OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA · model year

1996 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA

116 NHTSA complaints, 12 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1996OLDSMOBILEACHIEVA carries 116 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 12 crashes, 5 fires, 23 injuries, and 3 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1996 ACHIEVA is air bags:frontal with 9 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition:switch (8) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (8). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 13 investigation files overlapping the 1996 ACHIEVA. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

116
Complaints
12
Crashes
5
Fires
23
Injuries
3
Deaths

Total Complaints

116 filings

Crashes Reported

12 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL9
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH8
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE8
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP6
AIR BAGS6
SUSPENSION:FRONT5
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION3
INTERIOR LIGHTING3
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN2
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE2

Recent Complaints

20130815ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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 I

Mileage: 150,000

20130815ENGINE

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 I

Mileage: 150,000

20111114FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 5 MPH WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR A MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VIN DID NOT QUALIFY FOR NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 07E015000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

Mileage: 134,000

20080605POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING AN OIL CHANGE, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSAXLE HAD AN OIL LEAK NEAR THE CV JOINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000. UPDATED 07/08/08. *BF THE TRANSAXLE SEAL WAS LEAKING FLUID NEAR THE CV JOINT. UPDATED *JB

Mileage: 74,000

20080605POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING AN OIL CHANGE, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSAXLE HAD AN OIL LEAK NEAR THE CV JOINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000. UPDATED 07/08/08. *BF THE TRANSAXLE SEAL WAS LEAKING FLUID NEAR THE CV JOINT. UPDATED *JB

Mileage: 74,000

20080327AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

FRONT AIR BAGS (DRIVER AND PASSENGER) DEPLOYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *TR

Mileage: 75,000

20080117CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

PASSENGER IN VEHICLE SUSTAINED SERIOUS EYE INJURY DUE TO A FAULTY AIR BAG ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE - . *TR

20070629ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE

VEHICLE CONTINUALLY REFUSES TO START DUE TO PASS LOCK AND LEAVES US STRANDED. DEALER REPLACED IPC AND IGNITION SWITCH TWICE, BUT PROBLEM REMAINED. SPENT $1000, AND ITS STILL THE SAME. READING ALL THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH VARIOUS GM VEHICLES SHOWING, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL.*AK

Mileage: 34,258

20070624ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE

PASS LOCK 1 SECURITY SYSTEM WILL NOT ALLOW THE CAR TO START. THE CAR THINKS THAT I AM STEALING IT AND DOES NOT ALLOW GASOLINE TO FLOW TO THE FUEL INJECTORS. TOOK IT TO GARAGE AND COST $500 TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL WHICH HOUSES THE SECURITY SENSORS. *AK

Mileage: 155,000

20070624ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

PASS LOCK 1 SECURITY SYSTEM WILL NOT ALLOW THE CAR TO START. THE CAR THINKS THAT I AM STEALING IT AND DOES NOT ALLOW GASOLINE TO FLOW TO THE FUEL INJECTORS. TOOK IT TO GARAGE AND COST $500 TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL WHICH HOUSES THE SECURITY SENSORS. *AK

Mileage: 155,000

20070124STRUCTURE

THE AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON AND STAYED ON IN MY 1996 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA. I WAS REFERRED TO MY DEALER BY MY MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED A AIR BAG SAFETY MODULE PROBLEM THAT WAS RECALLED BY GM AS PER "ALL DATA". THE DEALER REFERRED ME TO GM WARRANTY HOTLINE WHEN THE VIN # DID NOT MATCH A RECALL THROUGH THE GM DATABASE. THE ENTIRE REPAIR WAS ESTIMATED BY THE DEALER TO BE APPROXIMATELY $3000.00 USING VINTAGE AUTO PARTS ON THE HARNESS FOR THE MODULE. THIS SAFETY ISSUE WAS CAUSED BY A BODY LEAK THAT COLLECTED WATER AND SHORTED OUT THE SAFETY MODULE. I CAN'T DRIVE THE VEHICLE DO TO THE DANGER OF POSSIBLE INFLATION OF THE AIRBAG WITH OUT WARNING, AS PER THE RECALL NOTICE THAT GM SAYS NEVER OCCURRED. GM WON'T HELP IN THE REPAIR BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 100,000 MILES AND MET THE 10 YEAR MARK ON 10/31/06. I'VE BEEN WARNED NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITH THIS PROBLEM BY THE GM DEALER, WHILE BEING PRESENTED WITH A $3,000.00 REPAIR BILL ON A CAR THAT IS IN GOOD RUNNING ORDER OTHERWISE

Mileage: 70,986

20070124AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE

THE AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON AND STAYED ON IN MY 1996 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA. I WAS REFERRED TO MY DEALER BY MY MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED A AIR BAG SAFETY MODULE PROBLEM THAT WAS RECALLED BY GM AS PER "ALL DATA". THE DEALER REFERRED ME TO GM WARRANTY HOTLINE WHEN THE VIN # DID NOT MATCH A RECALL THROUGH THE GM DATABASE. THE ENTIRE REPAIR WAS ESTIMATED BY THE DEALER TO BE APPROXIMATELY $3000.00 USING VINTAGE AUTO PARTS ON THE HARNESS FOR THE MODULE. THIS SAFETY ISSUE WAS CAUSED BY A BODY LEAK THAT COLLECTED WATER AND SHORTED OUT THE SAFETY MODULE. I CAN'T DRIVE THE VEHICLE DO TO THE DANGER OF POSSIBLE INFLATION OF THE AIRBAG WITH OUT WARNING, AS PER THE RECALL NOTICE THAT GM SAYS NEVER OCCURRED. GM WON'T HELP IN THE REPAIR BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 100,000 MILES AND MET THE 10 YEAR MARK ON 10/31/06. I'VE BEEN WARNED NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITH THIS PROBLEM BY THE GM DEALER, WHILE BEING PRESENTED WITH A $3,000.00 REPAIR BILL ON A CAR THAT IS IN GOOD RUNNING ORDER OTHERWISE

Mileage: 70,986

20061206EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HAZARD LIGHTS FAILED. AFTER DOING RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE SERVICE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER ABOUT A NHTSA RECALL # 96V250000, REGARDING THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING: HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS. THE SERVICE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

Mileage: 164,000

20061023AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE DRIVING MY 1996 OLDS ACHIEVA SOUTHBOUND ON I-271 IN NE OHIO BOTH FRONTAL AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CONDITIONS WERE GOOD. PAVEMENT WAS DRY. THERE WAS NO TYPE OF IMPACT. CAUSED ME TO SWERVE AND NEARLY LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. HAVE SEVERE CHEST PAINS. I AM TRYING TO GET SOMETHING DONE TO CORRECT THIS NOW. *NM

Mileage: 129,970

20050616POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

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 *NM

Mileage: 100,000

20050616ENGINE 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 *NM

Mileage: 100,000

20050405SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

WHILE DRIVING AND UPON COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP LOWER BALL JOINT DISENGAGED AND TIRE CAME OFF. THE RIGHT FRONT FENDER ON PASSENGER'S SIDE WAS COMPLETELY DAMAGED. *AK

20040706ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CAR WAS AT DEALER ON 8/17/99 WHO HAD TO REPLACE THE SENSOR-OX 3.682 PART DUE TO A SHORTED RELAY AND DAMAGED SENSOR AT A COST OF $337.44. THE ALTERNATOR OVERHEATED AND BURNED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED JUNE 29, 2001 AT A COST OF $453.98, INCLUDING TOWING OF THE CAR TO THE SERVICE STATION. THE SERP BELT WAS ALSO DAMAGED AND REPLACED. ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE, THERE ARE NUMEROUS ENTRIES LISTED FOR THE SENSOR, SERP BELT, AND ALTERNATOR REPAIRS. ALL OF THESE REPAIRS OCCURRED BEFORE THE OFFICIAL RECALL ON FEBRUARY 27, 2002 (RECALL FOR DEALER TO INSTALL RELAY KIT TO PREVENT SHORT AND IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE AND FIRE). THE BUILD DATES INVOLVED WERE 5/1/95  7/31/96, MINE WAS BUILT WITHIN THESE DATES, DECEMBER 1995. WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR REPAIRS PAID FOR PRIOR TO FEDERAL RECALL (791.42). *JB

20040702ENGINE 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.*AK

20040422EQUIPMENT

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/?

Mileage: 43,000

Compare 1996OLDSMOBILEACHIEVA to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1996 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA have?
The 1996 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA has 116 NHTSA complaints, 12 crashes, 5 fires, 23 injuries, and 3 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA?
The most-complained component for the 1996 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 9 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1996 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.