Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Oldsmobile Achieva submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
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. *TR
MY GM PASSLOCK SYSTEM HAS BEEN GOING ON THE FRITZ FOR WELL OVER A YEAR NOW. EVERY FIX WOULD LAST A COUPLE OF MONTHS, WEEKS THAN GO RIGHT BACK TO NO WORKING. I KEEP GETTING LOCK OUT OF OF THE CAR WITH THE ANTI THIEFT. I HAVE A 1998 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA. I HAVE BEEN LOCKED OUT OF MY CAR FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR AND A HALF AT TIMES DURING THE MIDDLE OF WINTER. I HATE GM AND THEIR CRAPPY PASSLOCK SYSTEM. THERE SEEMS TO BE ENOUGH COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT IT THAT U WOULD THINK THEY WOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD NOT FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA 04V036000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION: SWITCH). THE CONTACT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER TO VERIFY THE VIN BEING INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA. THE CONTACT HAD HER VEHICLE REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V036000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH). THE TECHNICIAN INSTALLED A RELAY KIT. YEARS LATER, SHE NOTICED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER IN REFERENCE TO HAVING THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED. BOTH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT BECAUSE THE REMEDY STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH SHOULD ONLY BE REPLACED IF NECESSARY, THE ORIGINAL RECALL REPAIR WAS TECHNICALLY SUFFICIENT. THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 157,000.
PURCHASED VEHICLE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2007, HAD ALREADY HAD INSTRUMENT CLUSTER REPLACED IN JULY OF 2006 AT YARK AUTOMOTIVE IN TOLEDO, OHIO. FREQUENTLY FAILS TO START. HAD BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR REPLACED IN OCTOBER 2007. DEALERSHIP WORKING ON THE VEHICLE NOW CLAIMS THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. *TR
THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE #04V036000 (IGNITION SWITCH). THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR ON 10/11/04. THE MECHANIC REPLACED RELAY SWITCH BUT NOT THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE STARTED BUT WILL NOT TURN OFF PROPERLY. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT REPLACING THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS NOT PART THE RECALL. *JB
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED AFTER TIRES WERE INSTALLED. *PH THE VEHICLE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE. THE CONSUMER SUBMITTED ALL INVOICES FOR REIMBURSEMENT BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMS THAT THE PART REPLACED WAS NOT THE PART COVERED BY THE RECALL OR THAT THE DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED DID NOT SUBSTANTIATE THE REQUEST. *NM
RECALL WORK WAS DONE ON THE VEHICLE. PRIOR TO RECALL REPAIR THE DEALER AGREE TO TOW THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE CONSUMER FREE OF CHARGE. AFTER THE RECALL WAS REPAIRED THE DEALER REFUSED TO TOW THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE CONSUMER WITHOUT CHARGE. *PH THE RECALL WAS FOR AN IGNITION PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED IGNITION PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THE RECALL. *NM
ALTERNATOR - 2ND TIME THAT GOES OUT IN 3 1/2 YEARS. CAR BOUGHT IN 1999 WITH LESS THAN 35000 MILES, ALTERNATOR WENT OUT WITH NO WARNING AT 37000 MILES IN 1999, AND NOW AGAIN IN JAN 2004.
THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED, THE ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, FUEL PRESSURE VALVE, MASTER CYLINDER, ABS BOOSTER, RADIATOR, THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP AND BRAKES, AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE. *AK *JB
WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45MPH AND ALTERNATOR WENT OUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SHUTDOWN COMPLETELY. ONLY WARNING WAS HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT PRIOR TO ANYTHING HAPPENING. RECEIVED A JUMP START & ABLE TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. ONCE JUMPER CABLES REMOVED VEHICLE DIED.*AK COSUMER STATES ONCE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN THERE WAS NO WAY TO PUSH VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD, DUE TO NO EMERGENCY SIDE, ALSO WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN, THE KEY CAN NOT BE REMOVED AND THE SHIFTER WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF GEAR.*JB
AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE UP TO 70 MPH, MAKING IT HARD TO STOP VEHICLE. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID MAYBE THE MAT WAS GETTING STUCK BETWEEN PEDAL. 2ND TIME THEY SAID IT WAS THE COMPUTER, AND THIRD TIME THEY SAID SOLENOID WAS BAD. THEN THEY SAID ABS HAD A SHORT IN IT. DEALER STILL HAS NOT FOUND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .