Carlexica

1993 Oldsmobile Achieva: problems, recalls and reliability

1 recall and 38 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is service brakes, hydraulic (24% of complaints).

Data updated weekly · latest recall Sep 1993

1
recalls
38
owner complaints
2
fire reports
109,000
typical failure mileage, mi

All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.

Among the quietest Achieva years (#7 of 7 by complaints, age-adjusted)Problems tend to appear late (median 109,000 mi)Weak spot: service brakes, hydraulic (24%)2 fire reports

Common problems

Computed from 38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic (brakes)24% · 9 complaints
Electrical System (battery, wiring, electronics)16% · 6 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling (engine, radiator, overheating)16% · 6 complaints
Power Train (transmission, axles, driveline)8% · 3 complaints
Structure (body, frame, doors, rust)5% · 2 complaints
Visibility (windshield, wipers, defroster, mirrors)5% · 2 complaints
Dt: consumer pulled into a driveway and applied brakes and had no brakes, and hit a corner of a house. Had no fluid in master cylinder, and there was a small puddle under the wheel. Consumer put fluid in the car and then vehicle hit a tree.*akOwner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Jun 2005
My seatbelts don't lock, my back window won't go down,the roof is impossible to close,my spring broke, my brakes have went numerous times, my steering line split. My real concern is my seatbelts don't work I would like to get them fixed I need info on how my door handle also snapped and the engine is impossible to work on.Owner report · Suspension · Jan 2003
While driving heard noises coming from steering, sounded like metal on metal. Took to a repair shop, and mechanic said that rack and pinion steering separated from the firewall, and that it was probably not reparable. There was a structural flaw, and car was dangerous to drive. *ak *mlOwner report · Steering · May 2000
Show 7 more owner reports
While driving on a two road highway with a pickup truck in front. All of sudden the truck stopped, consumer applied brakes and slid into the vehicle. No damage to either vehicle. But the other car, driving approximately 60mph failed to stop and hit the achieva. Threw the consumer forward and then backwards, and the seat collasped. Hasn't contacted the dealer or manufacturer. *akOwner report · Seats · Dec 1999
Consumers vehicle experienced a fire due to a short in the power locks. This information was received from the consumer's fire department. Dealer/ manufacturer were notified. *akOwner report · Structure · Dec 1998
Ignition switch will not release key whenever the consumer turned the key off , the engine would turn off, but consumer unable to get the key out of the switch. Consumer would wait until she heard a click then the key could be removed. Dealer not notified. *akOwner report · Electrical System · Jul 1998
While the vehicle was parked it caught on fire. The fire started under the hood. The insurance company is investigating the exact cause of the fire. *akOwner report · Electrical System · Dec 1997
While at a stop light, without warning, the engine head gasket blew up. The head gasket is being replaced by dealership. *akOwner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Nov 1997
Driver's air bag: driving approximately 40mph and hit a slippery spot in highway, car spun around and then went into a ditch. The air bag did not deploy. *akOwner report · Air Bags · Oct 1997
Was stopped by school bus sign. Vehicle was rearended & was thrown forward. Driver's seat broke & then threw driver backwards. Vehicle was totaled. Driver was severely injured. *akOwner report · Seats · Feb 1996

When filing, owners marked a crash in 5 of these complaints and injuries in 1 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.

Recalls - 1 campaign

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH93V153000 · Sep 1993

THE NEUTRAL START SAFETY SWITCH COULD HAVE BEEN FRACTURED DURING INSTALLATION.

Remedy: THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE NEUTRAL START SWITCH. THE MANUAL SWITCH OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY WILL BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED IF AN OVERSIZED CONDITION EXISTS.

How other years compare

Check your exact Achieva by VIN

Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.

Open VIN decoder

Frequently asked questions

Is the 1993 Oldsmobile Achieva reliable?

NHTSA has 38 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 1993 Oldsmobile Achieva. The most complained-about area is service brakes, hydraulic (24% of complaints).

At what mileage do 1993 Oldsmobile Achieva problems usually appear?

Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 109,000 miles or less.

Does the 1993 Oldsmobile Achieva have open recalls?

1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning electrical system:ignition:switch. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.