Your vehicle report
1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 155
- Received Dec 1997 to Dec 2014
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Front brake rotors warp and wear early17 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant8 complaints · 5.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Head gasket leaks coolant into engine8 complaints · 5.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #03V527000Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
- Recall #01V068000On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the "salt belt" states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, north dakota, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and wyoming. If a buildup of snow or ice restricts the movement of the passenger side windshield wiper arm, the pivot housing can crack and the wipers will not operate.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 7 crashes, 0 fires, 4 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 18 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant
- Head gasket leaks coolant into engine
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 1 |
| 1998 | 13 |
| 1999 | 22 |
| 2000 | 33 |
| 2001 | 18 |
| 2002 | 12 |
| 2003 | 14 |
| 2004 | 19 |
| 2005 | 8 |
| 2006 | 3 |
| 2007 | 5 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 155 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 17 | 11% | – | |
| Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant | 8 | 5.2% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 8 | 5.2% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 7 | 4.5% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 7 | 4.5% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 7 | 4.5% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 5 | 3.2% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 3.2% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 5 | 3.2% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 5 | 3.2% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 5 | 3.2% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 4 | 2.6% | – | NHTSA recall #01V068000 |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 4 | 2.6% | – | |
| Wheel bearings fail prematurely | 4 | 2.6% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 3 | 1.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #03V527000December 11, 2003750,283 vehicles affected
steering: rack and pinion
Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
If this occurs, the pinion shaft Can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver Can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
Remedy
Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began on february 5, 2004. Owners should contact Buick at 1-866-608-8080; Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; Oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537; or Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
NHTSA recall #01V068000March 8, 2001129,427 vehicles affected
visibility: windshield wiper/washer: linkages
On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the "salt belt" states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, north dakota, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and wyoming. If a buildup of snow or ice restricts the movement of the passenger side windshield wiper arm, the pivot housing Can crack and the wipers will not operate.
Reduced visibility in inclement weather could lead to a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the passenger side windshield wiper pivot housing. Owner notification began august 14, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or Oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN