IllustrationANTI FREEZE LIQUID EATS AWAY INTAKE MANIFOLD, CAUSING VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. DEALER CONTACTED AND REPLACED PART.*AK
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.
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 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
What owners actually said
40 reportsMECHANICS ADVISE ME THESE 2 MAJOR PROBLEMS ARE DUE TO IMPROPER INSTALLATION AND PARTS ARE INFERIOR MATERIAL. *AK
WHILE PRESSING ON BRAKE PEDAL VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY START TO ACCERLERATE WITH GREAT FORCE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LUNGING FORWARD AFTER THROTTLE MOTOR VALVE WAS REPLACED. *YH
COOLANT IS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. MECHANIC AT DEALERSHIP TOLD CONSUMER THAT TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK CONSTANT PROBLEM WITH LOW COOLANT AND REPAIRS VERY EXPENSIVE. BUT THOUGHT PROBLEM WAS OVER LOOK. *MJ
WHILE MOVING TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT RETURN TO D. AFTER FULL STOP TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
ABS BRAKING SYTEM IS DEFECTIVE WHEN TRAVELING IN WET WEATHER. WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, VEHICLE SLIDES. DEALERSHIP AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
BOUGHT NEW TIRES AND WAS TOLD BY TECH THAT ALMOST EVERY ACHIEVA THEY SEE NEEDS THE BUSHINGS REPLACE ON THE LOWER A-FRAME. ALSO OTHER SIMILAR GM CARS. *AK
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 O…
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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
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
Official recalls
104V036000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.