ASPIRATED ENGINE. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A CONDITION IN WHICH DROPS OF ENGINE OIL MAY BE DEPOSITED ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD THROUGH HARD BRAKING.

Engine and engine coolingReported Apr 8, 2009NHTSA 09V116000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 30, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.