Most common 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue problems
Share of the 108 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 →
2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue recalls (3)
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.
Seat belts
Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles, equipped with sunvisor located air bag labels, fail to conform to federal motor vehicles safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection." these vehicles have a message area less than 30 cm which does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Remedy: GM will mail a new bilingual air bag label with installation instructions. However, the customer May bring the label to their dealer for installation free of charge. Owner notification began May 4, 2001.
Seat belts
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and Mini vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load bearing requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicle's safety belt buckle assembly date codes and, if necessary, will replace any safety belt buckle assembly.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue:
Headlamps dim/flicker
What 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue owners say
Lights all 42 →
Driving anywhere day or night at any given speed, radio goes in and out, turn signal work on and off at random moments, headlights will dim for no reason, interior dash lights dim for no reason. Also will occasionally cause car to stall for no reason. Have been pulled over by law enforcement several times and warned about not using turn signals when I did, but car has never worked properly. I inform them of the complaints I have repeatedly made to GM to resolve and have been repeatedly ignored by GM. I usually am let off with warning. There are thousands of complaints online about this very issue and yet nothing has been done to resolve it. It is a safety hazard and eventually will lead to an accident due to GM not taking responsibility for their defects. It also affects exterior lighting. Heated seats button goes in and out with these same problems and air bags do not work at all.
The electrical connection within my turn signals is erratic. One moment the turn signal works, the next moment it doesn't. This makes for a difficult commute. There is a current safety recall pertaining to vehicles made by GM during the time that my vehicle was built but my vehicle isn't covered under the recall, despite the fact that the vehicle is suffering from the same problems as the GM vehicles included in the safety recall. The recall states that there was faulty soddering at fault in the case of the electrical issues. I have attached the url for the recall: http://www-odi.NHTSA.dot.gov/cars/problems/defect/results.cfm?action_number=ea02037&searchtype=quicksearch&summary=true thank you
Electrical system all 37 →
Driving anywhere day or night at any given speed, radio goes in and out, turn signal work on and off at random moments, headlights will dim for no reason, interior dash lights dim for no reason. Also will occasionally cause car to stall for no reason. Have been pulled over by law enforcement several times and warned about not using turn signals when I did, but car has never worked properly. I inform them of the complaints I have repeatedly made to GM to resolve and have been repeatedly ignored by GM. I usually am let off with warning. There are thousands of complaints online about this very issue and yet nothing has been done to resolve it. It is a safety hazard and eventually will lead to an accident due to GM not taking responsibility for their defects. It also affects exterior lighting. Heated seats button goes in and out with these same problems and air bags do not work at all.
The electrical connection within my turn signals is erratic. One moment the turn signal works, the next moment it doesn't. This makes for a difficult commute. There is a current safety recall pertaining to vehicles made by GM during the time that my vehicle was built but my vehicle isn't covered under the recall, despite the fact that the vehicle is suffering from the same problems as the GM vehicles included in the safety recall. The recall states that there was faulty soddering at fault in the case of the electrical issues. I have attached the url for the recall: http://www-odi.NHTSA.dot.gov/cars/problems/defect/results.cfm?action_number=ea02037&searchtype=quicksearch&summary=true thank you
Engine & cooling
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue. The contact stated that while driving 4 MPH, smoke started to emit through the ventilation system. The contact mentioned that in matter of seconds, the smoke color change from white to dark black smoke before flames were visible. The vehicle was completely destroyed. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 148,000.
Shortly after 36,000 miles, vehicle began stalling intermittently, pcs, ABS, ses lights would come one & stay on. Stalling became more and frequent until it began occurring everytime within 120 seconds of cold start (over course of 2,000 -4,000 more miles. Nearly got broadsided by cement truck when vehicle stalled unexpectedly (after already doing its traditional first stall after cold start). Dealer diagnosed and replaced crank sensor. GM would only pay for part and I was left with diagnosis and labor bill. Dealer would not provide me with defective part. Claimed it belonged to GM. On electrical problem, battery would run down after car left sitting for 3-4 days in cold weather. Would recharge battery and it would be OK. Could not find cause, then finally at about 25,000 miles, battery went bad & would not recharge. Dealer/GM replaced at no cost to me. However, problem continued. …
2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 26 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue a good car?
Based on 108 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Intrigue rates better than average: 52% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Intrigue at the same age. It is one of the best Intrigue years by this measure. 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 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue?
The lights — 42 complaints, 39% of all complaints for this model year, most often about headlights. Next are the electrical system (37) and engine & cooling (18).
How many recalls does the 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue, the most recent from July 3, 2014 (ignition). 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 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 62,000 miles; 39% 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.