Oldsmobile Alero Complaints (2002)

279 consumer complaints on file.

#10167433September 6, 2006
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
IT WAS A ON SEPT 2 2006, MY 17 YR DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY A HOUR AND HALF A WAY FROM HOME AND NOTICED FAILURE IN HER BRAKES. THEY WHERE NOT WORKING GOOD WHEN SHE GOT CLOSER TO HER DESTINATION SHE LOST ALL BRAKES CONTROL. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FATALITY IF THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY BUT ALL BRAKE FUNCTION WAS LOST AT HER APPROACHING DESTINATION. THE CAUSE WAS A BRAKE LINE PLASTIC CLIP WAS BUSTED WHICH CAUSED THE LINE TO RUB AGAINST THE CRANKSHAFT AND RUBBED A HOLE IN THE LINE CAUSING THE FLUID TO RUN OUT, IT COST 175.00 TO FIX, THAT INCLUDING THE TOWING. I FEEL IF THIS HOSE WAS HELD BY A METAL CLIP THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED, I THINK THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS AFTER COME, NOT TO MENTION THIS WAS MY 17 YEAR OLD CHILD. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10162494July 16, 2006
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
I'M NOT FOR SURE IF YOUR INTERESTED IN THIS TYPE OF COMPLAINT, BUT I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM OLDSMOBILE PERTAINING TO MY 2002 OLDS. ALERO THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH THE TURNING SIGNAL AND/OR HAZARDS. THIS LETTER CAME FROM THEIR RECALL CENTER BUT IT STATED IN THE LETTER IT WASN'T A RECALL. WELL A COUPLE OF MONTHS PREVIOUSLY MY TURNING SIGNAL WOULD STOP WORKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING THEN IT WOULD WORK, STOP WORKING, WORK BUT NEVER FOR TOO LONG OF TIME. SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE FINE FOR WEEKS THEN IT WOULD START UP AGAIN. WELL, AFTER I RECEIVED THIS LETTER I WAS FOR SURE THAT THIS LETTER PROBABLY PERTAINED TO MY PROBLEM AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE OLDS. DEALER IN VINCENNES, IN. WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP, THEY SAID THE TURN SIGNAL NEVER QUIT WORKING, WHICH I REPLIED ITS GOING TO BE A ONE IN A MILLION CHANCE THAT IT WILL DO IT FOR YOU. I WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE MY CAR THERE FOR A MONTH FOR IT TO OCCUR FOR THEM TO CATCH IT, I JUST THOUGHT THIS PROBLEM WAS WHAT THE LETTER WAS REFERRING TO. HE STATED IF HE FIXED EVERYTHING THAT COULD POSSIBLE BE WRONG WITH THE TURN SIGNAL I WOULD HAVE A REPAIR BILL AS LONG AS HIS ARM. MY CONCERN IS I FEEL LIKE I COULD BE IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF THE TURN SIGNAL QUITS WORKING AGAIN OR GETTING A TICKET FOR NOT USING IT WHEN IT ACTUALLY FAILED. I'M KIND OF AT A LOSS OF WHAT I ACTUALLY CAN DO. I KNOW THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE PROBLEM THEY ARE REFERRING TO BECAUSE THEY REALLY DIDN'T EXPLAIN IN THE LETTER IT JUST SAID CONTACT YOUR OLDS DEALER, WHICH THEY WERE OF NO HELP. I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS AWARE OF THE LETTER SENT OUT AND HE SAID KIND OF. ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME WOULD BE APPRECIATED. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10162048July 10, 2006
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
HORN DOES NOT WORK WHEN THE WEATHER IS WARM/HOT. DOES SEEM TO WORK SOMETIMES WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD. THIS HAS CAUSED 3 VERY SERIOUS CLOSE CALLS. THE HORN IS A SAFETY PRECAUTION AND WITHOUT IT MY SELF AND MY FAMILY ARE IN SERIOUS DANGER OF AN ACCIDENT. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10161465July 5, 2006
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
THE SECURITY WARNING LIGHT WAS COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY AND WOULD STAY ON FOR 1-4 MINUTES THEN GO OFF. THIS STARTED IN MARCH 2006. THEN ONE DAY THE CAR WOULD NOT START. CALLED AAA - MECHANIC FIXED BY LEAVING KEY TURNED ON FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES - THEN CAR STARTED. THIS "PROBLEM" OF NOT STARTING STARTED OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY AND SO HAD A MECHANIC CHECK INTO IT. HE IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME, ONCE I PRESENTED THE PROBLEM THE CAR WAS HAVING, THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH IN THESE CARS WERE NOTORIOUS FOR GOING BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SO, I HAD IT REPLACED. NOW, IT'S JULY 2006 AND THE SECURITY WARNING LIGHT IS COMING ON AGAIN. SO - NOW WHAT?! *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10157545May 15, 2006
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
