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Oldsmobile AchievaModel year report

1998 Oldsmobile Achieva Problems

Complaints
40filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
75,000miles, 13 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
23 mpgcombined, 2.4L 4-cyl FWD · 19 city / 30 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 1998 Oldsmobile Achieva (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 40 consumer complaints for the 1998 Oldsmobile Achieva. The part named most often is electrical system, with 12 complaints (30% of the total), followed by engine cooling (8) and brakes (7). 13 of the complaints include a mileage, and 31% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 75,000 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 1 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 17 technical service bulletins for this model year. Electrical system complaints overlap with 1 recall campaign covering the switch and 5 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Engine cooling complaints overlap with 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Engine (1), Other or unknown (1), Steering (1), Suspension (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Electrical system: “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 miles

Engine cooling: “The vehicle was off and parked when the consumer smelled fuel. It was later determined that the fuel rail, hose and regulator failed. The dealer also replaced the intake nd valve cover gaskets, radiator hose, wheel cylinders and thermostat.”

NHTSA complaint #10014618, filed 2003-03, 75,000 miles

Brakes: “1998 Oldsmobile Achieva. I own the above mentioned car. I have been having a lot of problems with the brakes, namely the ABS system. The ABS light continually comes on and my ABS makes a funny noise. The brakes also clunk several times when the vehicle is first started. I have taken this to be repaired at substantial cost and I was told that it was the wheel speed sensor that was not working correctly. Well, it was replaced and the problem stopped for a few days. But, has just started again and it is the same thing. …”

NHTSA complaint #10136060, filed 2005-09, 11,700 miles

Air bags: “Consumer was involved in a frontal collision in which driver's and passenger's air bags did not deploy, cause unknown. Please give any further details.”

NHTSA complaint #867012, filed 2000-08

Mileage when problems were reported

31% of the 13 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 37,000 and 80,000 miles.

0%0–1023%10–258%25–5015%50–7531%75–10023%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (13 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 75,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’996’016’0366’05’09’11’16
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 1998 Oldsmobile Achieva version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Achieva FWD2.4L 4-cyl5-speed manual203024$2,800
Achieva FWD2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automatic193023$2,900
Achieva FWD3.1L 6-cyl4-speed automatic182721$3,200

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 1998 Oldsmobile Achieva → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 17 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 17 bulletins →

Other model years of the Oldsmobile Achieva

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
19984075,0001—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19976376,4002—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19968787,7704—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19957085,0001—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199462138,0002—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199338109,0001—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19925347,0000—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Oldsmobile Achieva model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 1998 Oldsmobile Achieva have?

NHTSA recorded 40 consumer complaints for the 1998 Oldsmobile Achieva as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 1998 Oldsmobile Achieva is reported most often?

Electrical system is named most often, in 12 complaints (30% of the total), followed by engine cooling with 8.

Has the 1998 Oldsmobile Achieva been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 1998 Oldsmobile Achieva get?

The EPA rates the 1998 Oldsmobile Achieva (Achieva, 2.4L 4-cyl) at 23 mpg combined, 19 city and 30 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,900 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 1998 Oldsmobile Achieva reported?

Among the 13 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 75,000 miles and the middle half falls between 37,000 and 80,000 miles; 31% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.