IllustrationCAR 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
1993 Oldsmobile Achieva
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Oldsmobile Achieva do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 57.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Achieva years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 38 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports2 fire reports1 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
8 reportsREPEATED INCIDENTS OF OVERHEATING; HEATER CORE REPLACED TWICE; INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET; RADIATOR CORED OUT TWICE; WATER PUMP REPLACED TWICE; PROBLEM PERSISTS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
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' MA…
Read full complaint
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.
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 BEARIN…
Read full complaint
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
WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, WITHOUT WARNING, THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEW UP. THE HEAD GASKET IS BEING REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP. *AK
AIR COMPRESSOR FAILED. *SKD
POSSIBILITY MAP SENSOR CAUSED AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. THEREFORE RESULTING IN ERRATIC OPERATION AND POOR PORFOMANCE. TT
Official recalls
193V153000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
Sep 14, 1993
THE NEUTRAL START SAFETY SWITCH COULD HAVE BEEN FRACTURED DURING INSTALLATION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.