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1996 Oldsmobile Achieva

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1996 Achieva.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 1996 Oldsmobile Achieva is a passenger car with a 4.5-quart engine oil capacity requiring 10W-30 API viscosity. This model year stands out as the most problematic in the Achieva's 1992-2000 production run, accumulating 100 total owner complaints—the highest of any year—and six recalls, primarily related to the electrical system. For researchers, the 1996 Achieva represents the reliability nadir of the nameplate, with subsequent years showing a dramatic improvement to as few as three complaints by 2000.

Model year1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type10W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 75 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 75 · 600 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP195-60R16OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6-J inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731175 alt 25325404
Engine air filter	25099735
Fuel filter	25121293 discontinued
Spark plug	19301813 alt 19301805
Front wiper blades	22155381
Serpentine belt	88984195 alt 88986809
Thermostat	24507563 alt 24577288

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	187.8 in
Overall width	67.3 in
Overall height	53.1 in
Wheelbase	103.5 in
Curb weight	2751 lb
Track (front / rear)	55.9 / 55.5 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	64/36

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 10W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Coolant	DEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil	10W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt
Engine Oil	10W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	5 qt
Power Steering Fluid	USE GM PART NO. 1052884 OR EQUIVALENT

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)	7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)	7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)	7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s)	52 ft-lbs
Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s)	103 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	76 Code M ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)	18.5 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)	30.2 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	185 ft-lbs

Ignition

Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	5,000-8,000 ohms
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	5,000-7,000 ohms
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque	13.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	2.00 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	GM part number 12345923 or equivalent.
Oil Capacity	8.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	75
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	600 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	75

Service checks

Pressure Test	15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	185-205 °F
Pressure Test	15, Pressure should not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	185-205 °F
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum	47.0 psi
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	40-47

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	38 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	100 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.003 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.796 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	0.796 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	0.751 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

129 ft. lbs., step 2: 90

129 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

1	33 ft. lbs.	33 ft. lbs
2	90 degrees.	90 degrees

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	Bolts 1-8	40 ft. lbs
2	Bolts 9-10	30 ft.lbs
3	90 degrees.	90 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 100,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 100,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 mi	Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 mi	Door Hinge (lubricate) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Hood Hinge (lubricate) · Hood Latch (lubricate) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate)
Every 15,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect)
Every 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Across the Oldsmobile Achieva’s federal record, complaints climbed steadily from 55 in 1993 to a generation peak of 100 in 1996, while recalls surged from one in 1995 to six in the target year. After 1996, both measures fell noticeably, with complaints dropping to 71 in 1997 and 49 in 1998 and recalls declining to four and then three, confirming 1996 as the crest of the model’s trouble arc. That year also generated the highest volume of reports in the Electrical System, Air Bags, Engine & Engine Cooling, and Service Brakes categories, along with 12 crash complaints and 4 fire complaints, though the data does not specify underlying causes. With 63 TSBs, 1996 remained comparable to adjacent years, yet it combined the generation’s highest owner complaint count and recall activity with zero investigations. Because it sits at the apex of worsening federal visibility before a sustained retreat, 1996 implies elevated exposure to the issues that defined this generation. Taken together, the federal record makes 1996 the weakest year to buy within this run, and prospective owners would be better served by a 1993 or 1998 example.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

100

Owner complaints

12 involved a crash · 4 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’92 ’93 ’94 ’95’96’97 ’98 ’00

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 100 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Electrical System21

Air Bags15

Engine & Engine Cooling12

Service Brakes, Hydraulic11

Suspension8

Seat Belts5

Exterior Lighting4

Vehicle Speed Control4

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 6 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

02V070000Electrical System:Ignition:SwitchReported 06/03/2002

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE FAILS TO START AND THE DRIVER HOLDS THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND SOMETIMES PRODUCES ENOUGH HEAT… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT IN THESE VEHICLES TO PREVENT HIGH CURRENT FROM FLOWING THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 27, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR…

07E021000Fuel System, Other:Storage:Tank Assembly:Pressure Relief DevicesReported 12/03/2007

CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, P/NOS. FP10020-11B1, FP10026-11B1, AND FP10027-11B1, SOLD AFTER JANUARY 9, 2007, AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE UNIVERSAL PRESSURE… Remedy: DELPHI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE UPR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 23, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT DELPHI AT 877-411-8770.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 63 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP4723F	2022-01-14	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIP4723D	2020-01-31	Electrical System	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
19NA273	2019-12-02	Electrical System	This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to…
PIC4696E	2019-11-22	Equipment	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
PIC4696D	2019-09-05	Equipment	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Achieva. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 75 battery Vehicles taking 4.5 qt Engine oil filter 12731175 Engine air filter 25099735 Fuel filter 25121293 Spark plug 19301813

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1996 Achieva take?

4.5 qt of 10W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1996 Achieva have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.