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U.S. public vehicle records

1985 Oldsmobile 98 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

7 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

Not available median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1985 model year. Data snapshot: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage.

This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 7 complaints (28.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Steering behavior342.9%
Transmission and shifting114.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System
2
Vehicle Speed Control
2
Power Train:Automatic Transmission
1
Seat Belts:Front:Retractor
1
Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System2
Vehicle Speed Control2
Power Train:Automatic Transmission1
Seat Belts:Front:Retractor1
Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar1

Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System: 2; Vehicle Speed Control: 2; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 1; Seat Belts:Front:Retractor: 1; Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0000
25,000 to 49,9990
50,000 to 74,9990
75,000 to 99,9990
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

No usable failure mileage is recorded. 7 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

1995
4
1996
2
2002
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
19954
19962
20021

1995: 4; 1996: 2; 2002: 1

Pattern summary

Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 485755 · 1995-07-01 (July 1, 1995)

'COLD POWER STEERING'. *SD

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 485755 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 974699 · 1995-11-07 (November 7, 1995)

THE STEERING IS HARD TO TURN THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS CAR . TT CONSUMER UNTIL THE VEHICLE HEATS UP THE STEERING IS EXTREMLY DIFFICULT, CONSUMER ASSUMED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING NEW.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 974699 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 567694 · 2002-09-23 (September 23, 2002)

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER THEN PULLED OVER AND LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED A SMALL FIRE AND THE DRIVETRAIN AXLE WAS ON THE GROUND, THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, CONSUMER STATES HE WAS INJURED.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 567694 at NHTSA ↗