1990 Oldsmobile 98 Touring Sedan from North America - Comments

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.

I have an Olds 98 too. Mine is just a Regency though, not a touring sedan. I also bought mine new (I have an 89). Considered the touring sedan, but like you state in your review, the price for that model was pretty high for it's time. My biggest mistake was test driving the touring sedan. I fell in love with it immediately, but I could only feasibly afford the Regency, so that's what I got. Antelope beige solid with medium antelope leather interior. Wire wheel covers, white wall tires, softer suspension, etc. I agree with everything you say in your review, as mine has 275k miles on it, and I will have it re-powered once the current drivetrain fails (However, amazingly, it does still run like it's practically new!) Also, the styling. Many people think this car is much newer than it is. That's because the design doesn't scream "15 years old!" I love the beautiful styling of this car inside and out. Well, in conclusion, I just would like to wish you many more happy years with your Olds 98.

I wrote the above comment. My mistake, I thought you bought yours new, until I re-read your review. Anyway, I still wish you the best of luck with your 98 touring sedan.

I also have an Oldsmobile Touring Sedan. Mine is a 1989 model, and I ordered it brand new. At the time, I was in my late 20's, and an Olds Touring Sedan was not the typical car a person of my age would purchase. But my friends were sure impressed when they saw it!

I've never kept another car this long, but this one is definitely a keeper. I've only put about 85,000 miles on it since new, and have had the same problems others mentioned. I've gone through a couple of alternators, the Bose stereo needs to be repaired, the power antenna has been rebuilt, the power Astroroof relay went out, a new headliner had to be installed (old one came unglued), etc.

I'm surprised Olds didn't sell a ton of these, everyone who's driven mine or taken a ride in it couldn't believe it was an Oldsmobile. Now that Olds is gone, it's become even more special to me.

These cars have quite a following among the original owners who purchased them new, as well as the people who are just discovering them today. I know several people who could afford to purchase any car they wanted, yet they continue to drive their 1988-1990 era Touring Sedan or Ninety-Eight, just because they love them so much.

Quite a nice legacy for a car that hasn't been built in over a decade, I think.

I just bought a one-owner 1988 98 touring sedan. I work in the service department of a Chevrolet, formerly Olds also, dealership.

I love this car, and everyone who drives it is amazed.. with 198,000 miles, it still runs and drives great. The only thing is the leather steering wheel looks a little bad. Anyone have any ideas on repair or replacement...?

Gayle.

What a great car, the Touring Sedan! Back in ’95, I went crazy for a while and tried to get rich selling new cars. I didn’t get rich, but I sure got an education about used cars. One of the trade-ins was an Olds Touring Sedan, and I have lusted for one ever since. Now, I HAVE one, a 1989 model. Paid $1,400 for it, and felt I stole it. A one-owner, with 180,000 miles on it. Great shape. No leaks, no noise, and no car payment.

I have always felt the late 1980’s Buicks and Oldsmobiles were the best cars for the dollar the U.S. ever offered. Comfort, classic timeless styling, front wheel drive, and most of all, a pleasure to drive. I understand their 3.8 engine is one of the Top Ten engines ever built.

I’m 69, and may keep it ‘til I’m too old to drive. As for problems, only the dang molasses-speed power windows, which I hear are endemic with the breed. But smooth power, and loaded to the nines. It turns heads. I still haven’t mastered the message board. Too high-tech for me.

Jim Nichols Billings MT.

I bought my Touring Sedan in august just as a winter beater, it is in splendid shape and truly a pleasure to drive. I actually decided to sell my other vehicle and use the touring sedan as my main car. I bought it for around $2000 and at 140000 miles it's tighter than a lot of contemporary cars. I really think it was a shame Oldsmobile was closed, they're cars have always been exceptional, and the touring sedan a rare prize for those who know anything about it.

