Oldsmobile Alero

oldsman01

The new Grand Prix looks like a very interesting car. I hope they don't stray too much from the G-force concept when it goes to production. I've got a 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue that has had a few problems, but the biggest has been the terrible service I've received from the dealer. They actually created a problem while the car was in for repair. Lucky for me there are other dealers in the area, too bad for them because they will never see any more business from me.

evandro, I do sometimes wonder if some Olds workers may be getting sloppy, although I don't think GM has planned any layoffs or plant closures due to the parting of Olds so it's not like they are going to be out of a job in a year or so. However, if they are caught slacking on the job they should be out of a job IMO.

dindak

evandro : The Alero/Malibu/GA plant won the JD Power award this year for the best initial quality in it's class for North America. They are getting better and my car has been flawless after 3 months.

jpelder : Good to hear your Alero is still running well. I will be going for my first oil change in the next few weeks which will be completely free from the dealer. Hopefully they will have the right filter.

heng : Love the BF Goodies. Quiet and smooth. Have not tried them on the snow yet though.

jpelder

I have not driven the Alero much, as it is my wife's car. Likewise, she does not drive it much either, as we had 3320 miles when I changed the oil on Saturday.

However, on the few occasions I have driven it in the last few weeks, the temp. gauge has stayed consistently below the halfway point.

By they way, noticed just a few tiny cuttings in my changed oil, and one large one (size of a small pea) on the bottom of the oil filter chamber. Make sure to ask the oil change guy to watch for cuttings when he removes the oil filter. The filter should stop it, but it looks like it could be easily be knocked into the crank case during a filter change.

kelver777

Bought my new Alero, fully loaded, 2 door. Got one hell of a deal, full value on my trade, 500.00 below dealer cost, 0% interest for 5 years, 5 year/60,000 mile warranty.

Will keep you posted on how it goes.

dindak

We only have about 4000 kms (2700 miles) on ours as it mostly drives 10km each way to the office. I have not seen the temperature gauge go high again so perhaps I was standing behind a hot vehicle or something when it happened, who knows.

Still love the Alero, I drive it to work now and my wife has the Intrigue as she drives less because she takes the train to work.

Thanx for the oil change info!

dindak

Congrats on the Alero! We also got a great deal ($2000 Olds credit, $1300 GM credits and 0.9% for 5 years). Hard to beat the value in the Alero.

Let us know how it goes!

heng

then they started with the tire noise and steering wheel vibration at around 30K miles.

No change when I rotated the tires and experimented with tire pressure.

Tread looks good, even wear, no cupping or feathering. Just the D*** noise and vibration.

So beware!

rdeschene

". . . which had the bad habit of aquaplaning over the smallest poodle. . . ."

OK, that ranks right up there as my all-time favorite typo. (Either that, or you're serious. In which case, poor puppy dog.) But I'm thinking you meant "puddle."

Thanks for the laugh!

vcjumper

Well if you have to aquaplane over one, hope it was one of those overly yappy toy ones.

dindak

Same thing.

Seriously though, our previous Grand Prix had BF Goodies also and they were great. Heng, I think you just got a bum set.

heng

But since it was more than just one tire and maybe all four, statistically that means the problem wasn't random. That tells me if I bought more BFG touring TAs there is a good chance I'll get more bum tires. This also is consistent with my experience that OEM tires are usually just rim protectors.

Besides, there are better handling tires available for less $ (comparing online pricing). The Dunlop SP sport A2s I replaced the BFGs with have a crisper steering response even with new tire tread depth vs the worn tire tread depth of the BFGs. Also lateral grip is slightly better.

