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1998 Oldsmobile Achieva

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1998 Oldsmobile Achieva do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 57.5.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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 40 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 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 →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports2 fire reports1 injury reports

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

7 reports
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11,700 miles · Sep 9, 2005
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

1998 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA. I OWN THE ABOVE MENTIONED CAR. I HAVE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES, NAMELY THE ABS SYSTEM. THE ABS LIGHT CONTINUALLY COMES ON AND MY ABS MAKES A FUNNY NOISE. THE BRAKES ALSO CLUNK SEVERAL TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS FIRST STARTED. I HAVE TAKEN THIS TO BE REPAIRED AT SUBSTANTIAL COST AND …

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1998 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA. I OWN THE ABOVE MENTIONED CAR. I HAVE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES, NAMELY THE ABS SYSTEM. THE ABS LIGHT CONTINUALLY COMES ON AND MY ABS MAKES A FUNNY NOISE. THE BRAKES ALSO CLUNK SEVERAL TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS FIRST STARTED. I HAVE TAKEN THIS TO BE REPAIRED AT SUBSTANTIAL COST AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR THAT WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. WELL, IT WAS REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM STOPPED FOR A FEW DAYS. BUT, HAS JUST STARTED AGAIN AND IT IS THE SAME THING. THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON, THE BRAKES GET SPONGY AND FAIL AT SPEEDS FROM 5 MPH TO 55 MPH. THE NOISE FROM THE ABS STARTED AGAIN AND THE BRAKES ARE CLUNKING AGAIN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS FIRST STARTED. I CAN SEEM TO GET ANYBODY THAT IS ABLE TO DO A PERMANENT FIX. AND I CAN'T GET ANY INFO FROM GM ABOUT THIS. I NOTICED THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAD FILED A COMPLIANT ON THIS SITE ABOUT THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AND IT WAS FOR THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR AS MY CAR. AND, SINCE IT PRESENTS A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER, I FIGURED I WOULD FILE ONE TOO. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10136060

Mileage unknown · May 19, 2003
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingFuel System, Other

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

NHTSA ODI #10019488

Mileage unknown · Apr 10, 2003
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10015612

Mileage unknown · Jun 29, 2001
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

ABS BRAKING SYTEM IS DEFECTIVE WHEN TRAVELING IN WET WEATHER. WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, VEHICLE SLIDES. DEALERSHIP AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ODI #891714

Mileage unknown · May 15, 2001
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 10-15MPH TO A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND VEHICLE NEVER STOPPED. CONSUMER MASHED DOWN ON BRAKES TWICE AND THERE WAS AN AIR SOUND. VEHICLE WAS ON AN INCLINE, PICKING UP SPEED CONSUMER EXITED ONTO HIGHWAY. VEHICLE NEVER STOPPED UNTIL VEHICLE GOT TO DRIVEWAY OF CONSUMER'S HOME. THERE WERE NO PEDESTRIANS OR VEHIC…

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CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 10-15MPH TO A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND VEHICLE NEVER STOPPED. CONSUMER MASHED DOWN ON BRAKES TWICE AND THERE WAS AN AIR SOUND. VEHICLE WAS ON AN INCLINE, PICKING UP SPEED CONSUMER EXITED ONTO HIGHWAY. VEHICLE NEVER STOPPED UNTIL VEHICLE GOT TO DRIVEWAY OF CONSUMER'S HOME. THERE WERE NO PEDESTRIANS OR VEHICLE. CONSUMER PUSED DOWN EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP VEHICLE. OLDSMOBILE SENT A WRECKER TO PICK UP VEHICLE. OLDSMOBILE AGREED TO PAY FOR HALF OF COST. BRAKE BOOSTER VACCUM WAS LEAKING. *AK

NHTSA ODI #888250

Mileage unknown · Apr 28, 2000
Electrical SystemService Brakes, HydraulicUnknown Or Other

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 P…

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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

NHTSA ODI #861112

Mileage unknown · Jan 5, 2000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

FRONT BRAKE DISCS WERE APPARENTLY OF INFERIOR QUALITY. DEALER TOLD ME THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 32,632 MILES. THE VEHICLE THROBS WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. ONLY REMEDIES OFFERED WERE AT MY EXPENSE. I HAVE DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT THIS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #716902

Official recalls

1

04V036000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch

Jan 27, 2004

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. THE FIRE COULD SPREAD TO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR, WHICH COULD INJURE OCCUPANTS OR CAUSE DAMAGE TO ADJOINING STRUCTURES.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT IN THESE VEHICLES TO PREVENT HIGH CURRENT FROM FLOWING THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND CHECK THAT YOUR CAR WILL START WITH A PROPERLY CHARGED BATTERY AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION WILL BEGIN ON MARCH 1, 2004. 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 1-800-630-2438, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668, BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537. CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CHECK THEIR VEHICLE ONLINE BY GOING TO WWW.MYGMLINK.COM AND ENTERING THE VEHICLE'S IDENTIFICATION NUMBER.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.