Oldsmobile Achieva Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 413 consumer complaints across the 7 model years of the Oldsmobile Achieva (1992–1998) that have at least 5 complaints. 1996 has the most, with 87. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (108 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Achieva years →
All Achieva model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 40 | 75,000 | 1 | 17 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 63 | 76,400 | 2 | 16 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 87 | 87,770 | 4 | 14 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 70 | 85,000 | 1 | 11 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 62 | 138,000 | 2 | 4 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1993 | 38 | 109,000 | 1 | 1 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1992 | 53 | 47,000 | 0 | 1 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system108 26%
- Engine cooling82 20%
- Brakes73 18%
- Air bags46 11%
- Transmission and drivetrain37 8.9%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)27 6.5%
- Steering24 5.8%
- Vehicle speed control20 4.8%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1998: “I was drive along union street in greenville, miss when I notice smoke coming from the hood of the car. I suddenly pull over because the car became engulf in flames. The fireman was called to put the flames out from the vehicle.the car was lost due to the flames and I lost wages due to the car. I contact gmc about the car and they said , the car engulf in flames had nothing to do with them.”
NHTSA complaint #10682349, filed 2015-02, 75,000 miles1997: “The air bags deployed by there self no accident and not moving I was at a stand still .first the driver air bag deployed and then a few seconds later the passenger side deployed. I do not know if there are factory installed air bags in the car? As I bought the car second hand less then a year ago. There was no record of the car being in a accident and car never been totaled out. I do not know why it happened.”
NHTSA complaint #10509487, filed 2013-04, 130,000 miles1995: “I purchased this vehicle from a private party approximately 4-5 years ago, unbeknownst of the 2000 recall for ignition issues with the ignition switch. Since I have owned this vehicle I have replaced the ignition switch 3 occasions most currently today 3/24/2015. I presume there is a statute of limitations on this issue. I am curious do I still have any re-course in getting this issue resolved or must I out of pocket resolve this issue as I cannot continue to replace these ignition switches.”
NHTSA complaint #10701523, filed 2015-03, 150,000 milesOther Oldsmobile models
1,955 complaintsOldsmobile Cutlass
1,594 complaintsOldsmobile Intrigue
1,138 complaintsOldsmobile Bravada
960 complaintsOldsmobile Silhouette
950 complaintsOldsmobile 88
918 complaintsOldsmobile Aurora
779 complaintsOldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
293 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology