Problems · NHTSA complaints

1998 Oldsmobile Achieva problems

Owners filed 48 complaints about the 1998 Oldsmobile Achieva with NHTSA between Mar 1998 and Apr 2016. The most-cited component is electrical system (13).

Complaints
48
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system13
  2. Service brakes, hydraulic8
  3. Engine and engine cooling8
  4. Steering4
  5. Vehicle speed control4
  6. Air bags4
  7. Equipment3
  8. Seat belts3
  9. Interior lighting2
  10. Power train2
  11. Suspension2
  12. Engine1
  13. Fuel system, other1
  14. Fuel system, gasoline1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19982
19996
20007
20016
20024
20037
20046
20054
20060
20071
20080
20091
20101
20111
20120
20130
20140
20151
20161

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

13 reports1 fire1 related recall
“I WAS DRIVE ALONG UNION STREET IN GREENVILLE, MISS WHEN I NOTICE SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD OF THE CAR. I SUDDENLY PULL OVER BECAUSE THE CAR BECAME ENGULF IN FLAMES. THE FIREMAN WAS CALLED TO PUT THE FLAMES OUT FROM THE VEHICLE.THE CAR WAS LOST DUE TO THE FLAMES AND I LOST WAGES DUE TO THE CAR. I CONTACT GMC ABOUT THE CAR AND THEY SAID , THE CAR ENGULF IN FLAMES HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 9, 2015Electrical systemFire reportedODI 10682349

Service brakes, hydraulic

8 reports
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 9, 2005Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10136060

Engine and engine cooling

8 reports
“WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO KNOCK. THEN , ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND REPLACED SOME PARTS. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 27, 2004Engine and engine coolingODI 10071651

Steering

4 reports
“CONSUMER STATED: THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY LOCKED UP WHILE THE CONSUMERS WIFE WAS DRIVING, THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO TURN RIGHT BUT NOT LEFT. *JB CONSUMER HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP SIX TIMES ABOUT THE RACK AND PINION, NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN ON BUMPY ROADS, BOTTOM OF STEERING SHAFT LOOSE, VIBRATION COMING FROM STEERING WHEEL AT LOW SPEED, TRANSACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON ALL THE TIME WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS AT ABOUT 5MPH, CAR NOT KEEPING STRAIGHT WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD. THE INFORMATION BEFORE THIS CAME OFF THE INVOICES FROM THE DEALERSHIP, THAT WAS PROVIDED BY THE CONSUMER. NHTSA HAD A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE IN DECEMBER 2003 ON THE LOWER PINION BEARINGS IN THE POWER RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IN WHICH THE RETAINER TABS WERE NOT CRIMPED PROPERLY. *SB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 8, 2005SteeringODI 10120874

Vehicle speed control

4 reports
“I OWN A 1998 OLDS ACHEIVA. MY THROTTLE IDLE SENSOR HAS TO BE REPLACED FOR THE 4TH TIME. IT IS DANGEROUS AS THE CAR PICKS UP SPEED ON ITS OWN, AND IS DIFFICULT TO STOP. THESE REPAIRS ARE EXCESSIVE AND EXPENSIVE. *NLM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 11, 2003Vehicle speed controlODI 10032541

Air bags

4 reports2 crashes
“CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 7, 2000Air bagsCrash reportedODI 867012
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.