1998 Oldsmobile cutlass tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 215/60R15 OEM | R15 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
See the best tires for the Oldsmobile Cutlass, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Oldsmobile Cutlass →
Compatible alternative sizes for 215/60R15
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
235/55R15 |
0.08% | wider | Safe |
185/70R15 |
0.16% | winter narrower | Safe |
205/75R13 |
-0.20% | alternative | Safe |
195/60R16 |
0.22% | plus 1 | Safe |
235/60R14 |
-0.22% | alternative | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 215/60R15 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 215/60R15 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 195/60R16; one rim size up, 0.22% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 205/50R17; two rim sizes up, -0.34% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 1998 oldsmobile cutlass GLS
The 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass GLS ships from the factory on 215/60R15 tires mounted on R15 wheels. Only one approved fitment is documented for this model year, so replacement options should match the original size exactly unless a plus-size upgrade is being considered. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Oldsmobile Cutlass comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass GLS owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass GLS, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 1998 oldsmobile cutlass
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (4) · Tread / Belt (2)
Reported across: 1998 – 1998 (1 year)
What owners described
Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 22% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 32 reports covering every model year of the Oldsmobile Cutlass that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 22% | 20% | 1.1× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 19% | 9% | 2.0× |
| Sidewall failure | 13% | 15% | 0.8× |
| Tread or belt separation | 6% | 13% | 0.5× |
| Premature or uneven wear | 6% | 1% | 4.8× |
Mileage at failure
16 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 35,669 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 6,479 and 98,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Oldsmobile Cutlass. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
THE VEHICLE IS A 1990 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS CIERA SL. I CHECKED BOX AS CHEVROLET AS OLDSMOBILE IS NOT AN OPTION ON THE DROP DOWN. FOUR NEW TIRES INSTALLED BETWEEN 12/31/13 AND 1/31/14, UNIROYAL AWP II TIGER PAWS SIZE P185/75R14. MANUFACTURER'S WEBSITE REPORTS THEY ?DO NOT CURRENTLY MANUFACTURE TIRES FITTING THIS VEHICLES SPECIFICATIONS.? ARE THE TIGER PAWS II P185/75R14 INSTALLED ON MY VEHICLE COUNTERFEIT TIRES? SINCE INSTALLING THESE TIRES, THE VEHICLE "SWAYS" WHEN DRIVING ON GROOVED INTERSTATE HIGHWAY PAVEMENT.
POSSIBLE DESIGN FLAW OF TIRES (COOPER TIRES-FUTURA 2000 LTE P225/06R/16) EXPERIENCED BLOWOUT ON THREE OCCASIONS, ON ONE OCCASION THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE EXPLODED, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL & PROPERTY DAMAGE THAT RESULTED IN MINOR INJURY.
CONSUMER TOOK VEHIICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A CHECK UP. CALIPERS WERE BINDING. THEY REPLACED THE SLEEVES ON THE REAR BRAKES. BECAUSE THE BRAKES WERE OPENED, WHEN CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES, THEY WOULDN'T OPEN. AT 30,000 MILES DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND RESURFACED THE BRAKES. ALSO, REAR TIRE CAME OFF.
FIRESTONE AFFINITY TIRES P215/160R15 DOT W2MWAAA488 EXPERIENCED VIBRATION AND WERE NOISY, ALL 4 TIRES WERE CUPPED FROM THE BELTS INSIDE THE TIRES, TIRES WERE PUSHING IN THE MIDDLE FACE OF TIRES, FIRESTONE WOULD NOT COOPERATE WITH CONSUMER. *SLC
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass?
Can I run a different tire size on my 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass?
Where can I buy tires for my 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Oldsmobile Cutlass is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.