So there were reasons not to buy the BFGs again and reasons to buy a newer (better) tire design.

heng

Someone with a 2000 was looking for the TSB # for the brake rotor problem. They were getting the run around from the dealer. I know its buried somewhere in the prior 1500 postings, so if you could repost it here it will be easier to find.

rdeschene

http://members.aol.com/carleyware/library/procut3b.htm

http://www.babcox.com/editorial/tr/tr80152.htm

TSB 00-05-23-002 (Feb 2000)

evandro

I'm glad to hear about your Alero being in good shape. Mine was a very rewarding car while I had it. Just hope Olds keeps up the good job and goes to the great Detroit in the sky... :^)

About poodles, I like them, except when they make a puddle of their own... :^D

dindak

heng : Could have been a bad batch of tires. Great thing about BFGs is they sell them at the local Costco and the prices are heard to beat. They also sell Michelins, but BFGs are made by Michelin anyway.

evandro : Loss of Olds is a sad thing. Intrigue and Alero are some of the best cars GM makes. Oh well.. such is life.

dindak

Drove 600 highway kms on a tank of fuel yesterday and calculated mileage at 33 MPG, 1 better than the advertised mileage for the 2.2L Ecotec with automatic.

Very impressive!

rdeschene

Well, I just replaced the blower motor resistor and now it's working "tickety-poo". It took me a while to realize that the blower was not running on speeds 1 and 2 as, at highway speeds, there's plenty of air being forced through the vents even when the fan isn't running.

It was noticeable at city speeds though, and the condensor was freezing up and leaving little puddles in the passenger side footwell. Makes sense, once you put it all together.

The part was $26.80 Canadian (I hear it's US$27 also) and wasn't too hard to get at: so long as you can get your head and hands in the passenger side footwell; it's right below the glove compartment. You will need a universal-joint for your socket set to get the screw that's right up against the firewall though.

Still it's a heck of a lot easier to get at than the blower on my '83 Stanza, where I had to remove half the dash every six months or so -- there aren't too many aspects in which that wasn't a horrible car.

Rick D.

rdeschene

I assume that's in U.S. gallons and that's really very good. If your ecotech turns out like our 3.4L V-6, though, it's just going to get better.

I have calculated our mileage (no trip computer) on highway trips to Chicago or North Bay,ON and we get 32-34 mpg U.S.. With/without air conditioning, with/without 15% Ethanol gas, it doesn't seem to matter much.

Good luck and enjoy.

Rick D.
Brockville, Canada

dindak

Actually it worked out to be a bit more than 33 MPG. I had the air on for part of the trip to Kingston, and then it was off for the trip home as it cooled off nicely Monday after the rain which I'm sure you got also.

I don't care if it get's better, I'm happy to get the "as advertised" mileage.

mjpslc

I'm about to get rid of my 2001 Alero GLS Coupe. This past January I bought a pair of all-weather custom floor mats for my Alero from General Motors Parts Direct (part #12495331). They're in great condition and haven't even been in the car for a whole winter season. They perfectly match the Neutral color interior and are very heavy duty. You can see the GM pic here (they say Alero on them like the Bravada ones pictured):

http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/accessories/vehicles/parts/cvfm-sp.htm

Anybody interested in buying them for $40.00?

dnbgm4me

Wait a few years. My 99 Alero has 81,000 miles on it. I bought it in Oct. of 1998. Within the past two weeks the driver side window broke(electric), the rear view mirror fell off, the shift knob actuator broke off, the rear window defogger has stopped working, the #1 & 2 fan speeds have stopped working. (To RDeschene - thanks for the fix for this problem. What year is your car?), the gas gauge still fluctuates when the gas tank is full, and the gas gauge is not "calibrated" correctly. I do not have any of the leaking problems the other owners have had. I will be fixing this car up and then sell it. I'll buy a Honda Accord or a Toyota Camry/Solara instead.
American manufacturers will NEVER learn from their mistakes. The only plus is that it's still "peppy" and handles/steers really well.
I think the drivetrain will last a long time. It's all the numerous small problems that is killing me.

dindak

My mom has a 99 and it's be fine (still is) much to my surprise as it's a first year car. You always take your chances when you buy a new model. That said, I sympathize with you as it really ruins a new car experience.

