Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
Turn signal/hazard flashers.on occasion will not work period, or turn on with no blinking. Wiggling the hazard switch can bring back the flashing/flickering. Replaced part once for the same reason, was good for three months,but it came back again. The irony, the car has an no start/security light problem, but when I installed the new hazard flasher, I did not have the no start problem until the hazard switch failed again. Now it makes one wonder if the hazard switch plays a roll in the security/passkey no start scenario. Secondly, I see the recall for the impala/malibu/ monte carlogrand am/ grand prix/alero. The security light and passlock issue, if tripped will cut fuel supply, I still hear the fuel pump priming, as passkey is not a starter kill, it is rather a fuel kill. I also replaced the starter/and ignition switch, and still this problem exists. …
I'd been noticing that my car would quit at random times a little over a year ago, at first once every month or three, then gradually worked up to maybe once or twice a week. When I received the recall notice and took my key off my key ring. I had no further quitting incidents until I took my car in to the dealer October 31st. They did their thing with my key, and my car quit ten minutes later, on the way to an urgent appointment. I got it started again, then it quit again a couple of blocks down the road. I finally made it to my appointment, 5 minutes late. I put aside the "new" key, used a spare from then on, and the car seemed fine over the weekend. But on Monday morning I drove to the gym to work out, and the car would not start when I finished my workout and I walked the rest of the way to work. …
On the morning of July 5 2008, my daughter was driving the car in the description above she was a mile from home when she ran off of the edge of the road and when she tried to pull her car back onto the highway she could not control it, the car went off and crash into a deep ditch and hit a tree. She was badly injured but the passenger in the car was kill from a head injured. I know that the national highway traffic safety personal came out and investigater the scene, we never find out what cause the car to have no control, so now that there is a recall for this car because of the key turning in the ignition and fall out, I need to know if or what I can do to see if this is what cause her to crash. We no long have this vehicle but I am hoping that there is a way to find out and do something about this. After the crash her keys was in the floor in the vehicle. …
Power steering assist (rack/pinion-long shaft) unit second failure. The right rear weather strip was deformed, engine stalled shortly after starting, pulsating noise coming from the front end, tire noise, right rear window inoperative, clunking noise in the front end when turning, the battery light had come on for 20 minutes but the problem but was actually coolant light, the engine would crank but no start, the vehicle would run rough and dies, failed ignition switch, failed crankshaft sensor, remote was not working, lost power steering on a left turn and still had power on right turns, there was an oil leak, there was excessive wear of the intermediate steering shaft, and excessive play in the left front hub and bearing assembly.
Signal lights started causing problems approx. 5 years ago. Blowing bulbs, working some time but not all the time. Bulb sockets overheating and melting. Replaced front headlight assembly right and left. Not the problem. Still have same problem. They will stop working, one side at the time and for no rational reason will start again as if a short in the electrical system. Running lights work part of time. We have replaced a ton of bulbs but to no avail. Can someone on this earth please tell me where the switches are located in the electrical system so this vehicle can be repaired. So far, no luck in this effort. My car only has 330,000 miles plus and so far this is all that is wrong.
1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle ignition key recall notice. The consumer stated the ignition module and crank sensor were replaced several times. A recent problem developed, where the consumer was unable to turn the vehicle off. There were other times, when the vehicle would not start. Also, while driving, the headlights would come on and then go out. When the cruise control was set, it would disengage by itself and air only blew out of the right double vent and the left double vent blew out hot air.
When driving my 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue at approximately 45mph I hit a very large pot hole in the street. It jarred the vehicle and switched the ignition in my vehicle off. I lost power in the vehicle and my ability to properly steer the vehicle. I was thankfully in a lane where I was able to pull the vehicle over without issue (power steering was not available and the wheel was almost locked and it required a lot of pulling to be able to pull over) and restart the car. I did have a large/heavy key ring on my keys at that time.
GM sent me a recall notice for the infamous ignition switch defect. The cheap remedy that they propose, which is to provide the owner with a keyring the restricts adding additional keys to the keychain, imposes an additional burden on the car owner beyond what was required when the owner purchased the car. The remedy provided by GM is entirely unacceptable. Instead, GM should replace the ignition cylinder as they are doing in newer cars. Alternatively, GM should buy the cars back at its current kelly blue book value.
Related recalls
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.
Electrical complaints in other Intrigue years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue?
NHTSA has 61 complaints about the electrical system of the 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 24% of the model year's 256 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 14V-400 (ignition, Jul 3, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 79,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 1 fire and 5 injuries and 3 deaths to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.