1993 Oldsmobile Achieva S Quad4

Summary:

Great everyday car, more than just a boring sedan

Faults:

Radiator hose blew the first week I had it, in the middle of Boston. I fit in with all the other smoking cars though... about $60 to fix, but under dealership warranty.

Bolt snapped on the tire when the tires were being rotated, very cheap to replace.

Slight vibration above 60 MPH.

Major hesitating and stalling, fixed by replacing spark plugs and boots, runs like a champ now.

Funny hollow rattling coming from the engine, have yet to pinpoint it.

General Comments:

I almost got rid of this car, thinking that it was falling apart, but after replacing the spark plug issue that caused all the hesitating/stalling, I'm going to keep it. It's paid off anyway.

Let's see how she does when I have to tow a small trailer cross-country with it...

I do like it though, it's comfortable, and fast, VERY fast, very responsive in traffic.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 22nd October, 2003

1993 Oldsmobile Achieva SC 2.3L DOHC HO Quad4

Summary:

A great performance bargain if you're willing to keep it in good working order

Faults:

My Achieva has been a very reliable car for me. It's fairly cheap to run and insurance is cheap.

The car itself is very reliable, however the engine tends to need frequent attention to keep it going for the long haul.

My car was in an accident before I purchased it, and needs a lot of time put into it to get it back to where I'm not ashamed to drive it.

The engine's cooling system was very poor, and needed a new thermostat, a radiator flush, and a new fan motor.

The paint was still pretty good, it needed a buffering, but after that and touching up some missing paint, it looked great with a coat of wax. It's a very sharp car.

About a month or two ago, my engine finally gave way. At 118,000 miles, the timing failed and the engine was in very bad shape. It was pretty apparent that the maintenance schedule had not been followed. That was partly my mistake, I should have done that when I purchased the car two years ago. I'm convinced that it would still be running today if I'd had that checked by a dealer at 100,000 miles.

General Comments:

This car has a large amount of potential. At the time of my engine failure, I decided to go with a performance rebuilt motor. Now with free-flow intake, a 60mm throttle body, A/C eliminator pulley, and big bore exhaust manifold, it's very quick.

I'm considering adding a turbo running between 10 and 20 psi, and am currently installing a new ECM and fuel management with a larger fuel pump and injectors. I feel after the upgrades are installed, I'll be running in the high 13's for 1/4 mile, and 13 flat or faster if I buy my T-3 turbo. Stock the car ran 15.8 with just under 190 horse. Right now it should be around 235, and up close to 250 once my fuel management is in place. Even stock, the SC is a seriously quick car with a top speed of around 125-130. With only slight airflow modifications, it can dominate stock V6's and some V8's.

It handles great stock, and has a perfect transmission for my driving habits (lead-foot).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th July, 2003

16th Jun 2004, 10:51

I have a 1995 Achieva and have had no trouble with the mechanics of the vehicle until now. It currently has 140,000 miles on it and does not leak or even drip a drop of anything except cooling fluid from a blown heater core. The mechanical aspects of this vehicle have been great, however, the electrical system leaves little to be desired. It has been a constant source of trouble and heartache from turn signals and the airbag indicator, to headlights, ignition, and dash. The horn has never worked and dealers never have been able to figure it out. I had to bypass it and put an external button inside wired direct to the battery. For overall performance of the vehicle though, I would agree that it is a great performer.

8th Jan 2005, 10:49

I have a 1993 Achieva and have had problems from the start. I first had to replace the starter and alternator at 89,000 miles. After that, I found out that it didn't have any brakes, so those also needed to be replaced. The car ran really loud, so I put on a new muffler. And just recently, my heater core gave out at 91,000 miles. And the 'check gages' and 'engine service' light are constantly on and the engine is never quiet. All in all, I think after doing these last repairs, that my car will be in good shape for a little while, until something else fails.