As for Toyota, they have their sludge problems and Honda has had lots of initial quality problems on new models also.

My advice to anyone (for what it's worth) is to buy a car that's been on the market 2-3 years so all the kinks are worked out. I have never had a bad car following this general rule. Not one issue with our 02 Alero yet.

rdeschene

Ours is a 2000 four-door GLS.

evandro

I sympathize with your car woes, but don't snap into a brand or model just for its reputation. That's probably as bad a mistake as blaming all cars from a country based on one car 1^st year-model...

Reputation is usually 3 to 5 years out of phase with reality and over-estimated. Besides, neither Toyota or Honda are automatically bullet-proof nor are all American cars junk, one can find both extremes in these two cases.

Keep your options open and do your homework.

Best of luck.

rkw2

I think the Big 3 Am manufacturers (GM, Ford, and Chrysler) still continue to follow planned obsolesence in the cars they build. Hence teh little problems that continue to habitually plague their cars. The imports generally build a better quality and longer lasting vehicle with higher resale values. There will be some exceptions to this and some individual experiences may not concur, but this is my 2 cents.

evandro

Don't fool yourself about all the auto industry in the world relying on it!

About imports' quality, just check the quality reports by JD Powers, for example: the Big 3 are among the top 6 or 7, with GM in 3rd.

About value, it depends more on other factors than quality.

oldsman01

I always get a kick out of these posts where someone has problems with an American branded car and they say "Toyota or Honda" for me next time. How boring!! I'm not suggesting another Olds if your disappointed with yours(and they are going toi quit making them soon) but the automotive world is alot more round than Honda or Toyota. You might want to hang on to that Alero another year or so and check out some of the new products that yes, GM is getting ready to roll out. Their new midsize sedans(one of which would have been the Alero had Olds not gotten the ax) look very impressive. As does the 2004 Grand Prix. Then there is the new Mazda 6 which is a sharp looking sedan and the Nissan Altima which is a pretty hot sedan if you get the V6(can be had with a stick too) and can get past the boy racer taillights. I'm not defending your troublesome car, just trying to get you to think outside the Honda/Toyota box. BTW, if you can swing $26K the 03 Saab 9-3 is a very good looking sedan. Never thought I'd say a Saab was good looking.

regfootball

yes the 9-3 is hot.

the 2004 Grand Prix, well, is not.

dindak

Well said. The Honda/Toyota is the best has gotten out of control. Fact is both makers have had problems, Honda with initial quality and Toyota with their engine sludge problems. GM's quality was indeed poor at times in past but my last three cars have all come from GM and have all been nearly flawless. Always an exception to every rule but the hard numbers show GM and other domestic makers closing the gap smaller every year. It's at the point where to a value conscious consumer who does more research than pick up Consumer Reports will see that the best values are typically American brands these days.

nc_1

I have had numerous problems with my '99 Alero (V6 Sedan)since the end of the factory warranty at 36,000 miles. Thank goodness I purchased an extended warranty! The power steering hose and intake problems were covered by the extended warranty. Within the past week, the anti-lock brake system indicator has been lighting up when I accelerate from the stop position. I took the car in to my mechanic today - the ABS sensor needs to be replaced. The extended warranty will not cover the part and labor due to the fact that the sensor has corroded due to rust. My question is: Should I try to challenge the extended warranty? There is absolutely no way that I could know that the sensor was rusting (according to my mechanic) - the provision in the extended warranty was probably meant to apply to the body of the car, not the sensors. My mechanic does not want to challenge this until he is sure that the replacement will fix the problem. Any advice would be greatly appreciated - the total cost of the repair is $321.00.