I thought I would add to the Touring Sedan discussion. I purchased my 1990 Touring in 1993 from a friend who bought it new. So it is a 2 owner. It had a little over 30,000 miles when I got it. I now have 188,000 and still running like a top. My research lead me to this discussion group after the car got hit lightly in the front quarter panel and I started researching the body repair. I added a new head liner as most have noted it was separating from the foam liner. The color is burgundy so the local cloth store had 4 colors and it matched perfectly. Took me a few hours over 2 days to pull trim and headliner and clean and spray glue the new one on. It looks like new. I also recovered the plastic side panels that run down the front windows. The interior is still in excellent shape, no rips tears or major wear. This was a good set of leathers. I should replace the floor mats next. In the repair of the panel I negotiated a new complete paint job from Maico. It was the $799 special with poly clear coat and better paint. It matches the stock grey perfectly also. Now I am looking into refinishing the stock Alloy wheels. That would finish off the exterior restore. I had the horn problem sticking and I pulled the wheel cover and disconnected it. I had to replace the CD stereo unit a few years ago. Now I am looking into the AC unit and updating that. I am not sure I can do this repair myself though. Just a shade-tree mech. I am going to look for the parts on ebay and if I can't repair the AC at least I will have the parts. I have people try to buy my car at least once a month. I don't plan to ever sell it. As long as the electrics hold up I would replace the engine and keep on going. My Dad bought Olds starting in 46 and must have had 10 of them. So I get it honest. Good luck to all the Olds owners out there.

In 1999 I sold my 1996 Olds Aurora to come up with a down payment on a vacation home. I had to come up with some transportation quickly, and ended up buying a 1990 Touring Sedan with 150,000 miles. I liked the car better than the Aurora! It was white with burgundy leather interior, had the moon roof and Bose radio. I loved that car! By far, it had the best seats I have ever had in a car. I kept it 2 years and sold it to a co-worker who got 2 more years out of it. I have been looking for a low mileage 1990 on E-bay for years now, but no luck. I plan to keep looking!!

I enjoyed running across this forum because I too owned an Olds Touring Sedan (1988) for several years.

The car was beautiful (white with gray interior), quick, and fun to drive. Mine had few options, but with the Touring Sedan tons of "extras" were standard.

It was very dependable. I bought it used (98,000 miles), drove it for business and donated it to charity with 350,000 miles on it. The guy called me the next Saturday and said he had never seen a domestic car with so many miles in such good shape. It ran beautifully, no leaks, and no oil use. Driver's bucket needed new leather, but perforated is very costly and just couldn't accept vinyl. Seat fit like a glove (even if it looked like an old shoe!).

It had a few problems along the way, but the most expensive was the anti-lock brake unit going out. Alternators lasted about 1 year, but were easy to replace (had best results with Auto Zone's cheapest rebuilt). The passenger's front seat liked to rattle, but I got used to it.

However, even at 350,000 miles, the engine and transmission had never been torn down, and it still had the original fuel pump, exhaust, coil pack, and plug wires!

If I had a place to keep it, I would still have my Touring Sedan. All 4 of our children were brought home from the hospital in it, and the day before we donated it I took lots of pictures of them in the car.

I still drive its successor, an 88 LSS. Similar in some ways, even better in a few, but not a Touring Sedan. If you have one, take care of it. Some day you'll miss it.

I had a 1988 Olds Touring Sedan for 6 years. It was and still is the best car I ever owned. I bought it used with 78,000 miles on it and drove it until I traded it in with 205,000. It still ran like a top, but the body was starting to show some wear after years in the salt. The handling was really tight for a big car and the interior was comfortable and sporty. Mine was gunmetal grey with a maroon interior. I got a company car and my Wife drove it for 2 more years and she loved the moonroof and the seats and, of course, that nasty Bose stereo---- nothing like that car on a nice summer day with the roof open, the tunes blaring and zipping along on a nice winding road. I miss it.

I own a 1990 olds regency 98.Got it for 500,but with a bad transmission, other than that a great car, rides good, runs great and gets pretty good gas mileage. I have a cam magnet that came off and stuck to the oil pan, now I intend to fix it, but the check engine light is on and it runs fine. I intend to keep this car for a long time, had 148000 on it when I got it, but now has 161000 in 5 months trouble free!Got a rebuilt transmission out of a wrecking yard papers and all for 175,and with my previous knowledge (1986 Buick le sabre fwd),putting it in was a piece of cake.

I JUST PURCHASED A 1990 OLDS TOURING SEDAN ON EBAY. I AGREE WITH EVERONE ELSE, IN THAT, THESE ARE THE BEST CARS EVER BUILT BY GM. THE 3800 ENGINE IS OUTSTANDING, AND WITH FREQUENT OIL CHANGES, AND EASY DRIVING HABITS, GOOD FOR OVER 300k MILES. HAS ANYONE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE STUTTERING AND STALLING... ONLY AFTER ITS FULLY WARMED UP.

STEVEKOEP@SIO.MIDCO.NET.

I just bought a 90 Regency.

The transmission slips in 1st and 2nd. Does anybody know how to adjust the bands, without taking it to a transmission shop?

