FaultScore

1996 Oldsmobile Achieva engine problems

16 of the 116 complaints about the 1996 Oldsmobile Achieva are about the engine — 14% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 87,770 miles.

B

16

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Gasoline 8 50.0%
Engine 2 12.5%
Cooling System 2 12.5%
Engine AND Engine Cooling 2 12.5%
Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe 1 6.3%
Engine 1 6.3%

Engine & Cooling across every Oldsmobile Achieva year

1992 21 22.1%
1993 11 11.6%
1994 14 14.7%
1995 11 11.6%
1996 16 16.8%
1997 22 23.2%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 150,000 miles Harrison, AR

ENGINE

I BOUGHT MY DADS 1996 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA, ON ABOUT THE 7-22-13, HE HAD IT AT OUR MECHANICS CAR LOT FOR SALE AND MY TRUCKS TRANSMISSION STARTED FAILING ON ME SO I PURCHASED MY DADS CAR, WENT TO PICK IT UP AND NOW AFTER 2 DIFFERENT MECHANICS AND 5 WEEKS LATER THEY STILL CAN'T GET MY CAR FIXED SO IT WILL RUN,THIS IS WHAT IT DOES,SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF FLASHING UNTIL IT COMES ON FULLY ALL THE TIME,DIES AND REFUSES TO START, SO I DONE SOME LOOKING ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THAT JUST ABOUT ALL OF THE ACHIEVA, MALIBU'S,BASICALLY ALL G.M. CARS FROM EARLY 90'S- UPPER 90'S ALL HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND IT CAN HAPPEN WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN IN SOME CASES, SO I FILL LIKE IF THIS IS NOT TOOK CARE OF IT COULD CAUSE A WRECK,FIRE OR AN ACCIDENT OF SOME KIND BEING IT IS THE # 1 THING TO GO WRONG WITH THIS KIND AND YEAR MODEL'S OF OLDS-ACHIEVA, JUST WAS WONDERING IF MY CAR GOT MISSED ON RECALL OR IF IT SHOULD BE RECALLED, I'M ABOUT HALF WAY AFRAID TO DRIVE IT EVEN IF IT GETS FIXED, THAT IT WILL DO IT AGAIN AND ME BE DRIVING IT NEXT TIME, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE IS ANY HELP FOR MY CAR TO GET RECALLED..

NHTSA complaint #10535676 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 100,000 miles Dayton, TN

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

DT: CONSUMER STATES THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED 3 TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE STATION AND PUT ON THE COMPUTER, BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND WHAT WAS WRONG. THE INTAKE GASKET BLEW TWICE ALLOWING WATER IN THE ENGINE. *AK

NHTSA complaint #10125502 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Massapequa Park, NY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

AIR CONDITIONER LEAKS COOLANT AND NEEDS TO BE REPEATEDLY SERVICED BECAUSE AIR CONDITIONER BLOWS WARM AIR. AIR CONDITIONER CHECKED WHEN UNDER WARRANTY 4/1/98 AND DEALER STATED RECHARGED A/C. HOWEVER, COOLANT NEEDED TO BE ADDED 5/28/99, 5/12/00, 4/29/01, 6/9/04 FOR A TOTAL COST OF $482.48. DYE INJECTED AND NO LEAK NOTICED. LEAKAGE OCCURS OVER MONTHS WHERE DYE NOT DETECTABLE. SOMETHING IS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSING THE COOLANT TO LEAK OUT OVER TIME.

NHTSA complaint #10079180 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 43,000 miles Riviera Beach, FL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

ALTERNATOR,SERP BELT TENSIONER, SERP BELT, R& R ALTERNATOR,R & R BELT TENSIONER ... THE TENSION ACUTALLY BROKE OFF AND DESTROYED THE OTHER PARTS. HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN???? FOR ONLY 43000 MILES ON THIS CAR THATS RIDICULOUS... ANY HELP HERE/?

NHTSA complaint #10068779 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 87,770 miles THE Woodlands, TX

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

LEAKY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET.

NHTSA complaint #10069465 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Columbus, OH

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

THE INTAKE GASKET LEAKS COOLANT AND A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT GM APPARENTLY DOESN'T CARE ABOUT. IT HAPPENS TO MANY OF ITS V6 3.1 AND 3.4 ENGINES AND COULD CAUSE SEVER DAMAGE TO THE CAR'S ENGINE WHICH LEADS TO POTENTIALLY SERIOUS PROBLEMS IF NOT REPAIRED. IN ADDITION, THE MANUFACTURER DOESN'T WANT TO PERFORM RECALLS, THEREFORE, WHO WANTS TO PAY TO FIX SOMETHING THAT'S NEEDED TO BE RECALLED?

NHTSA complaint #10041428 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 87,770 miles THE Woodlands, TX

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKED COOLANT.

NHTSA complaint #10008159 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Chicago, IL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE RECALL DONE ON THE VEHICLE DID FIX THE PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONTACTED DEALER AND THE DEALER IS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.

NHTSA complaint #8010874 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Eastliverpool, OH

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING, WONT START FOR 5 OR 10 MIN. REAR WINDOW STILL POPPING OUT . NO DEALERS CAN DUPLICATE PROBLEM OR TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG WIYH THE CAR.

NHTSA complaint #755846 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lockport, IL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

VEHICLE SHUTS OFF OR QUITS WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING. WILL NOT RESTART AT TIMES FOR 15 MINUTES OR MORE. DEALER CANNOT PINPOINT PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #742974 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

South Bend, IN

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WITHOUT WARNING. YH

NHTSA complaint #782030 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Detroit, MA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

FRONT END WASN'T STABLE. ALSO, CAR HAD THREE SETS OF MOTOR MOUNTS REPLACED WITHIN SIX MONTHS, AND MAIN COMPUTER HAD TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #856779 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Depew, NY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE WILL STALL OR QUIT WHILE VEHICLE IS RUNNING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. DEALER CANNOT DULPICATE DEFECT.

NHTSA complaint #838425 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

South Bend, IN

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WITHOUT WARNING. YH

NHTSA complaint #782030 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Macedonia, OH

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

VEHICLE STALLED ON CONSUMER.

NHTSA complaint #535808 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mechanicsville, MD

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT ANY GIVEN SPEED THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF AND HAVE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT TAKES ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL RESTART. TOOK TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #822026 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1996 Oldsmobile Achieva problems

← Full 1996 Oldsmobile Achieva report