IllustrationWHILE DRIVING 60 MPH CONSUMER LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND VEHICLE SPED UP, AND RPMS WENT OVER 3000. CONSUMER NOT ABLE TO SLOW VEHICLE BY APPLYING BRAKE. SHE TURNED OFF ENGINE. VEHICLE NOT TAKEN TO DEALER YET.*AK
1997 Oldsmobile Achieva
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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: 13 of 63 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 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 17 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.
4 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports
Vehicle Speed Control complaints
7 reportsVEHICLE STALLED IN OCT 2000. DEALER FOUND NOTHING. ON 14 MAR 2001, CONSUMER WAS AT STOP LIGHT, APPLIED GAS AND VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE FORWARD. THEN, PUT VEHICLE IN REVERSE, AGAIN NOTHING. CONSUMER PUT BACK IN DRIVE, AND VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD, ENGINE REVVED. DEALER AGAIN FOUND NOTHING. *AK COOLANT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THERE WA…
Read full complaint
VEHICLE STALLED IN OCT 2000. DEALER FOUND NOTHING. ON 14 MAR 2001, CONSUMER WAS AT STOP LIGHT, APPLIED GAS AND VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE FORWARD. THEN, PUT VEHICLE IN REVERSE, AGAIN NOTHING. CONSUMER PUT BACK IN DRIVE, AND VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD, ENGINE REVVED. DEALER AGAIN FOUND NOTHING. *AK COOLANT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THERE WAS A COOLANT SMELL PRESENT IN VEHICLE, DEALER REPLACED COOLANT SYSTEM; WATER PUMP, COOLANT PUMP, TIMING CHAIN, VEHICLE STALLED AND DEALER REPLACED THE BELT TENSIONER. VEHICLE WOULDN'T ENGAGE IN ANY GEAR, DEALER REPLACED A BROKEN SHIFT CABLE CONSOLE SHIFTER AND FOUND SHIFTER BOOT COMING OUT, DEALER INSTALLED NEW SHIFTER. CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE HAS ROUGH IDLE. *SLC
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION.
VEHICLE ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN WHEN DRIVING AT 55-70 MPH. DEALER CONTACTED AND IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. INCIDENT OCCURRED ABOUT 30 TIMES. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING, RETURNED TO THE DEALER EIGHT TIMES WITHOUT EVER GETTING THE PROBLEM CORRECTED. I AM CURRENTLY AWAITING THE NINETH VISIT TO ANOTHER DEALER TRYING TO GET THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED.
HEADLIGHTS PULSATE.
ACCELERATOR PEDAL LOCKED UP AT 55MPH. THEN TOOK OFF AT 75MPH. HAD APPLIED BRAKES, VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. SMOKE FROM BRAKES. GEARED DOWN FROM 3RD TO 2ND TO 1ST. TURNED OFF IGNITION. CHECKED VEHICLE & NOTICED GAS LINE THAT PULLS THROTTLE POPPED OFF CLIP ONTO MOTOR. *AK
Official recalls
202V070000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
Mar 6, 2002
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE FAILS TO START AND THE DRIVER HOLDS THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND SOMETIMES PRODUCES ENOUGH HEAT TO MELT INTERNAL SWITCH PARTS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE SWITCH IS DAMAGED, A FIRE COULD OCCUR IN THE STEERING COLUMN, EVEN WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND THE KEY REMOVED.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT IN THESE VEHICLES TO PREVENT HIGH CURRENT FROM FLOWING THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 27, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, PONTIAC AT 1-800-762-2737, BUICK AT 1-800-521-7300, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.
97V059000 · Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood
Apr 8, 1997
THE PROTECTIVE COVER FOR THE UNDERHOOD FUSE CENTER WAS OMITTED. WITHOUT THIS COVER, THE POSITIVE TERMINAL BOLT ON THE FUSE BLOCK IS EXPOSED AND CAN CONTACT THE INSULATED NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE. IF THE INSULATION ON THE NEGATIVE CABLE BECOMES SUFFICIENTLY WORN, AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT CAN OCCUR BETWEEN THE POSITIVE TERMINAL AND NEGATIVE CABLE RESULTING IN EXTREMELY HIGH CURRENT FLOW.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS HIGH CURRENT FLOW CAN CAUSE ARCING AND RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THESE VEHICLES FOR THE PRESENCE OF THE PROTECTIVE COVER AND, IF NECESSARY, INSTALL A PROTECTIVE COVER TO THE UNDERHOOD FUSE CENTER.
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.