1990 Oldsmobile 98 Touring Sedan review from North America

Alternator (twice) at 120,000 & 148,000 miles.

Passenger side steering stabilizer shaft bushing at 141,000 miles.

Horn relay (stuck on).

Remote key-less entry key fob (plastic cracked).

Headliner (old one started to fall down) at 120,000 miles.

Retrofitted air conditioning refrigerant from R11 (no longer readily available) to R134A at 144,000 miles, as AC system needed to be recharged, and this was a good time to change refrigerant to the much less expensive type.

Rest of repairs were routine and mostly preventative, such as; oil changes, tires, battery, front wheel alignment, brake work and filter changes.

Unbelievable reliability for a 14 year old car with 145,000 miles!

Second alternator failing was result of using a rebuilt unit when original alternator failed. Better to stick with new - pricey, but worth it.

Paint finish still in great shape.

1990 was the first year of clear coat paint, and my color is white, which probably explains the long lasting finish.

Hardly any rust. Only rust so far is underneath trunk lid near rear edge seam. Minor touch up and cleaning the weep holes out fixed that.

Cassette player (factory Del-co Bose) stopped working, and self amplified Bose speakers sometimes have high pitched squealing sound (a common problem I heard with Bose audio of this vintage - various internet repair shops will fix, but at over $100 per each speaker).

The Touring Sedan is a rare Oldsmobile model that most people don't know about. The car came with virtually every option available at the time, including anti-lock brakes, a great trip computer, 10 way power seats, all leather, auto leveling shocks, remote key-less entry, power trunk pull down, real wood in the dash, etc. Only two options were the Bose stereo and sunroof. For some reason, a driver's side airbag was not offered on this model, yet Oldsmobile was selling this as on option on the regular 88 and 98 models. My guess is that the stereo and heating / AC controls on the steering wheel prevented use of an air bag, so therefore Olds didn't offer that option.

Car handles great - tight, little lean in turns and quick. Totally different than the boat-like ride typical of the large GM sedans. For whatever reason, this model didn't sell too well - only about 3000 were made each year from 1987 to 1990 - probably due to the high price at the time, along with fact that in that high price range, buyers probably expected a higher performance engine and a European nameplate to brag about.

Styling is timeless - most people have no clue that my car is over 14 years old! The Touring Sedan trim eliminates most of the chrome trim and fluff that makes a car look cluttered and old looking.

Only a few minor problems: When gas is less than a quarter tank full - when taking sweeping right hand turns (such as entering onto a highway) - the engine suddenly lacks power and takes several seconds to kick in. (I heard others have had this same problem too). Easy fix is simply to fill up when down to a quarter tank. Also, the front armrests are not attached to the doors too well - plastic brackets tend to crack. Plus the armrests should have been padded.

If this car were still made today, I'd buy it again!

I expect to easily get 250,000 miles out of this car, as confirmed by postings on various Internet sites.

Gas mileage for a full size sedan like this is pretty good - 19 to 20 MPG in town and 28 to 30 on the highway.