Hal.

I bought a 1988 Olds Touring Sedan with 103K in 1997. I still have the vehicle and it currently has 320K. I have owned a lot of vehicles in my life, but never a car that has given me the trouble free mileage that this vehicle has given me. The paint (black) is still near perfect, which is normally unheard of for GM. I have never had as much as the valve covers off this engine. I have changed out the suspension parts, but have NEVER had any major or minor repair done on the engine and transmission. I have maintained the vehicle with Castrol 10-30 and have done regular maintenance on the transmission and cooling systems.I'm starting to have an issue with the master cylinder braking system. Can anyone out there help me in locating an NOS master cylinder for this vehicle. Thanks GM for a great car. raypendell@aol.com.

I'm a huge fan of Oldsmobile. I first purchased a 91 Oldsmobile 88 royale, burgundy exterior/burgundy interior from a dealer selling for $1300. He said the car had some problems (cutting off without notice), but he had changed the fuel filter, fuel pump, and had the injectors cleaned. A couple weeks after my purchase, the car shut off at a red light, and immediately started back up. It began to play a game of cat-and-mouse with me. (example: I could stop by the supermarket, having no issues beforehand, and when returning to leave, the car would just turn/turn/turn without cranking. I'd go to call for help (my sister), and before she could even leave her driveway, the Oldsmobile would crank, and drive fine for maybe days at a time). I'd take the car to be looked at by mechanics, and she'd (the car) outsmart then every-time by act shy, and never cutting off in their presence. Id leave in the car, and maybe the next day, she'd cut off on me again. Finally after a few less-than-intelligent conversations with coffee-house-mechanics, I meet a guy who suggested that I have the ignition coil replaced. Presto, the car has ran perfectly for over a year without one incident. The car is wearing 167,717 miles, and only requires oil and gas. A new battery was replaced, after I left the interior light on a few too many nights. The interior, a soft velvety cloth, is in great shape. The only problems is the manual windows have failed to roll down (MAYBE HALF AN INCH ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, AND 4 INCHES ON THE PASSENGER) much. It's okay, I much rather them be securely up, than to be forever down. The trunk space is awesome. I keep a full sized clothes basket back there filled with all kinds of stuff (towels, gym clothes, umbrellas, a few tools, etc) and still have room to pick up the largest grocery order with no sweat. This car is an winner.

I just purchased a 1990 Oldsmobile ninety-eight (98) because of the features. It's wearing 191K proud miles. I love that the steering wheels is a command center (you control the music, volume, programmable station--I know pretty standard right?...but you also control the air/heat, the fan temp, the fan speed) also. The power seats are awesome as well, plus it has a manual seat-back release so you can lay flat (straight) back, a good feature to use while waiting on on slow-molasses-mary to finish shopping for the perfect black dress. The automatic trunk release, automatic fuel door opener makes the deal even sweeter. Leather seats are still nice even though this car is 17 years old. It's grey, with dark blue interior. Trunk size is awesome. It has electronic monitoring for features such as remaining fuel left, estimated miles before empty, avg. mph, electronic temperature, coolant, and battery gages, along with a host of never ending information at the touch of a button. The car drives strong, and floats down the road. A couple of times, I was surprised to see I was doing 72, while the limit was only 55. The music is awesome. Has an equalizer that really "pushes" the music out. The paint is great, except for the hood, which is starting to have a patch or two of rust, which is okay for a car so "vintage". Only problems are that the front windows (power) go up real, r-e-a-l slooooooow, but if you read my first papragraph, you'll know that's no prob for me. I have 2 new (05 and up cars), and they stay parked becuase they are not as fuel efficent/comfortable as the ninety-eight. Oldsmobile is the best that I know, even though I have a Cadillac and a Honda. The honda does give better gas mileage, but can it hold five donut-loving americans. The honda also does not care about smokers, due to lack of ashtrays, while the ninety-eight boosts 4 (all with working lighters). The cadillac gives a great ride, but at the tank it eats its weight in petro. Also the cadillac system (radio) is designed to protect itself by reducing noise somehow, giving you a loud interior sound, but not enough to make the chic at the red light give you the slightest smile. I'm making payments on two cars, that cannot give me the peace of stabilty and comfort that a 1990 can. Automakers, please step up. Also my avg miles per gallon are 25.5 and a fill up (18 gallons*$2.64) is only 43.00 (I know the math is off, but I'm never super-duper-low on gas). A great car!