1998 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE Complaints

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING/SHUT DOWN INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AND TURNING STEERING WHEEL, VEHICLE PULLS AND MAKES A CREAKING NOISE. TOOK VEHICLE IN TO CHECK BRAKES, AND DEALER STATED IT WAS THE GEAR RACK. CONTACT GMC, AND THEY STATED THIS WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. *AK *JG

THE REAR BRAKES ARE INSUFFICIENTLY PROPORTIONED TO THE FRONT CAUSING THE FRONT TIRES TO LOOSE TRACTION EASILY UNDER MODERATE BRAKING. THERE IS A SPONGY BRAKE PEDAL AND I HAVE SUGGESTED THAT AIR IN THE BACK LINES MAY BE CAUSING THIS. NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BECAUSE THEY SAY THEIR TESTS SHOW THE CAR IS WITHIN GM GUIDELINES. THE PROBLEM BECOMES READILY EVIDENT WHEN TRACTION CONDITIONS ARE UNFAVORABLE WITH ONLY SLIGHT BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE THE FRONT TIRES WILL OVERCOME THE AVAILABLE TRACTION AVAILABLE. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE REAR BRAKES ARE BARELY ASSISTING, IF AT ALL. I HAVE 3 OTHER VEHICLES AND IN THE SAME CONDITIONS, I CAN'T EVEN GET THE TIRES TO BREAK LOOSE UNLESS I STOMP THE BRAKES. BUT WITH INTRIGUE, LIGHT PRESSURE CAUSES THE FRONT TIRES TO LOOSE TRACTION. ABS FUNCTIONS PROPERLY, BUT WOULD HAVE NEVER COME ON IF ALL 4 BRAKE WERE ASSISTING. AND IN AN ABS EVENT, NO MATTER HOW HARD OR SOFT I APPLY THE BRAKE, THE CAR'S DECELERATION RATE IS DRAMATICALLY REDUCED. ACTUALLY FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS STOPPING ABOUT HALF AS WELL AS BEFORE ABS ACTIVATED. THESE ABS EVENTS OCCUR ALL THE TIME. THE CONSISTENT FEELING THAT THE FRONTS ARE ABOUT TO LOOSE TRACTION WHILE THE BACKS ARE JUST NOT CONTRIBUTING IS FRUSTRATING AND LIFE THREATENING. MY WIFE, BROTHER AND I HAVE ALL HAD THIS HAPPEN TO US WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR. I'VE GONE THROUGH INTERSECTIONS, INTO SNOWDRIFTS TO AVOID OTHER VEHICLES, ETC. WHILE THE CARS NEXT TO ME CAN STOP WITH NO FUSS. ANOTHER ITEM THAT SHOWS MORE EVIDENCE TO THIS IS, THE FRONT ROTORS WERE TURNED TWICE FOR WARPAGE AND REPLACED, THEN TURNED AGAIN FOR WARPAGE, ALL UNDER 36000 MILES. ALSO THE BACK TIRES LOOK LIKE THEY'RE STILL NEW. LAST WEEK, DURING A NICE HEAVY RAIN, WITH ABS DISABLED (REMOVAL OF A FUSE), I SHOWED THE MECHANIC THAT I COULD NOT MAKE THE BACK BRAKES LOCK THE WHEELS. THIS WAS WITH BOTH FEET MASHING ON THE BRAKE. THIS IS WHILE THE FRONTS WERE SKIDDING ALL THE WAY. PLEASE HELP! ABS ISN'T GOING TO SAVE ME, BUT GOOD BRAKES SURE WOULD HELP.*A

I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE FAILURES OF THE FRONT RACK AND PINION STREERING GEAR AND RELATED COMPONENTS. EACH REPAIR HAS LASTED AN ESTIMATED 12,000 MILES UNTIL RETURNING. THE SYMPTOMS ARE A BANGING NOISE AT LOW SPEEDS WHILE TURNING WITH SOME LOSS OF CONTROL. DURING THE LAST FAILURE PERIOD, I ALLOWED THE SITUATION TO CONTINUE TO SEE IF IT WOULD WORSEN AND IT INDEED HAS. THE PRESENT ESTIMATE FROM THE DEALER TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM IS $1,500. PREVIOUS REPAIRS HAD BEEN DONE UNDER WARRANTY. I DRIVE AN AVERAGE OF 500 MILES PER WEEK AT HIWAY SPEEDS AND AM GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY.*AK

WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED FROM A COMPLETE STOP THE VEHICLE MAKES A SOUND LIKE GOING ACROSS A RUMBLE STRIP AND THE VEHICLE MOVES FORWARD ABOUT 1 OR 2 MPH, THE DRIVER HAS TO LET UP ON THE ACCELERATOR THEN REACCELERATE TO GET THE CAR TO GO INTO LOW GEAR. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM BUT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. NLM

THE STEERING LINKAGE AND LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION SHOWED LAUD NOISE OF GRINDING AND CLUNKING FRICTION AT LOW SPEED AND DURING TURNING, MOSTLY TOWARD THE LEFT SIDE. THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL SEEMED TO MOVE LOOSELY DURING THESE MOVEMENT, TOO. DEALER DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE INTERMEDIATE GEER SHAFT AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO HAVE REDUCED.

RATTLE OR KNOCKING FELT IN STEERING WHEEL. INTERMEDIATE SHAFT REPLACE 3 YEARS AGO BUT PROBLEM HAS RETURNED. HAVE ALSO JUST HAD STRUTS REPLACED AS PER TSB #010232002, THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. DEALER IS HESITANT TO TACKLE THIS PROBLEM. CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE.*AK

AFTER RAINSTORM, ON WET HIGHWAY, CAR GOT INTO A FISHTAILING MODE. OSCILLATIONS CONTINUED AT EVER WIDER SWINGS, WITHOUT APPLYING ACCELERATOR OR BRAKING, UNTIL VEHICLE SWUNG OUT AND SLID DOWN LEVEL HIGHWAY SIDEWAYS. TRACTION CONTROL WAS "ON." OTHER CARS. *AK

CONSUMER NOTICED A VIBRATION COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE AND REPLACED INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT THREE TIMES UNDER WARRANTY, AND THE PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. .*AK STEERING RACK HAS ALSO BEEN RELACED. AFTER BACKING OUT, TRANSMISSION WILL HESITATE OR SHUDDER. *SLC

WHENEVER DRIVING VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL WOULD HAVE A LOT OF SLACK WHEN TURNING. ABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE, BUT CAN FEEL THE LOOSENESS WHEN TRYING TO CORRECT OR TURNING. HAVE NOT BEEN TO DEALERSHIP.*AK