I HAVE A 2002 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CARS SECURITY DEVICE IS FAULTY CAUSING THE CAR TO NOT START AND SOMETIMES CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING EVEN AT OVER 40 MILES PER HOUR. I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS OVER THE INTERNET, IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH GM CARS AROUND THIS YEAR. BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THAT COMMON MECHANICS ARE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR YOU ARE FORCED TO GO TO THE COSTLY DEALERSHIP AND IN A LOT OF CASES THEY TO ARE NOT ABLE TO FIX IT. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10153728March 26, 2006
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:FLASHER UNIT
TURN SIGNAL MALFUNCTION INVOLVING FLICKERING OF TURN SIGNAL AT RANDOM. I WILL BE DRIVING AND HEAR THE FLASHER GO OFF ERRATICALLY. NO CONSEQUENCES EXCEPT A LOT OF ANNOYANCE FROM THE SOUND AND HAVING TO REPLACE THE FLASHER MYSELF. WILL SAVE OLD PART. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10152757March 15, 2006
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS:SWITCH
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WARNING LIGHTS FAILED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V327000, REGARDING THE HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHT SWITCH. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHT SWITCH.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10152508March 12, 2006
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:FLASHER UNIT, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS:SWITCH
2002 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. AT 57,000 MILES TURN SIGNALS ARE OCCASIONALLY INOPERATIVE. FUSES WERE CHANGED AND THEY STILL FAIL ON OCCASION. IDENTICAL PROBLEMS RESULTED IN THE RECALLS OF THE 2000 AND 2001 OLDS ALEROS. UPON REVIEWING INTERNET WEB SITES I DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHER ALERO OWNERS WHOM ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. A TEMPORARY SOLUTION UNTIL THE HAZARD SWITCH CAN BE REPLACED IS TO SLAP THE DASHBOARD NEAR THE HAZARD SWITCH TO MAKE IT OPERABLE. THE INABILITY TO ALERT OTHER DRIVERS OF THE INTENT TO CHANGE LANES, OR MAKE TURNS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10152245March 8, 2006
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS:SWITCH
TURN SIGNALS DIDN'T ALWAYS WORK. I WOULD HAVE TO HIT THE HAZARD SWITCH AND THEN THE SIGNALS WOULD WORK. TOOK TO DEALER AND HAD TO HAVE A NEW HAZARD SWITCH INSTALLED. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10152990March 2, 2006
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS, VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:INTERIOR, TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS, EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
2002 ALERO WINDOW REGULATOR IS BRITTLE AND DISINTEGRATING CAUSING WINDOW TO FALL DOWN. *TS THE CD PLAYER WAS INOPERATIVE, THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WAS LOOSE AND THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR MESSAGE CAME ON. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10150047February 12, 2006
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TIMING CHAIN BROKE ON 2002 OLDSMOBILE ALERO WITH 65,000 MILES IN FEB. 2006. EXPERIENCED A TICKING NOISE DAY BEFORE AND WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 55 MPH WHEN CHAIN BROKE AND LOST POWER. AUTO REPAIR SERVICE INDICATED IT WILL COST AT LEAST $1500 TO REPLACE CHAIN AND ADDITIONAL PARTS. ALSO INDICATED OIL PAN WOULD HAVE TO BE REMOVED AS FRAGMENTS WERE DETECTED INSIDE. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10149852February 9, 2006
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AT 15MPH, A GRINDING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES. THE NOISE WAS COMPARED TO METAL ON METAL SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE ROTORS AND PADS WERE WORN AND NEEDED REPLACED. THE ROTORS AND PADS WERE REPLACED SEVEN TIMES PREVIOUSLY FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. ON AVERAGE, THE BRAKES AND PADS WERE REPLACED EVERY 20,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THE REASON THE ROTORS AND PADS WERE BEING REPLACED SO OFTEN WAS, ASBESTOS WAS NO LONGER USED IN THE MATERIALS WHEN MANUFACTURING THE PARTS. THIS WOULD LEAD TO REPLACEMENT OF THE PARTS MORE OFTEN WHICH WOULD BE CONSIDERED NORMAL BASIC MAINTENANCE OF THE VEHICLE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10148138January 19, 2006
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS:SWITCH
DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED THE HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V327000, REGARDING THE HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS SWITCH. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN THE RECALL, HOWEVER THE CONSUMERS MODEL YEAR WAS NOT INCLUDED. *JB UPDATED 02/21/06. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10147845January 16, 2006
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
