Most common 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue problems
Share of the 256 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Oldsmobile Intrigue complaints by model year
Best Intrigue years: 2002, 2001. Years to avoid: 1998, 1999. Compare all years →
1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue recalls (6)
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
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.
Remedy: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engine's front valve cover and gasket.
Electrical system › Ignition
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014.
Engine and engine cooling
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine's front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engine's plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, free of charge.
Seat belts
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Some of these vehicles were built with rear seat shoulder belts that could twist, allowing the webbing to be jammed in the retractor. When the shoulder belt webbing becomes jammed in the retractor, the seat belt becomes unusable.
Remedy: Dealers will remove any twists from the rear shoulder belt(s) and install clips to the belt web guide to prevent twisting.
Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system › Hoses/lines/piping/fittings
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with a 3.8l v6 engine. Some of these vehicles were built without a heater hose clip which could allow the hose to sag and contact the oxygen sensor resulting in a coolant leak.
Remedy: Dealers will install a heater hose clip.
Exterior lighting › Headlights
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The owner manuals do not contain the requirement information pertaining to the vehicle headlamp aiming device. This does not comply with requirements of FMVSS no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Remedy: Owners will be mailed an owner manual's insert which contains the appropriate information.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue:
Headlamps dim/flicker
Rear shoulder belt malfunction
The alleged defect concerns two major symptoms:failure to retract webbing and inability to extend the webbinng for use. The root cause of these symptoms is the design of the trim bezel through which the sebbing passes. Built into the rear package shelf, the bezel includes a vertical slot to facilitate vehicle assembly.the slot is positioned such that the shoulder belt webbing tends to slip into it.webbing ingestion…
Engine compartment fires
Ea02-030 is closed with gmea02-030 is closed with GM?s actions in 03v-473 and 04v-090 recalling approximately 529,000 my 1998-99 c- and h-body vehicles equipped with defective fuel pressure regulators.these vehicles were equipped with plastic intake manifolds that are unable to contain pressures that occur in some backfire events and defective fuel pressure regulators with leaking diaphragms that can provide a…
What 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue owners say
Engine & cooling all 67 →
Tl* the contact owned a 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, smoke started coming from under the hood of the vehicle. After the vehicle was parked, the contact stated that the front of the vehicle caught on fire. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire and a fire report was filed. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure mileage was 100,000.
On sat, May 9, I drove my vehicle to work and parked in the business parking lot, turned off the ignition, left the vehicle to go inside and check on my employees.. Approximately 10 minutes later a co-worker notified me that smoke was coming from my vehicle. Upon opening the hood I noticed a fire burning from the manifold into the engine cover and spark plug wires. Several attempts were made to extinguish the fire and get my dog out of the vehicle. The fire was eventually extinguished with a fire extinguisher. There was a strong oil smell. The incident was observed by co-workers and captured by security cameras. Oil was leaking from valve cover and had ignited on the manifold and burned various plastic parts of the engine components. The vehicle was able to start and, accept for a hesitation in the engine, was drivable. Contacted dealer, was told that issue was part of a recall. …
Electrical system all 61 →
Car will not start, not turn over or anything. Security light will come on while driving. Never know when the car will start. Have been towed to mechanic 3 times in 72 hrs. He has checked all connections and all are good. He can find nothing wrong. Will start a few times then nothing. Mechanic has put on his code reader and nothing comes up. Car will just turn off whenever. Have read many forums and tons of people are having this same problem
So much for investing in American-made vehicles. I, like over a dozen others who took the time to file a complaint, am experiencing the flicker and dim of all lighting during the evening hours - especially when the weather's colder. It is unnerving to me, and I'm sure to those drivers around me, to drive with questionable exterior lighting. And, as others have said, GM does not view this as a "safety issue". What say they have their spouse, or their child, drive a vehicle with this same "not a safety issue" and see if their view doesn't change? I work, and with daylight savings time, this means I am travelling home in the dark -- with my one-year-old and nine-year-old in the car with me. None of this matters to the folks at GM. Because they can point to the age and mileage of the vehicle to get them off the hook, they are. …
Steering all 58 →
Tl contact owns a 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue. While driving at an unknown speed and making a left turn, the contact heard an explosion that shook her vehicle. She lost control of the steering, the battery warning light illuminated, and smoke was present underneath the hood. A relative, who is also a mechanic, stated that the fluid on the manifold caused the vehicle to begin smoking and the steering knuckle fell off of the vehicle, which could also have caused fluid to leak and smoke to appear. A few months ago, the contact heard a high pitched sound in the steering wheel. Prior to the failure, she noticed an oil leak and the dealer replaced the pistons. The VIN was unavailable. The dealer and manufacturer have not been notified. The failure and current mileages were 137,000.
I have a serious problem when I turn left! Sometimes it will and most of the time I have to break a sweat. I had the power steering pump replaced and the problem still is there. I have found several different complaints and recalls of GM vehicles that have rack and pinion deficiencies. To get my rack and pinion replace it will cost me $600 for the part and ten hours of labor. Due to the fact that they have to remove the engine just to get to it. Now, I m a sergeant in the us army and I am stationed in Germany. The closest thing I have to GM is an opel dealer. I spoke to Oldsmobile and they say that they do not have any recalls or complaints about the rack and pinion on file. This is bs. Look at the NHTSA web site and you will find hundreds of them. Or just search for olds Intrigue steering problems. I take care of my car and I keep up the services. …
1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 27 / 21 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 25 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue a good car?
Based on 256 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 Intrigue rates use caution: 1.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Intrigue at the same age. It is one of the Intrigue years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue?
The engine & cooling — 67 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the electrical system (61) and steering (58).
How many recalls does the 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue have?
There are 6 recalls for the 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue, the most recent from October 26, 2015 (manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Oldsmobile Intrigue?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2002 and 2001. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1998 and 1999. See the full Oldsmobile Intrigue years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 79,000 miles; 25% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.