Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue. The contact stated that the rear driver side lower control arm bracket failed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear driver side lower control arm bracket needed to be replaced but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
My car would make noise and rattle also steering became difficult , had to replace rack and pinion. The 2 nd thing is that my car would shut off any where any time and I had to replace the ignition switch. Now I find out there were recalls on both these things which I never knew that there was a recall, except for the rear seat belts. Now , I, my family or numerous people on the road could have gotten killed when my car shut off. I find out that GM knew about these things and never told me? That makes me very angry and I don't appreciate all the money that fixing these things cost me.
Bolt head broke off. Bolt attached rear control arm to wheel bearing. External portion of bolt head looks fine, but portion where the head attaches to the threads is completely rusted through. I saw the broken bolt head on the garage floor, otherwise I never would have checked for it. With the head broken off, the bolt could possibly fall out of the hole, and the frame would drop significantly over that wheel. The weight of the vehicle likely kept the bolt in place. It cost $51 to have the bolt replaced at an Oldsmobile dealership. The old bolt head is available.
Was driving behind a semi and car started rocking violently. Turned off and was going across railroad tracks and heard a loud clank noise. Was then unable to drive car at highway speeds. The sway bar broke off of one side. When item was replaced one whole side was broke off and the other side was cracked. I retained the original part.
Rear suspension (3/4") bolt failure. Bolt had fractured at the neck under the head. 80% of the area of the fracture was covered in rust, with 20% showing signs of a recent failure. The area of failure on the bolt head showed indications of torsional stress.
This car has had thirteen garage visits under warranty so far to either diagnose problems or correct problems. Tomorrow, it will have the intermediate steering shaft replaced for the second time by holmes Oldsmobile to correct a popping sensation in the steering. Other repairs in this regard have been replacement of the control arms and the steering rack. The front brake rotors first warped last year and were turned on 08/19/98; they warped again and were replaced on 12/10/98. On 6/11/99, this second set for the frontwere turned again along with both rear rotors due to warpage; this is grossly excessive. I understand that Oldsmobile has discontinued these brakes as an option (labelled "autobahn" ) because of quality problems. Please investigate this situation for me as both the steering and brakes evidence of durability problems do not instill confidence.
ABS system activision on dry pavment surfice somewhat rough, I travel this route often and the street surfice has not change . It is my opionion that ABS activation is due to poor strut performance however based on the "jump or push down on a corner of the vehical and see if it stop in less than one and one-half bounces the unit sill works. It is my opionion that ABS is sensitive to shock ware much earlyer then non ABS cars. This problem can create longer braking, resulting in accidents and damage. This is not my first not to the NHTSA about this concern but on my 1992 roadmaster had the same problem , even if the shop said the shock were within safity limits with the bounce test the shock change fixed the ABS cycles in all conditions that were normal (non ice) thank you for your consideration into this matter of safety bob urmetz
The steering linkage and left front suspension showed laud noise of grinding and clunking friction at low speed and during turning, mostly toward the left side. The left front wheel seemed to move loosely during these movement, too. Dealer diagnosed and replaced the defective intermediate geer shaft at the owner's expense. The problem seemed to have reduced.
Steering column began making clunking noise at 8265 and at 11015 miles, intermediate steering shaft was replaced. At 16342 noises began again and at 19438, power steering gear assembly replaced and front strut bolts tightened. At 19545 clunk LED to tightening of all control arm bolts. Clunk still exists.
Problem is noise in front end & pulsating movement on steering wheel. Dealer has changed front wheel bearing and tighten a loose bracket, noises still there. Turn wheel and a rubbing sound can be heard. Also, drivers door sticks and door seal almost has hole worn in it when getting in car.
Suspension complaints in other Intrigue years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the suspension of the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 6% of the model year's 510 complaints. The component named most often is front (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 102,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.