BRAKE COMPLAINT: FRONT AND REAR BRAKE PROBLEMS CONTINUE INCLUDING ABNORMAL ACCELERATED WEAR, BRAKE NOISES AND ROTOR CORROSION. FRONT AND REAR ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE, TURNED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND THE FRONT AND REAR PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES IN LESS THAN 32,000 MILES. IN TOTAL, MORE THAN $1,000 HAS BEEN SPENT IN OUT OF POCKET REPAIRS PLUS WARRANTY WORK TO DATE. IT IS NOW NECESSARY TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED EVERY 3,000-5,000 TO INSURE THAT BRAKE OPERATION IS SAFE AND THAT THE FRONT AND REAR PADS AND ROTORS ARE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. CORROSION OF THE ROTORS REMAINS A PROBLEM AND ACCELERATES THE WEAR OF THE PADS. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10145257December 15, 2005
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS FLICKER BUT FAIL TO COME ON IN BACK OF VEHICLE, OR THEY JUST DON'T WORK AT ALL. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. I MAY START OUT DRIVING AND THEY ARE FINE, THEN THEY COMPLETELY STOP WORKING, AND BY THE END OF THE TRIP THEY WORK AGAIN. SOMETIMES THEY WORK THE WHOLE TRIP, SOMETIMES NONE AT ALL. THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON TO IT. I REPLACED THE FUSE FOR THE SIGNAL LIGHTS AND THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10144636December 7, 2005
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
BLINKERS FAIL ESPECIALLY DURING HUMID WEATHER. IT BEGAN DURING THE SUMMER. BLINKERS SOMETIMES WORK, BUT THEN WILL FAIL. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED YET. THERE IS A RECALL OUT FOR THE 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO, BUT NOT FOR THE 2002 EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10143431November 22, 2005
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
THERE ARE SEVERAL DEFECTS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST STARTED IN 2004. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK, WILL NOT SHUT OFF, OR START AGAIN WHILE IN THE OFF POSITION AND STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THIS CREATES A HAZARD WHILE DRIVING, ESPECIALLY AT HIGH SPEEDS ON THE HIGHWAY - STARTLES YOU, THEN BLOCKS VISION. NEXT, THE SECURITY FEATURE IS MALFUNCTIONING. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START, SECURITY LIGHT FLASHES AND PROBLEM IS FIXED WITH LEAVING THE CAR IN THE ON POSITION FOR 10 TO 20 MINUTES (RESETS THE SECURITY). THIS DRAINS THE BATTERY AND IS A MAJOR INCONVENIENCE. ALSO, THE TURN SIGNALS HAVE NOW BEGUN TO WORK ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. THIS IS DANGEROUS OBVIOUSLY. THE WINDOW CONTROLS SOMETIMES DON'T WORK, THE SIDE-MIRROR CONTROLS ALSO DO NOT WORK SOMETIMES. THE HEAT/AC CONTROLS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY - MOST OF THE POSITIONS DO NOT BLOW. YOU CAN HEAR THE MUFFLED SOUND OF THE AIR WHEN ON HIGH, BUT AIR DOES NOT COME OUT OF THE VENTS. THESE ARE THE COMBINATION SETTINGS, THE INDIVIDUAL SETTINGS WORK, SO IT CANNOT BE CLOGGED VENTS. LASTLY, THE REAR DEFROST RECENTLY STOPPED WORKING AND, WHEN TURNED ON, EMITS A BURNING SMELL. THIS CAR IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN AND DRIVEN DAILY OUT OF NECESSITY. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10143266November 19, 2005
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH
MULTIPLE INTERMITTENT TURN-SIGNAL MALFUNCTIONS IN 2002 OLDSMOBILE ALERO SINCE PURCHASE IN 2003. MALFUNCTION CAN SOMETIMES BE CONTROLLED BY LIGHTLY PUSHING IN ON HAZARD WARNING SWITCH LOCATED ON DASH. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10142382November 10, 2005
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
THE TURN SIGNAL IS FLASHING IN AND OUT OF USE. SOMETIMES IT WORKS WHEN YOU TURN THE SIGNAL ON, AND OTHER TIMES IT DOES NOT WORK. SOMETIMES IT STOPS WORKING AFTER IT HAS STARTED WORKING, AND IT GOES OUT BEFORE THE TURN IS COMPLETED. THERE HAS BEEN NO CRASH YET, BUT I DO NOT FEEL SAFE WHEN MAKING A TURN AND THE SIGNAL STOPS WORKING. I HAVE NOT HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED AT THIS TIME, BECAUSE I THOUGHT A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED AND I WAS WAITING ON THE LETTER FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10141238October 30, 2005
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS:SWITCH
FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE TURN SIGNALS STOPPED WORKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE PROBLEM TURNED OUT TO BE A DEFECTIVE HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH. GM HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM ON 2000 AND 2001 MODELS, BUT THE DEALER REFUSED TO COVER THE SAME PROBLEM ON MY 2002. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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