"How reliable is the 1996 Oldsmobile Achieva?"

"Based on 116 NHTSA complaints, the 1996 Oldsmobile Achieva has a median complaint mileage of 81385 miles. The most common issue is Frontal."

"What are common problems with the 1996 Oldsmobile Achieva?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1996 Oldsmobile Achieva is Frontal, accounting for a significant portion of the 116 total complaints filed."

1996 Oldsmobile Achieva: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 116 complaints

116

Total Complaints

81,385mi

Median Mileage

Frontal

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

50,173 25th Percentile

81,385 Median Mileage

130,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Frontal

Switch

Gasoline

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Air Bags

Front

Vehicle Speed Control

Interior/Under Dash

Electrical System

Automatic Transmission

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"DEFECTIVE CALIPERS STUCK, CAUSING EXCESSIVE WEAR/DAMAGE TO BRAKE PARTS. *DSH"

"IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NOT TURN ON WITH KEY."

"ENGINE STALLED DUE TO INCORRECTLY ASSEMBLED IGNITION WIRES MELTING. *DSH"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

NY: 18 IL: 17 OH: 9 TX: 8 MA: 7 MI: 7 IN: 6 FL: 6 VA: 5 AL: 3

Who Files Complaints?

29.3%

Original Owners

70.7%

Second+ Owners

Oldsmobile Achieva — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1992	90	35,000	Engine	2
1993	66	-	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	6
1994	85	-	Steering Wheel/Handle Bar	8
1995	102	75,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	12
1997	108	90,000	Gasoline	6
1998	52	75,000	Switch	2

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28