1994 Oldsmobile Achieva Engine Problems

ENGINE LOST POWER AT 65 MPH ON FREEWAY, ABLE TO PULL TO RIGHT SHOULDER, ENGINE WAS NOT HOT, NO CHECK LIGHTS WERE ON, CHECKED OIL & WATER LEVELS, OK, TRIED TO RESTART ENGINE BUT IT WAS VERY NOISY & BACKFIRING, AND WOULD ONLY RUN AT FAST IDLE. SHUT DOWN, CALLED TOW TRUCK. MECHANIC TOOK A COMPRESSION CHECK, NO COMPRESSION IN # 2 & 4 CYLINDERS. THIS ENGINE HAS A TIMING CHAIN, NOT A BELT, TIMING WAS CHECKED, FOUND OK. PULLED HEAD & FOUND THAT VALVES ON THOSE CYLINDERS HAD HIT PISTONS, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO HURT SAME. PRESSURE CHECKED HEAD, GROUND VALVES (WERE NOT BENT), REASSEMBLED ENGINE, STARTED SAME & IT WAS MISSING & BACKFIRING THRU THROTTLE BOBY, SAME AS ON FREEWAY. MECHANIC GOT ON THE INTERNET LOOKING FOR ANSWERS & HAD NUMEROUS REPLIES THAT COIL HOUSING WAS DEFECTIVE. REPLACED SAME, HAVE PUT ALMOST 1000 MILES ON ODOMETER WITH NO PROBLEMS....DUE TO THE FACT THAT OLDS HAS COME OUT WITH A REVISED COIL HOUSING & MECHANICS ALL OVER USA REPORTED HAVING SAME PROBLEM, I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A PROGRAM INITIATED FOR OLDS TO REIMBURSE OWNERS THEIR COSTS AT THIS LOW MILEAGE FOR THIS PROBLEM. MY REPAIR COST WAS $1031.17, WHICH COULD HAVE VERY EASILY BEEN $4000.00 FOR A NEW ENGINE IF THE PISTONS HAD HIT THE VALVES ANY HARDER. OLDS REDESIGNED THE HOUSING, WHICH INDICATES THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. OLDS REFUSES TO HELP PAY ANY OF THE BILL BECAUSE THE PROBLEM "WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AT A GM DEALER" THEY ARE SENDING ME A DENIAL OF HELP LETTER. PLEASE RESPOND WITH YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM.. *AK

NHTSA ID

759436

Incident

Feb 7, 2002

THE VEHICLE CUT OFF AS THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING INTO THE DRIVEWAY. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER REGARDING THE RECALL NOTICE RECEIVED ON 12/2001 (00V-287). THE DEALER SAID THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *YH

NHTSA ID

561210

Incident

Apr 30, 2001

CYLINDER HEAD IS CRACKED. OLDSMOBILE HAD RECALLED THE 1992 AND 1993 ACHIEVAS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE IS COMING INTO THE CAR AND ALSO THE CAR IS STALLING WHILE DRIVING.*AK

NHTSA ID

741025

Incident

Mar 1, 2000

MOTOR HAD A CRACKED HEAD. OLDSMOBILE ACKNOWLEDGES FAULTY HEAD GASKETS ON 1992 AND 1993 MODELS AND STATES THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC SAYS THAT OUR HEAD GASKETS CRACKED IN THE EXACT LOCATIONS OF '92' AND '93 MODELS THAT HE REPAIRED. HE FEELS THAT OLDSMOBILE DID NOT REPAIR THE HEAD IN OUR 1994 ACHIEVE THAT WAS BUILT IN NOVEMBER 1993. WE BELIEVE THAT OLDSMOBILE NEEDS TO EXTEND THEIR COVERAGE TO INCLUDE 1994 MODELS. *AK

NHTSA ID

735575

Incident

Sep 20, 2000

AT 70,000 MILES MY ENGINE HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND A CRACKED HEAD WHICH HAS COST ME A TOTAL OF $1000.00 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. I CONTACTED G.M. AND THEY TOLD ME '93 & '92 MODELS WERE REACALLED FOR THIS SAME EXACT PROBLEM, HOWEVER MY CAR DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL. I FEEL I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR MY COST SINCE MY ENGINE PROBLEM IS IDENTICAL TO THE PREVIOUS RECALL. *AK

NHTSA ID

726629

Incident

Jul 7, 2000

CRACKED ENGINE HEAD CAUSED ANTIFREEZE LEAKAGE, CAR SPUTTERS. HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $450 FOR THE HEAD CORE, EXCLUDING LABOR AND ADDITIONAL COSTS. IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT SOME DEALERS ARE GETTING THIS PART AT NO COST FOR REPLACEMENT. WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR AT THE VERY LEAST THE COST OF THE HEAD CORE UNIT! *AK

NHTSA ID

705158

Incident

Dec 10, 1998

MOTOR HAS A DEFECT THAT IS NOT ABLE TO BE RECTIFIED.

NHTSA ID

542227

CRACKED ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD, CAUSING ANTI-FREEZE LEAK. ALSO ENGINE COVER GASKET CRACKED. DEALER ALSO REPLACED #2 SPARK PLUGS AND FUEL FILTER.

NHTSA ID

780154

Incident

Jan 28, 1998

ONE OF THE HEAD GASKETS HAS BEEN CRACKED AND IS LEAKING OIL. DEALER HAS SEEN. *AK

NHTSA ID

823612

HEAD GASKET CAUSING OIL TO BE GUMMY BROWN/CREAMY.

NHTSA ID

532359

Incident

Nov 1, 1996

OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED TWICE. *AW

NHTSA ID

479578

Incident

Feb 9, 1995