1993 Oldsmobile Achieva

Routine

Owners filed 38 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic › antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip5
100
Power Train › Automatic Transmission3
000
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch3
010
Unknown or Other2
000
Steering › Rack and Pinion2
000
Seats2
201
Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System2
000
Electrical System › Ignition2
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch93V153000
Filed Sep 14, 19931,103 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. THE NEUTRAL START SAFETY SWITCH COULD HAVE BEEN FRACTURED DURING INSTALLATION.

Risk. A FRACTURED SWITCH CAN RESULT IN A NO-START CONDITION.ALSO, A VEHICLE WITH A FRACTURED SWITCH CAN BE STARTED IN GEAR, CAUSING THEVEHICLE TO MOVE UNEXPECTEDLY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT.

Remedy. THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE NEUTRAL START SWITCH. THE MANUAL SWITCH OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY WILL BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED IF AN OVERSIZED CONDITION EXISTS.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master CylinderCrash
Filed Jun 6, 2005109,000 milesOH

DT: CONSUMER PULLED INTO A DRIVEWAY AND APPLIED BRAKES AND HAD NO BRAKES, AND HIT A CORNER OF A HOUSE. HAD NO FLUID IN MASTER CYLINDER, AND THERE WAS A SMALL PUDDLE UNDER THE WHEEL. CONSUMER PUT FLUID IN THE CAR AND THEN VEHICLE HIT A TREE.*AK

Seat Belts
Filed Jan 15, 2004MA

MY SEATBELTS DON'T LOCK, MY BACK WINDOW WON'T GO DOWN,THE ROOF IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CLOSE,MY SPRING BROKE, MY BRAKES HAVE WENT NUMEROUS TIMES, MY STEERING LINE SPLIT. MY REAL CONCERN IS MY SEATBELTS DON'T WORK I WOULD LIKE TO GET THEM FIXED I NEED INFO ON HOW MY DOOR HANDLE ALSO SNAPPED AND THE ENGINE IS IMPOSSIBLE TO WORK ON.

Visibility › Windshield
Filed May 3, 2001NJ

DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW KEEPS FALLIING OFF THE TRACK , CONSUMER HAS REPLACED WINDOW 5 TIMES WITHIN 4 YEARS. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *AK

Electrical System › Ignition › Switch
Filed Apr 12, 2001KY

NEUTRAL START SAFETY SWITCH FRACTURED, CAUSING VEHICLE NOT TO START.VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 93V153000. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Jan 5, 2001ND

CAR DOES NOT HEAT DUE TO COOLANT LOSS CAUSED BY CRACKED HEAD.I HAVE LEARNED THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE QUAD 4 ENGINE IN GM "N" CARS SUCH AS THE ACHIEVA.*AK

Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System › Heater Core
Filed Jul 27, 2000TX

REPEATED INCIDENTS OF OVERHEATING; HEATER CORE REPLACED TWICE; INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET; RADIATOR CORED OUT TWICE; WATER PUMP REPLACED TWICE; PROBLEM PERSISTS

Steering › Rack and Pinion
Filed May 31, 2000NY

WHILE DRIVING HEARD NOISES COMING FROM STEERING, SOUNDED LIKE METAL ON METAL. TOOK TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC SAID THAT RACK AND PINION STEERING SEPARATED FROM THE FIREWALL, AND THAT IT WAS PROBABLY NOT REPARABLE. THERE WAS A STRUCTURAL FLAW, AND CAR WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. *AK *ML

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed Apr 4, 2000ME

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

SeatsCrash1 injured
Filed Mar 20, 2000TN

WAS STOPPED BY SCHOOL BUS SIGN. VEHICLE WAS REARENDED & WAS THROWN FORWARD. DRIVER'S SEAT BROKE & THEN THREW DRIVER BACKWARDS. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. DRIVER WAS SEVERELY INJURED. *AK

SeatsCrash
Filed Dec 28, 1999TX

WHILE DRIVING ON A TWO ROAD HIGHWAY WITH A PICKUP TRUCK IN FRONT. ALL OF SUDDEN THE TRUCK STOPPED, CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES AND SLID INTO THE VEHICLE. NO DAMAGE TO EITHER VEHICLE. BUT THE OTHER CAR, DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60MPH FAILED TO STOP AND HIT THE ACHIEVA. THREW THE CONSUMER FORWARD AND THEN BACKWARDS, AND THE SEAT COLLASPED. HASN'T CONTACTED THE DEALER OR MANUFACTURER. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Sep 13, 1999PA

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICE DOES NOT STOP INSTANTLY. THE ABS KICKS IN AND LETS THE VEHICLE ROLL A COUPLE OF YARDS BEFORE STOPPING. ALSO ABS WARNING LIGHT COMES ON. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE.

