"How reliable is the 1990 Oldsmobile 98?"

"Based on 26 NHTSA complaints, the 1990 Oldsmobile 98 has a median complaint mileage of 0 miles. The most common issue is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION."

"What are common problems with the 1990 Oldsmobile 98?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1990 Oldsmobile 98 is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, accounting for a significant portion of the 26 total complaints filed."

1990 Oldsmobile 98: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 26 complaints

Total Complaints

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Top Issue

Crash Reports

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"STEERING WHEEL IS SMOKING AND MAKING A STRANGE NOISE. TT"

"DRIVERS SIDE HEADREST IS NOT PROPERLY ANGLED FOR PROTECTION IN EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT"

"FUEL SENDING UNIT FAILURE, VEHICLE RUN OUT OF FUEL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY *AK"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

KY: 5 NY: 5 MD: 2 NC: 2 00: 2 IN: 1 ID: 1 TX: 1 LA: 1 NJ: 1

Who Files Complaints?

34.6%

Original Owners

65.4%

Second+ Owners

Oldsmobile 98 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1991	69	-	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP	7
1992	46	-	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP	4
1994	23	-	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL	10
1995	71	-	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	2
1997	35	-	SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER	0
1998	32	81,500	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE	1

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28