WHILE VEHICLE WAITED AT STOP LIGHT, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. AFTER TAKING OFF, VEHICLE HIT 3 OTHER VEHICLES. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. HAD CALLED DEALER & INFORMED DID NOT KNOW WHY VEHICLE WOULD TAKE OFF. *AK
1995 Oldsmobile Achieva
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1995 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: 9 of 70 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
70 reportsTHE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK INTERMITTENTLY LOCKS AND CAN NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE.
BRAKES FAILED AT 35 MPH ALLOWING VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO STOPPED VEHICLE; AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY.
CONSUMER EXPERIENCED POPPING SOUND IN THE HINGE OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND SUSSEQUENTLY AN INTERMITTENT LOCKOUT PROBLEM CAUSING THE DOOR NOT TO BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE OR OUT.
DUE TO ABS BRAKE PEDAL DESIGN APPLICATION OF THE PEDAL RESULTS IN ACCIDENTIAL DEPRESSION OF THE ACCELERATOR AT THE SAME TIME.
DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30MPH WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN CAME LOOSE AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE AROUND FREELY IN A CIRCLE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED INTO DEALER AND THEY DON' KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. *AK
BRAKES: FRONT BRAKE PADS REPLACED AT 10, 000, REPLACED AGAIN AT 14, 000, AND AT 18, 000 REPLACED AGAIN WITH NEW ROTORS. DEALER CANNOT FIND CAUSE FOR THE PROBLEM. GM TOOK CARE OF REPAIR BILL THIS TIME AND SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BCAUSE THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *AK
VEHICLE MADE AN EMERGENCY STOP IN FRONT OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AND HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE FROM THE BACK AND THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER SAID THAT THE AIR BAG SHOULD DEPLOY BECAUSE WHEN VEHICLE WAS HIT THE SENSOR WAS BROKEN UNDER THE VEHICLE. *AK
HEADLIGHT FAILURE; AT TIMES IT TAKES A COUPLE OF SECONDS BEFORE THE HEADLIGHTS COME ON, WHEN DIMMING THE LIGHTS OR USING THE TRUN SIGNALS, THE DASH LIGHTS WILL SOMETIMES GO OUT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
CONSUMER HAD AN ACCIDENT AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT WORK. *AK
Official recalls
100V287000 · Electrical System:starter Assembly
Oct 2, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE STARTER FAILS TO ENGAGE AND THE DRIVER HOLD THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, PRODUCING HEAT THAT CAN MELT SWITCH PARTS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A FIRE COULD OCCUR IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND SPREAD TO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT AND VERIFY THAT THE VEHICLE WILL START WITH A PROPERLY CHARGED BATTERY IN GOOD OPERATING CONDITION (ADEQUATE RESERVE CAPACITY, OR COLD CRANKING AMPS). THIS CAMPAIGN DOES NOT COVER BATTERY REPLACEMENT OR UNRELATED STARTING SYSTEM OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REPAIRS.
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
1EA00007 · Steering Column Fires
Opened Mar 3, 2000 · Closed Feb 7, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System
There is no summary currently available
Illustration