Engine complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Owner noticed car was going threw oil. At first no leak was found and owner thought the vehicle was burning it internally. Brought car in for a diagnosis for another issue that was occurring at the time and noticed that there was smoke coming from the rear manifold. Took a look and it turns out valve covers are leaking. Car was switched from conventional oil to synthetics which had made it more noticeable. Earlier Oldsmobile Intrigue models have a recall for the same issue but not with the 2002 models. The recall number is 09V116000. Vehicle has had no loss in performance.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. As a result, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the guard rail. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed of the incident and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 163,000.
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. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue. The contact stated that while driving across the intersection and making a left hand turn, the vehicle stalled without warning causing another vehicle to crash into the left side of the vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and no injuries were sustained. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician repaired the failure but the diagnosis was unknown. The vehicle was included in recall NHTSA campaign number: 14V400000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000.
After rounding a curve and seeing a deer and thinking how lucky I was that it didn't jump out in front of me, my engine died and I lost control of the vehicle. It went off into the drivers side ditch and hit a field driveway culvert with the divers side tire, which ultimately bent the frame and totaled my car.. However, the airbags did deploy and I had only a minor injury. My elbow went through a drivers side air vent. Since my car is totaled and the recall sounds like it was the cause, can I get my car fixed or some kind of compensation? I had a lot of keys on my car ring as a work for the city.
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. …
Related recalls (3)
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.
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.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Oldsmobile Intrigue years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1998 (97), 1999 (67), 2000 (29), 2001 (18) and 2002 (13) model years. Engine complaints make up 19% of all complaints for the 1998.
Is there a recall for Oldsmobile Intrigue engine problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 15V-701 (manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe, Oct 26, 2015); 09V-116 (engine and engine cooling, Apr 8, 2009); 98V-241 (hoses/lines/piping/fittings, Oct 5, 1998). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Oldsmobile Intrigue engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 96,000 miles; 18% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (44 mentions), followed by the engine › gasoline (36).
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.