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 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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
Takata recall- while the car is in motion it will simply stop, nothing will work. It must be restarted to resume and continue. It May not drive for long though. It does not happen all the time but it seems that this is very dangerous .at times the power will shut off momentarily but the car will continue driving. The lights will dim while driving, also. On one occasion the car would not start until the third crank of the key. This has happened on busy streets with my new 17 year old driver at the wheel. I will be calling a dealer soon. They have to feel some responsibility. I pray no one gets hurt due to this issue.
While driving the vehicle approaching a turn, the vehicle goes dead and completely blacks out. The vehicle is operating perfectly prior to all electrical current begin cut from the car, this happens with no warning. It has been diagnosed with a bad electronic ignition switch which is cutting all power to the vehicle. Obviously with out a running engine, the power brakes and steering are gone too. I have to assume since there is no power to the vehicle that the airbags would also not function correctly.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact mentioned that the failure recurred after the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 14V400000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000. The VIN was not available.
2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue horn failed to operate. The consumer stated it is hard to locate the horn when needed. The consumers vehicle was hit in the fender. The consumer stated the accident probably could have been avoided had he been able to locate the horn.
In the past few years, my 2001 olds Intrigue has been having numerous issues. At first, I thought it May just be my car, but after much research, I'm finding that all of these things are also happening to many others. The first thing that I noticed was the random dimming of my headlights while driving. I have checked my lights, battery cables, and alternator. All are fine. The next issue is that my blinkers sometimes work and sometimes don't. This is very disconcerting and most dangerous when taking my child to and from school, when streets are busy and signals are necessary! Thirdly, about 3/4 of the time while stopped, my car idles very high! I assume this May be due to the fact that my traction control, service engine soon, and service vehicle soon lights are all on. All have been checked and I've been told that it's a wiring issue that is common in intrigues. …
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. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled multiple times intermittently while traveling various speeds. The steering wheel was extremely difficult to handle when attempting to make a left or right turn. The key had to be pushed into the ignition due to the fact that the key was not fully secured into the ignition and was also difficult to insert. The contact had to shake and apply force in order to push the key in the ignition when the vehicle stalled. The service engine sensor light illuminated intermittently on numerous occasions. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop where a mechanic diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue. The contact stated that the alternator and battery had been replaced several times. When he activated the air conditioner, the vehicle would shut off. When the contact stopped at a sign or slowed down from 45 MPH, the vehicle completely shut down. The power steering and brakes failed. The vehicle was able to be restarted within a short amount of time after the failure. Prior to the failure, the engine light remained illuminated 90% of the time. He took the vehicle to the dealer numerous times and they replaced the spark plugs, battery, and alternator; however, the failure persisted. The current mileage was approximately 100,000 and failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
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 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the electrical system of the 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 34% of the model year's 108 complaints. The component named most often is alternator/generator/regulator (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 14V-400 (ignition, Jul 3, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries 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.