jk296

Coincidence that the message before this has something to do with extended warranty. I've been contemplating whether or not I should purchase an extended warranty for MY "99 Alero V6 sedan" as my warranty will expire at the end of this month. I've been leaning towards the purchasing side of it, and now after reading nc_1's comments I think this just confirms my decision.
I am shopping around before I purchase my extended warranty and as I've mentioned before I won't be getting this warranty from the GM dealership as from what some of you have told me already, $2300 cdn for 3 years is too expensive.
I did find a place called 1SourceAutoWarranty on the net and was wondering if anyone has any experince or input in dealing with this company. So far this place looks promising to me. They charge $849 US (for me ~1400 Cdn) for 5 years or 60000 expiration miles (must pay $100 US deductable though each time car is brought in, or in the case of Zero, deductalble then it will be $1000US). They seem to cover a lot of things to like the dealer would. If anyone had any information on this company that would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.

bjoynes

Have not been on the board here since I bought my Alero last June...This is the first problem I seem to have run into...It has been raining and I now have wet carpet (not alot but enought to make me notice) on the back seat passenger side floor and a little under the front passenger seat...Has anyone else experienced this problem and what was the source and fix for it???

Thanks!

dindak

Have you had a lot of problems with the car?

I would not base the purchase of an extended warranty on the experience of someone else. Personally I would not buy on unless the car was giving me somewhat regular problems.

jk296

Hi dindak,

I've only owned the car since the end of June and the only problem that I have had so far was with the hazard button disappearing into the car, and before I bought the car from my brother, he told me that he had to get the air conditioning fixed once. So far my Alero is holding up nicely and there hasn't been many problems with it in the past. It's only 3 years old and has 53000 km on it. I'm worried that something may happen in the future though, so that is why I'm looking into getting an extended warranty. If this was your situation would you bother with purchasing an extended warranty? I think in the end (after the 5 year warranty expires), the warranty will probably have paid for itself. Is it possible not to have to bring a car in for some kind of major repair in the next 5 years?? If so then I may have to rethink my decision.

dindak

I wouldn't. If the car isn't giving you much trouble I would take my chances. You would need to have some major problems with the car to get your $1500 back. Extended warranties aren't really warranties from what I understand, they are more like insurance policies. They know the average person will not need $1500 in repairs.

rdeschene

I've seen a number of posts here on the forum from folks who had problems with rain seeping into their Aleros. As I recall, this had to do with a problem with the front door water deflector. I'll do a search and see if I can find a TSB about it.

rdeschene

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/43/994346GN.html

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jc/99-01alero_a.htm

nc_1

I purchased my extended warranty with the car (not through GM, they did not offer the extended that they do now) for $1000US. Mine has paid for itself already through repairs around the 39,000 mile mark; however, what you may want to do as soon is possible is take the car in for a check-up, while you are still under the standard warranty. My problems (other than the ABS issue, which is still unresolved, and a bad fuel pump at 3,000 miles) were found during a routine check in conjunction with an oil change, and would have cost me around $1300US without the warranty. And I still have almost 2 years and 17,500 miles to go!
Good luck!

bjoynes

Thanks for the info...I will at least have something to ask the dealer about now...I truly appreciate the help...Hopefully the problem can be resolved...I willl keep everyone posted...

mlm4

More on potential sources for the water leaks (either from the door or the air intake at the base of the windshield):

http://service.gm.com/techlink/html_en/pdf/200108-en.pdf#dst10

(Note on this one there was a later correction to the photo caption for the panels: the old style is on the bottom and new on top.)

http://service.gm.com/techlink/html_en/pdf/200110-en.pdf#dst11

alero2000

Hi,

The GM warranty center is not willing to replace my rotors though I mention about the TSB and this board.

Could someone give the names/phone numbers of some dealers who did replace the rotors?

Does the TSB explicitly admit that the part was defective and that the rotors need to be replaced?