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed May 24, 1999MI

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR IGNITION SYSTEM LOCATED UNDER GLOVE BOX WAS CORRODED. THE RESULTING HEAT DUE TO THE ADDED RESISTANCE IN THE CIRCUIT MELTED THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR. THIS COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE IF NOT CORRECTED. ALSO CAUSES INTERMITTENT ENGINE SHUTDOWN WHILE DRIVING, ETC.

Structure › Body › DoorFire
Filed Dec 14, 1998NY

CONSUMERS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A FIRE DUE TO A SHORT IN THE POWER LOCKS. THIS INFORMATION WAS RECEIVED FROM THE CONSUMER'S FIRE DEPARTMENT. DEALER/ MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. *AK

Unknown or Other
Filed Nov 19, 1998MO

OIL PRESSURE GAUGE ERRADIC: READS EXCESSIVELY HIGH AT 80+ PSI FOR APPROX. 15 MIN., DROPS TO 35-40PSI (NORMAL), THEN FLUCTUATES AT NORMAL (STANDING) IDLE FROM ABOUT 30-65PSI. 'CHECK OIL' AND 'CHECK GAUGES' WARNING LIGHTS FLASH SPORADDICALLY, THEN 'CHECK OIL' LIGHT REMAINS LIT. ACTUAL CRANKCASE OIL READING IS ALWAYS AT 'FULL' MARK ON DIPSTICK. DEALER COULD FIND NO PROBLEM BUT WITH OUR OK, REPLACED OIL PRESSURE SENDING COMPONENT WHICH DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. ROTORS REPLACED TWICE BEFORE 40,000 MILES DUE TO WARPING AND PITTING. REAR DRUMS BOTH REPLACED DUE TO OUT-OF-ROUND CONDITIONS. RUPTURED UPPER RADIATOR HOSE DUE TO ABNORMALLY HIGH COOLANT PRESSURE. HOSE REPLACED AROUND 27,000 MILES BUT COOLANT GAUGE SHOWS HIGH READING OF 220F (NORMAL OBSERVED AT ABOUT 165F). WE SUSPECT ANOTHER COMPENT IS AT FAULT BUT DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM.

Electrical System › Ignition › Switch
Filed Nov 10, 1998FL

IGNITION SWITCH WILL NOT RELEASE KEY WHENEVER THE CONSUMER TURNED THE KEY OFF , THE ENGINE WOULD TURN OFF, BUT CONSUMER UNABLE TO GET THE KEY OUT OF THE SWITCH. CONSUMER WOULD WAIT UNTIL SHE HEARD A CLICK THEN THE KEY COULD BE REMOVED. DEALER NOT NOTIFIED. *AK

Structure › Body
Filed Nov 3, 1998TX

PAINT IS COMING OFF TOP OF VEHICLE.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed Oct 24, 1998IL

FIRST I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE WATER PUMP ON THE CAR AND HAD IT REPAIRED ALONG WITH THE COOLANT SYSTEM. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR JUST QUIT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET THERE IS WHEN I WAS TOLD THE MAIN ENGINE BEARING HAD LOCK. WHEN I LOOK ON THE WEB SITE I HAD SEEN WHERE IT WAS A RECALL, ON THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE ENGINE BEARING SO, COULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME OUT WITH SOME TYPE OF INFORMATION ON THIS PROBLEM THAT I HAVE BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE THAT CAR BECAUSE IT'S REAL CONFORTABLE AND SMOOTH TO DRIVE WHEN IT'S RUNNING. SO CALL ME AT ANY TIME AT THE NUMBER I HAVE PROVIDED YOU WITH. BEST TIME IS A.M THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS, MALONE

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Aug 19, 1998FL

TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT EXCEED 30 MPH GOING UP HILL, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

Unknown or Other
Filed Mar 16, 1998OH

PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE, DOOR AND ELECTRIC.

Electrical System › Ignition › SwitchFire
Filed Jan 27, 1998TX

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. THE INSURANCE COMPANY IS INVESTIGATING THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FIRE. *AK

20 of 38 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1996
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20003000Routine
199840320Routine
199763410Routine
199687631Fatalities reported
199570150Routine
199462260Routine
1993 — this page38120Routine
199253040Routine

Compare every Achieva year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Sep 14, 1993. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.