6th Jan 2005, 13:59

I agree... I purchased my 98 Cutlass GLS about 6 months ago. At the time it had 28, 000 miles on it and 1 owner. I purchased it for 6,000. A steal! The ABS light AND a/c does seem to have a mind of its own and I as well notice the cracking in the seats. Unfortunately my alternator just went bad. Other than that...it's a great car and I haven't had any other problems with it.

5th Apr 2006, 18:26

I bought my 98 olds cutlass gls used in 2002 with 67K miles. After driving it for 3 1/2 years I'm fairly pleased with it's performance overall. I've had no major mechanical problems... only routine maintenance like brake pads and oil changes.

I did have complaints with the poor wear on the front seats... the leather on the driver's side has completely worn through and torn. Does not look good if you try to sell or trade in the vehicle.

The ABS light goes on and off randomly as well.

The AC/Heater fan does not work on settings 1 and 2.

I only recently started having problems with the car overheating and last summer the AC went out completely. Jiffy Lube said it's the H2O pump and the electrical fan for the AC. I'll find out more when we take it in to a mechanic (my husband has been putting this off hoping to trade the car in for a mini-van for our growing family).

Overall, for a 1998 I've been pleased with it's reliability and comfort (with the exception of the AC breaking!)

9th May 2006, 00:33

As far as the ABS light going on and off, it's probably the sensor. Mine is "on" right now and my mechanic plugged in the computer and the computert told us it was the right front sensor. But hold on, it's built into the wheel bearing. About $200 to fix.

26th May 2006, 15:32

I purchased mine in 2000 with 31,000 miles and was very satisfied with the overall fine condition and design of the car. It also fit my budget. I too am discouraged with the poor condition of the leather seats. To date, I have a mere 63,000 miles on the car and in addition to the ABS light coming on and off, I recently developed a coolant leak and had the seals replace at a cost of $360.00. I was told by several mechanics that this was a known problem with the 3.1 engine. Other than normal oil changes, I do enjoy this car.

5th Jun 2006, 16:52

I have had my Oldsmobile 98 for 5 years now and when I got it the seats were so bad the foam was ripping out. I have the ABS and AC problems, but when I replaced the AC dash panel it was fixed. The problem I still see with my AC is if the car is idle the AC stops working efficiently (I live in the desert).

Over the years I have had to replace the No. 1 fuel injector twice and the alternator once. I bought custom seat covers and they look as if they are stock. They are 100-200 dollars and will help with selling the car.

6th Jun 2006, 10:54

I have had my 98 for three months. I really like the car, but suddenly all the lights want to start coming on. I see that it is common for the ABS to come on, but the engine light and the theft system keep coming on. I have checked all my fluids and everything is fine. One day the car is running fine, the next it's running rough. The theft system light will blink and I have to wait ten minutes until it stops to get the car to start. The car was great until all this computer stuff started happening. My seats are completely worn too.

2nd May 2007, 20:56

I have a 98 cutlass supreme, and have had to have the ABS sensors replaced, and the A/C panel. I had the same problems with the A/C and this fixed it. I have also found out that there was a recall in 2001 and 2005 for the wiper motor, but it only covers it if you live in a heavy snowfall state, and I live in VA, which apparently doesn't fall under that list. I have not had a problem with the steering, nor the intake gasket, I got this at 57,000 miles in 2005. It now has almost 73,000 on it. It is a good running car, and I feel that it is reliable.

10th May 2007, 21:26

I bought my 98 Cutlass a year ago as a commuter car. ABS Light kept going off. Turns out there is a small wire connector the hooks to the ABS hub in the front wheels. When the wheels are turned the wires don't have enough give, and will snap out of the ABS hub which causes the ABS to fail. Chances are if the light keeps coming on and off, the wire are being pulled and will soon snap. Found all this out at a Midas shop. Would cost $500 to replace ABS hub. I will go without, not worth the repair.

5th Oct 2007, 14:53

I got my 1998 Oldsmobile in 2001. It had 14,000 miles on it. The CD player had already quit working. It now has 104,000 miles on it. I have replaced the brakes 6, yes, 6 times in 6 years! The AC quit working completely 3 years ago. The light on the AC and defrost constantly switches on and off, even when not in use. The alternator and water pump broke. Now I have just learned that the front connector bearings are bad. Although I've had all these problems, the car has never left me stranded on the road, thank goodness, (since we love to go on road trips).

7th Feb 2008, 14:30

Bought this car for my daughter with 80,000 miles and it currently has 160,000. Just replaced the lower intake manifold gasket as it developed a coolant leak. Great car so far, but the check engine light was driving me nuts calling out the ERG and IAC codes. When replacing the lower intake gaskets, found that the air passage in the throttle body over to the ERG valve was totally clogged, filled with carbon build up. Cleaned it up and the car is running like new again.