Thanks!

dnbgm4me

O.K., O.K, Honda/Toyota are not the end all.
I sold my 92' Buick Skylark to my nephew and it still runs great with 230,000+ miles on it.!! It had 195,000 miles when I sold it. I worked in TJ (Tijuana, Mexico) and live in Escondido, CA..
A 120 mile round trip. Long story.. No engine trani problems at all. Only minor thing is that the electric window(driver's side again) doesn't work.
I'll never know why GM stopped making that 3.3 L V-6 engine. It rips!

Happy now? I am going to see if the original dealership will honor Calif. "secret" warranty law. Basically, repair it because of their goodwill/good name.. If not, I'm stuck with paying for it.

TWO: Re: BF Goodrich tires - I've had two sets of Goodyear Eagles GT's with no problems/noise. They're great tires.

If I had the cash, I'd buy a Porsche Boxster or a Viper... Definetly the Viper.

I'm a little naive, what does BTW mean?

"Talk" to you all later,
Tony K.

pat

auburnhills

I saw this on page http://www.edmunds.com/new/2002/oldsmobile/alero/gl14drsedan22l4cyl4a/standard.html?id=lin0014. With stadard features, 2002 Alero GL1 has a FULL size spare tire. Is it true? Thanks in advance.

crozzi

Has anyone had a problem with their '00 Alero making an awful grinding noise when going under 20MPH ? It sounds similar to that of brakes digging into rotors. I know it's not my brakes because I just had them replaced.

I have an appointment to take it to the mechanic this week, but just curious to know if anyone has had a similar experience.

I'm hoping it's nothing major. I already have 52K miles on this thing.

mlm4

Before my ex-girlfriend took off, her 2001 Alero was also making a similar grinding noise at low speed. At the time the car only had about 8K miles. It sounded like sand in the wheel bearings, but it could have been the brakes dragging. But, she and the car are gone now, so I don't know what it was...

talerico

I'm sorry to say that after some serious consideration I have traded my Alero in for a new Nissan Altima. Don't get me wrong, the Altima is a nice car but I loved my Alero. After the problems I had (rotors replaced twice within 12,000 and 15,000 miles, tierod and struts replaced at 25,000 miles) I was doing some heavy thinking. And then when the grinding noises started (as mentioned in the two previous posts) I was near my limit. I took the car in for service and you can imagine my frustration when they said they couldn't hear it. The second I got in my car and drove away I heard it. Since they were closing for the day they told me to bring the car back on Saturday. I did that and was told that they only do oil changes on Saturdays. I had had enough. I was worried that the car would eventually turn into a moneypit so I started looking around for a new vehicle. I got a good deal on the 2002 Altima and I really like this car. I was heartbroken when I let the Alero go but I really didn't want to finish the loan on the Alero and then have to buy another car later when the Alero fell apart (another 5 year loan). I hope you all have good luck with your Alero's. It makes me smile when I see them on the road (running that is!).

cpwingnut

Funny you should mention it, but my 02 Alero seems to do it too. It has done it a few times since I bought it in Feb. But it seems to only do it when its wet and even then only once in a while? I asumed it had something to do with the anti lock system because I have driven several other cars that have had similar problems when the abs gets wet. I won't take it in for service until it does it again. keep the page updated if any of you get any info about it though. Thanks

dindak

Bummer. Hope you have better luck with your Altima. My friend likes his but it's had a few first year issues. What year was your Alero? Did you manage to get an ok price for it?

So far the only issue I have with my 02 is some condensation in one of the headlights after a car wash. Anyone else had this? Perhaps there is a crack in it somewhere. I will have them look at it when I have my first oil change.

cpwingnut

I have the same condensation problem with my drivers side headlight. It was like that when I picked it up and has refogged after some washes. The sales agent said it would dissipate on its own. But it should be a sealed unit. I mentioned it the last time I had it in for service and the service advisor said that the guy who fixes them wasn't in that day so I'll get it fixed next time. I guess they find the leak, charge it with some kind of gas and then reseal it? I'll find out in another month or so.