1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue GL 3.8 liter

Summary:

It is a great car over all

Faults:

My Power Control Module went out.

My ABS brake control module has went out.

My ABS brake pressure modulator has went out.

General Comments:

This is one of the best cars I have owned. They want some serious money to replace these parts. The strange thing is they all went out at the same time.

The power control module causes my anti-theft to shut the car down. Usually at the first start.

They say the ABS problem is causing my power steering to act up. They want a whole lot of money to replace this. Almost what the car is worth.

I just find it odd that all these parts went out at one time.

The say the Power Control Module issue was caused by giving someone a jump and putting the cables on back wards. I don't recall giving anyone a jump in the last year.

If anyone knows anything about this please let me know. Maybe a recall or something.

The sad thing is I really like this car. Its fast, reliable (until know) Good on gas. Great car to own. I just find it funny that they all went out at once.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 6th December, 2004

1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue GL 3.5L

Summary:

Loaded Gun

Faults:

Great Car, very reliable. Performance wise more than I could ask for.

General Comments:

The transmission went at 117,000 miles, but that's only because I was real hard on it. Only $1000.00 to get it fixed. Otherwise the car runs and drives great. Just the right amount of power. I put an aftermarket supercharger on the engine at around 100,000mi. The car goes 0-60 in 6.1 seconds. You wouldn't be able to tell by looking at it. I have nothing else to say, this car is amazing.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th September, 2004

14th Mar 2005, 16:55

Where did you get the supercharger?

1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue GLS 3.5L V6

Summary:

Toss-up

Faults:

Burns 1 quart of oil every 1500 miles. I thought it was leaking, but the head mechanic at dealership says that the 3.5L has lots of problems like this and burning oil. Fuel injectors gum-up every so often, causing a misfire, but running a cleaner every other fill-up helps.

General Comments:

I wish I would have gotten the 3.8L, but the GLS doesn't offer it. I love the Olds, it looks much classier than a Chevy or Pontiac. Other than the engine consuming oil like a sponge, this car is awesome. But I'm just waiting for the engine to blow up.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 27th September, 2004

11th Aug 2005, 22:22

I have a 99 Intrigue and it's "OK" and fun to drive, but not super fantastic. It does indeed burn the two quarts every 3000 like the others as I have the 3.5. I don't like that, but at least now I know my car is not a freak case.

The door trim stinks. I have to use a hammer to bang the top trim back down towards the front to keep the doors from sticking.

17th Mar 2006, 10:26

Since this is the 3.5L V6 that was derived from the Cadillac Northstar V8, it does in fact use oil when you "baby" it. These engines were built for high-output, and so the cylinder walls are stoned differently than in other engines out there. It is not really burning it unless you see blue smoke come out of the tail pipes. These engines have gone through tear downs at 200,000 miles, only to find that everything looks as if it came off the line. The key here is that every once in a while, you will want to punch it to get that tach up to about 5000 RPM. This will keep the oil consumption down. There is more on this topic at www.cadillacforums.com.

1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue GL 3.5L V6

Summary:

It's been a great car, and sadly the only Oldsmobile I'll ever own.

Faults:

The lights (both headlights and dash) occasionally dim while cruising (with no additional loads being applied). This first happened at about 20,000, and seems to occur most often in cold weather. The Dealer can find nothing wrong with the electrical system.

The steering rack had to be replaced at 50,000. I've owned several cars that reached twice that mileage and never had any steering issues.

The front brakes for the last 15,000 have seemed to shudder slightly (there's even a subtle noise associated with it) under light pressure at relatively slow speeds. The Dealer says the discs and pads are fine and doesn't think there's any problem.

General Comments:

I've really enjoyed driving this car. (It's not as much fun as my Mazda RX7 was, but it works better for my family). Its acceleration is great for a car its size (although it's diminished some in recent years) and handles very well.

Irregular dimming aside, the lighting package has been a plus. The high beams actually illuminate the road. I like the fog lights and the cornering lights (especially when I need to miss the telephone pole by our driveway). Even the interior map lights put adequate light in the right spots.

The interior / dash is nicely designed, with the exception of the cup-holders (although that's only an issue when I've got a front seat passenger). I like the fabric seat material, but unfortunately, some of the interior plastic/vinyl is a little cheesy.

Even if they don't get a decent cup-holder, my passenger's appreciate the separate passenger temperature control.

The (optional) Bose sound system is fantastic.

It is very helpful to know the exterior temperature, particularly when it's around freezing.

The rear seat / trunk access feature has come in very handy on occasion.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 18th September, 2004

15th Feb 2006, 06:46

Your lights are dimming due to a bad alternator, it's a noted problem on the earlier intrigues, and GM is supposed to have a better one to replace it with.

22nd Mar 2007, 20:02

I had the same problem with headlight dimming until I replaced the light sensor at the front of the car. Bought the part ($17.50) and replaced it myself. Problem solved.