RoadVitals

1996 Oldsmobile Achieva Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
15
Latest Aug 15, 2013
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
17%
of 87 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Oldsmobile Achieva submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

ElectricalEngine
Filed Aug 15, 2013

I BOUGHT MY DADS 1996 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA, ON ABOUT THE 7-22-13, HE HAD IT AT OUR MECHANICS CAR LOT FOR SALE AND MY TRUCKS TRANSMISSION STARTED FAILING ON ME SO I PURCHASED MY DADS CAR, WENT TO PICK IT UP AND NOW AFTER 2 DIFFERENT MECHANICS AND 5 WEEKS LATER THEY STILL CAN'T GET MY CAR FIXED SO IT WILL RUN,THIS IS WHAT IT DOES,SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF FLASHING UNTIL IT COMES ON FULLY ALL THE TIME,DIES AND REFUSES TO START, SO I DONE SOME LOOKING ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THAT JUST ABOUT ALL OF THE ACHIEVA, MALIBU'S,BASICALLY ALL G.M. CARS FROM EARLY 90'S- UPPER 90'S ALL HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND IT CAN HAPPEN WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN IN SOME CASES, SO I FILL LIKE IF THIS IS NOT TOOK CARE OF IT COULD CAUSE A WRECK,FIRE OR AN ACCIDENT OF SOME KIND BEING IT IS THE # 1 THING TO GO WRONG WITH THIS KIND AND YEAR MODEL'S OF OLDS-ACHIEVA, JUST WAS WONDERING IF MY CAR GOT MISSED ON RECALL OR IF IT SHOULD BE RECALLED, I'M ABOUT HALF WAY AFRAID TO DRIVE IT EVEN IF IT GETS FIXED, THAT IT WILL DO IT AGAIN AND ME BE DRIVING IT NEXT TIME, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE IS ANY HELP FOR MY CAR TO GET RECALLED.. *TR

NHTSA ID
10535676
Incident
Jul 22, 2013
Mileage
150,000 mi
EngineTransmission
Filed Jul 15, 2005

DT: CONSUMER STATES THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED 3 TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE STATION AND PUT ON THE COMPUTER, BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND WHAT WAS WRONG. THE INTAKE GASKET BLEW TWICE ALLOWING WATER IN THE ENGINE. *AK *NM

NHTSA ID
10125502
Incident
Oct 21, 2001
Mileage
100,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 2, 2004

AIR CONDITIONER LEAKS COOLANT AND NEEDS TO BE REPEATEDLY SERVICED BECAUSE AIR CONDITIONER BLOWS WARM AIR. AIR CONDITIONER CHECKED WHEN UNDER WARRANTY 4/1/98 AND DEALER STATED RECHARGED A/C. HOWEVER, COOLANT NEEDED TO BE ADDED 5/28/99, 5/12/00, 4/29/01, 6/9/04 FOR A TOTAL COST OF $482.48. DYE INJECTED AND NO LEAK NOTICED. LEAKAGE OCCURS OVER MONTHS WHERE DYE NOT DETECTABLE. SOMETHING IS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSING THE COOLANT TO LEAK OUT OVER TIME.*AK

NHTSA ID
10079180
Incident
Apr 1, 1998
Engine
Filed Jan 15, 2004

LEAKY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET.

NHTSA ID
10069465
Incident
Feb 15, 2003
Mileage
87,770 mi
ElectricalEngineOther / unspecified
Filed Jan 15, 2004

ALTERNATOR,SERP BELT TENSIONER, SERP BELT, R& R ALTERNATOR,R & R BELT TENSIONER ... THE TENSION ACUTALLY BROKE OFF AND DESTROYED THE OTHER PARTS. HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN???? FOR ONLY 43000 MILES ON THIS CAR THATS RIDICULOUS... ANY HELP HERE/?

NHTSA ID
10068779
Incident
Nov 15, 2003
Mileage
43,000 mi
Engine
Filed Oct 7, 2003

THE INTAKE GASKET LEAKS COOLANT AND A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT GM APPARENTLY DOESN'T CARE ABOUT. IT HAPPENS TO MANY OF ITS V6 3.1 AND 3.4 ENGINES AND COULD CAUSE SEVER DAMAGE TO THE CAR'S ENGINE WHICH LEADS TO POTENTIALLY SERIOUS PROBLEMS IF NOT REPAIRED. IN ADDITION, THE MANUFACTURER DOESN'T WANT TO PERFORM RECALLS, THEREFORE, WHO WANTS TO PAY TO FIX SOMETHING THAT'S NEEDED TO BE RECALLED? *LA

NHTSA ID
10041428
Incident
Sep 7, 2003
Engine
Filed Feb 26, 2003

INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKED COOLANT. *JB

NHTSA ID
10008159
Incident
Feb 26, 2003
Mileage
87,770 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 2, 2002

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE RECALL DONE ON THE VEHICLE DID FIX THE PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONTACTED DEALER AND THE DEALER IS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.

NHTSA ID
8010874
Incident
Mar 2, 2002
Engine
Filed Dec 19, 2001

CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING, WONT START FOR 5 OR 10 MIN. REAR WINDOW STILL POPPING OUT . NO DEALERS CAN DUPLICATE PROBLEM OR TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG WIYH THE CAR.

NHTSA ID
755846
Incident
May 9, 1999
Engine
Filed Mar 24, 2001

VEHICLE SHUTS OFF OR QUITS WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING. WILL NOT RESTART AT TIMES FOR 15 MINUTES OR MORE. DEALER CANNOT PINPOINT PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
742974
Incident
Nov 15, 2000
ElectricalEngineSuspension
Filed Feb 11, 2000

FRONT END WASN'T STABLE. ALSO, CAR HAD THREE SETS OF MOTOR MOUNTS REPLACED WITHIN SIX MONTHS, AND MAIN COMPUTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID
856779
Engine
Filed Jun 21, 1999

ENGINE WILL STALL OR QUIT WHILE VEHICLE IS RUNNING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. DEALER CANNOT DULPICATE DEFECT. *AK

NHTSA ID
838425
Incident
May 24, 1999
Engine
Filed Mar 19, 1999

ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WITHOUT WARNING. YH

NHTSA ID
782030
Driver assistanceEngineSuspension
Filed May 20, 1998

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION.

NHTSA ID
535808
Engine
Filed Mar 19, 1998

WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT ANY GIVEN SPEED THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF AND HAVE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT TAKES ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL RESTART. TOOK TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
822026
Incident
May 12, 1997

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Electrical23Airbags16Brakes12Suspension9

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .