Oldsmobile Alero

oldsman01

The perfect Olds for me would have been the OSV Intrigue(supercharged 3.5 liter DOHC V6) with a 5(or 6) speed manual. On a more realistic note, had my Intrigue not had the problems it has had(and worse yet the service department experiences I've had) it would have indeed been the perfect Oldsmobile. Heck, probably pretty close to as perfect one could get with a car in it's price range.

ijennings1

Hi Oldsman,

That interesting reading about your problems. When I came over here, the Intrigue 3.5 DOHC was my first choice as it had a really good write up for performance and handling etc. But I could not find one in the exact specification. I could not believe it when GM stopped this model. How do you think the Intrigue compares with the imports? I personally feel GM needs to kick the [non-permissible content removed] out of its marketing people. It's one thing to have a great product, but another to know how to market it.

Ian

ijennings1

Hi VC,

No it would not be a sedan at 2250lbs, that why I said it would be a 2 door coupe!! 2250lbs with today's technology would be easily obtainable, even for a smallish sedan. Power to weight saving is I feel, the biggest way as nations, we can save fuel. Look at the huge GVW of picks-ups and SUV's. No wonder their performance is poor compared to the engine power they dish out.
Ian

dindak

When we bought our Intrigue, we tested a V6 Accord, GP and Maxima. Intrigue compared well with the imports and still does though it's now a generation behind. We love the car and took our Olds credit and got an Alero as a second car also.

It's a shame Oldsmobile died because so far there isn't much at GM that I car for in terms of cars. That said, I like the new 04 GP and there are some decent cars coming in a year or two.

coalcracker

I have a 2000 Alero, V-6, 3.4 engine, 4 door, with 20,000 miles. My MPG has been roughly 17 MPG city and 29 MPG highway since the day I bought the car. No changes have occurred since the first day. "Break-in" had no effect. I also have no problems with the car. I still like it.

mikey00

I know this is a common problem with a resistor failing from reading old posts. Can anyone tell me how to change it?
Thanks,
Mike

burdawg

If it's a later model:
The board is located in the blower plenum near the blower itself. To get to it I removed the upper trim panel in the passengers footwell. If I remember right, the manual said to remove the glovebox for access, but I don't think I did. Look for an electrical connector way back near the firewall on the bottom of the plenum. Remove the connector. The board is held in by two small hex head screws, with one being buried in a small indentation in the firewall (hard to get to). I used a small ignition wrench to remove/reinstall the one near the firewall. A 1/4" ratchet worked fine for the other.
For earlier models, I don't have first hand knowledge but I believe it is essentially the same.

mikey00

Thanks, Burdawg. I was able to get it out to take a look at it. I was lucky that one of my 1/4'' socket drives had a very small head and was able to handle both of the 7/32" screws. I wonder how many dealers put the rear screw back in when doing this repair.
I searched online for the part and found it for $17 but the shipping was $7.50. I understand it is only $25 list at the local dealer so I guess I will pick one up Monday. I may call GM first to see if there is any kind of goodwill repair on this due to the high failure rate.
Mike

coonhound

Mine failed under warranty, and then about 10,000 miles later out of warranty by time only. Dealer replaced it again under warranty. Reportedly the new board had a different resistor so maybe an improvement.

It is definitely a problem area that should be covered.

burdawg

There's really not any discrete resistors on these boards. They have resistive strip lines to reduce the current to the blower motor, making it run slower. The lower the blower setting the higher the resistance in the stripline being used. Most of the time setting 1 or 2 is being used, unfortunately in this setting the board is dissapating more power and getting hotter, hence the higher failure in these settings. Putting it in the blower plenum of course helps since it will be cooled by the air flowing over it. In the highest setting, 5, the board isn't dissapating any power since in this position the blower is connected directly to the battery by a relay.

mikey00

I called 2 different dealers today to find out if GM has any kind of goodwill replacement on the board due to its high failure rate. Both agreed that they do change a lot of them but GM has nothing in place to take care of this after warranty. At least one of them was nice enough to sell me the board for $17 even though list was $27. I just changed it tonight and I now have speeds 1 & 2 again.

mikey00

I went to alldata.com today to check TSB's on my 2000 Alero and found some interesting ones.
"Suspension - Chassis Lubrication Importance" I found this one interesting because I see no mention of chassis lubrication anywhere in the owners manual.
"Brake Pedal - Clunk/Rattle Noise" I do have a faint clunk in my brake pedal. It's not from the brakes but comes from the pedal/firewall area.
"Front Suspension - Rattle Noise Diagnosis"
"Suspension - Front/Rear Squaking Noise" I do have a rattle type of noise on the front drivers side. It sounds like it's the strut and I figured the only solution was to replace it. I guess I am going to have to spend $25 so I can read more than the titles of these TSBs.
Anyone have any of thes symptons repaired recently and have any idea of the cause.
Thanks,
Mike

andrej1

Last week I had 1300 km trip. And I have got 36 mpg with average speed 65 mph without air conditioner. I have Alero with L4 engine.
Never had been before!I think the reason is oil level(before I had always full at dipstick and now I'm keeping no more than half, I'm using Shell 5w30 oil.

pat

Go see the Town Hall's good friend 0patience in this discussion: Technical Service Bulletins. He'll get you the text of those.

: )

oldsman01

I don't know about not keeping the oil level at full, I like to know my engine is well lubricated.

coalcracker

Ditto. I would not drive with a low oil level. If you are getting good MPG, I am sure its not from a low oil level. Eventually that practice will give you some serious problems. That is good MPG for even the four cylinder. I read all these inputs here how some get good MPG with their 6 cylinder but as I said previously mine has not changed for the better from day one.

mikey00

If anyone is interseted in viewing the full TSB's I mentioned in post 2096, they can be viewed at the link in post 2098. Thanks for the link Pat and thanks to alcan for posting them.
Mike

gregor1022

would be one that I don't own!

My wife and I bought a '99 Alero in Jan. 2001 with 32,000 miles on it. For the first 12 months it was great. Then it went all to hell. Here are just some of the major things that needed to be repaired, replaced, etc. in the past 6 months:

- Head gasket(!)
- Fan Speed Resistor
- Fan Modulator(? - can't remember the name of the part - controls which vents the air blows out of)
- Front Tie Rods
- Rear Power Window Motor
- Front Brake Pads/Rotors (even though we got the dealership to replace these before we bought the car, they had to be replaced again 20,000 miles later)

We paid about $2,000 for all the repairs. All this on a car with 54,000 miles on it. Not to mention the dealership (Harris Bros. Olds in Quakertown, PA) was rude and arrogant.

We didn't repair the tie rods...we drove to our local Hyundai dealer (barely made it) and bought a brand new 2003 Elantra GT Sedan (LOADED with more options than the Alero and a 5 year bumper-to-bumper warranty for the same price we paid for a used Alero.

We want to buy American, but as long as they're still pieces of junk, we won't do it. We won't be looking GM's way for a car for many years!

mikey00

Wow! Sorry to hear about your problems. It sounds like you have a lemon. I guess it can happen with all makes and models. I bought my 2000 Alero new in 2000 and now have 42K on it. Overall, it has been a very good car. So good, in fact, that I decided to keep it a couple of years longer than I planned so I can give to my son as a first car when he is old enough to drive.
I did have what I consider a normal amount of problems. Rotors were replaced at 13K under warranty. Front pads were replaced and rotors turned down at my cost at 30K. Blower motor resistor board just went (only cost$17). Plus a few minor squeaks and rattles. So far problems have been fewer than with my 2001 Lexus RX300 which I purchased new in 2001 and now have 45K on it. I am often amazed when I compare the features available in the Alero to the Lexus. Not to mention it is about half the cost and much less for service.
Good luck with your new Elantra. Consumer Reports predicted reliability isn't great, but it is one notch above the Alero.

dindak

Your car was a first year car and more importantly used. The Alero is generally a decent car, you had a used lemon.

As for Hyundias, they finish near the bottom of the heap in terms of initial quality and long term reliability. If you bought new, at least you have a warranty though.

dindak

So far after almost a year and a half in our 02 only 2 minor issues

1) Paint smudging on 3 radio buttons.
2) Outside mirror control broken

Otherwise oil changes and gas.

oldsman01

Hate to hear about all your problems, but I wouldn't bash American cars until you've had that Hyundai a few years. They don't have the most sterling record either. But hey, at least you didn't follow the herd and buy a Honda or Toyota:)

coalcracker

I have a 2000 Alero new and so far after 20,000 miles, no problems. I looked at many American and foreign cars to replace my 94 buick Regal and was not turned on with any of them. Then a miracle happened and I ended up with a new 2003 Hyundai XG350L for my second car. This model is their flagship model and it looks like it wants to compete with the Lexus. What a great car! I have over 2,000 miles on it and I am ecstatic with it. It is loaded, luxurious, higher end car features, and looks super. I also picked up the extra 5 year bumper-to-bumper warranty for a measly $1,000. Now I have a 10 year bumper-to-bumper warranty on the car. I feel pretty comfortable that if there are problems it will be covered. But looking at the quality of manufacture on this car, it looks superb. I would be willing to bet that I will not have many problems. Hyundai has the best warranty on the market. Their approach is going to change the warranties of other car companies for the better. The longer warranty almost guarantees better quality. Moral: Look at a Hyundai along with looking at other cars. You will be glad you did.

dindak

Ya, that Hyundia warranty has lots of exclusions and holes in it though. Certainly sounds better than it is.

gregor1022

I didn't mean to bring you all down about the cars you may really like. It's just that we had SO many problems with our Alero and a couple people we know had similar experiences with theirs.

I honestly wish it had been trouble-free car. We loved the appearance, V6 power, etc. But in the end it was a dog. It's interesting though because my 97 Camaro was a good car...maintenance-free for 3 years...it still had build quality issues, but at least it didn't break down.

You're right - the Hyundais have not had a great record. However, by all reviews I've read and my own experience they are getting a LOT better. GM is constantly criticised for poor build quality and cheap materials...and it just continues. They don't seem to feel the need to address those issues and improve their cars.

I can't stand Hondas and Toyotas - everyone and their cousin has one. We considered the Elantra, Protege, and Focus...obviously ending up with an Elantra GT.

You really should take a look at the newer Hyundais though - the build quality is amazing in a car this cheap.

I honestly hope you all have better luck with your Aleros than we did! But, if not...head on down to your local Hyundai dealer and check out the great cars

dindak

Well, GM has steadily been moving up initial quality and long term quality rankings and Hyundia is still down near the bottom. That says it all for me. Build quality on Hyundias is good now and cheap, but I still think you get what you pay for in the long run on average. They also seem to have a tendency to rust up here.

gregor1022

GM is improving it's initial quality? I just a read the newest review on Edmunds about the newest 8 newest economy cars:
 http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/comparison/articles/100022/article- .html?tid=edmunds.e.comparison.content..2.Honda*)

The only GM car in there was a Saturn. It got ripped apart for the poor quality, among other issues and finished dead last. And what you know what - the Elantra came in 2nd. That says it for me. Also, I've yet to see a late-model Hyundai with rust here in PA.

Only time will tell, but in my opinion (and obviously many others') Hyundai is now a better buy per doallr than GM.

mikey00

I have to agree with you Hyundai may be a better buy per dollar than GM in some cases. However, I don't think this is the case when you factor in all the incentives. I got $6,000. off (GM card credits) after first negotiating my best deal and applying the other incentives. This really adds up. I now $3000. built up on the card again and just received a mailing today offering to add another $1000. to the incentives already in place.

dindak

I'm talking about reliability of companies as a whole from real publications , not one off comparisons. That tells you nothing really.

Hyundias may seem like a better buy but anyone I know who ever had one will never buy again.

Good luck though, maybe they are better now. It will be a while before I trust them though.

gregor1022

Wow - that really adds up. My wife and I don't use credit cards (except in emergencies) so I never got one of those rewards cards. But $6000 is a lot of $$$!!!

The circumstances happened to be just right for the Elantra we bought. It's a long story, but we ended paying $13,000 for a loaded 2003 GT with 40 miles on it. We couldn't touch any other car for that price. Maybe a Cavalier could come close ($15,000-16,000 comparably equipped), but I really have nothing good to say about them (except a strong engine in the Z24) since I test drove one when I was shopping for my car (the Elantra is my wife's). I ended up with a Focus - quite a nice car BTW.

I get those annoying credit card offers all the time...maybe I' actually look into one of the rewards cards

dindak

GM Card is free and $$ saved is good on any GM car.

www.gmcard.com

jpelder

A few comments on this current discussion trend:

My '02 alero has been flawless and quality is very solid.

I looked at several other cars, including Hyundai, before buying. With rebates and my card incentive, I bought my GX (no trade) for about $12,000. It had many more features and drove much better than Hyundai Sonata or Elantra.

The Alero also has the 5 year bumper to bumper warranty...the warranty that really matters.

Dindak, you are right about the Hyundai warranty having a lot of holes in it. I laugh when I hear TV ads slickly say "10 year warranty".

Speaking of GM quality, I read in USA today on Wednesday about a quality study of most vehicle makes. The survey measured the percentage of garage visits that required service (other than ruotine maintenance)repairs.

Guess which brand needed the least repairs...BUICK. Yep, the GM division beat Toyota, Honda and even the luxury makes. I didn't see Olds, so I assume they weren't part of the survey.

For some reason, I don't think you will hear much about this survey, even in Edmunds. The headline of this survey went something like, Luxury Cars don't need fewer repairs. If Honda had won, the headline would have read, Honda most trouble free car, or something.

This Alero is my first GM car, but from what I have experienced, I will buy again. I know 2 Hyundai buyers who will not be return buyers.

evandro

Is here: <http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2003-07-29-carfix_x.htm>.

Oldsmobile ranks below industry average, but above Hyunday and practically a tie with Kia.

It's funny to read the rationalizations of some manufacturers whose fame doesn't correspond to the survey results... :-)

I just despised the comments by Consumer Reports, who should be on our side, but is trying to side with foreign manufacturers while many Japanese cars made in America rank up high in the list. :-P

mlm4

I've driven, but never owned, both the Alero and a new (2003) Hyundai Sonata. The Hyundai was a rental with low miles (still smelled new). I am always prepared to dislike Hyundais but after a week and a thousand miles (across Alaska) with the Hyundai, I'm not so negative about them. The car was dull as toast and underpowered for my tastes, but it would probably be good enough for city driving. I'd never buy one, but I might recommend it to someone who wanted a new car on a tight budget. It seemed well-built and performed it's job flawlessly.

On the other hand, the Alero is far more fun to drive (especially with the V-6) and far better looking inside and out, in my opinion. GM could learn a thing or two from Hyundai about build and materials quality, but I don't know about the long-term reliabiliy of the Hyundai either. I've heard it's much improved, but it hadn't been so good in the past. Given a choice, I'd go for the Alero hands-down; I'll miss it when it's gone!

mlm4

It seems to me that comparing Buick to Oldsmobile to Kia is not a completely valid comparison. Like the saying goes, statistics can lie. Buick always does well in these surveys, but some folks have alleged that is because Buick owners are more conservative and less likely to complain. Maybe. Look at the LeSabre, which is usually well-received. It is essentially the same car as the Pontiac Bonneville. I don't have any numbers, but looking at some model-by-model comparisons, those two cars are very close in the surveys, whereas Buick vs. Pontiac overall is not close. Buick does not have an equivalent to the Alero, nor does Oldsmobile have an equivalent to the LeSabre, so is it fair to compare the brands overall? Also, Oldsmobile was down to, what, four models when this survey was done, and with a much smaller customer base as well.

dindak

One could argue that Buick owners are more likely to complain as many more of them are retired. My parents are certainly in that boat.

Bottom line is GM as a company is better and there are probably 5 times as many dealers around to service your car when needed. Hyundia may be better than it was but it still has a way to go before I would consider one.

coalcracker

I have always been a GM person. I purchased other makes but I soon found out that in an American car it was GM. I ventured out once and bought a 91 Camry which turned out to be a bad decision. The transaxle went at 22,000 and 80,000 miles repectively. But all the GM cars always had problems. My 94 Buick Regal had 60,000 miles When I traded it on the 2003 Hyundai XG350. The Regal had many problems---the motors on the power windows were going bad, the rotors were warping, The alternator went, etc., etc., etc. I hope that I don't those kind of problems with my Alero when I get that mileage on it. Before I bought my 350 I did a lot of research on the car, the company, their projections for the future, etc. I found out that even though Hyundai started out by making junk in 1986, they have improved significantly in both terms of quality and performance through the years. Their goal is to get even better and compete with the best. So their quality will improve more through the years to come. Many of the bad reviews on the current Hyundai's are very obviously loaded with biases. One has to read through those biases. Now that I have an Alero and a 350, I will keep you all posted on the history of the GM product vs the foreign product as time goes by. I consider them both fine cars with an edge given to the Hyundai in certain areas. Time will tell.

regfootball

GM Card can't be used on ALL GM products. I can't use it on a Saab, and also, most of the time not on Saturn either.

dindak

In Canada you can use it on Saab, Isuzu and Saturn. I always forget that it's a bit different down there.

oldsman01

I've often wondered why Buicks get higher ratings than their Oldsmobile and Pontiac counterparts myself. I'm not sure the older/more conservative buyers is the answer though as older people tend to be VERY particular about things. Having worked in retail through college, I can attest to that. You want to sell an older person the better product not simply because they will pay for it, but because you WANT them to be satisifed. Otherwise, you will hear about it! While I cannot prove it, I think that Oldsmobile has let their QC go since the phase-out annoucement. Also, in the case of some cars, the Buick version is built at a different plant. Take Buick's sedans. The Park Avenue is built at the Orion MI plant as are some LeSabres. The remaining LeSabres are built at Hamtramck MI. The Regal and Century are built at the Ontario plant. W-bodies coming from the Ontario plant are known to have much better built quality than those that came from the Fairfax plant(which is where the old GP and Intrigue were built). The Hamtramck plant is a Cadillac plant and is known for well built cars and the Orion plant seems to turn out pretty good stuff. So basically, Buick's four sedans are built at GM's best plants(aside from the new Lansing Grand River plant). I'm not sure where the Rendezvous is built. If you look at Oldsmobile, the Intrigue is(or was) slapped together at the Fairfax plant and the Alero was built at the Lansing plant. The Lansing plant seems to turn out better built products than Fairfax, but still has some problems. The Aurora was built at Orion. Go to Pontiac and off the bat you have the low tech Sunfire in the mix, the previous gen Grand Prix built at Fairfax and the Grand Am at Lansing. With only the Bonneville being built at a plant know for consistent quality(Orion). So thats my theory on how Buick has achieved higher quality ratings than the other GM divisions. Also worth noting is that Cadillac typically ranks pretty high and their cars too come from the best GM has to offer in terms of assembly plants(Hamtramck and Lansing Grand River).

dindak

Just took my dad's new Le Sabre out for a drive. While it's totally not my kind of car, it is solid and seems pretty well built.

vcjumper

"Drove" one when my dad shopped it vs an aurora. What a tribute to the 1980's style vehicle the interior was. Glad he has an aurora :-).

dindak

Very old fashioned interior. I hate it though for the most part it was decent quality. I was a bit surprised they bought it considering they traded in their modern Alero in.

sedanlvr

I'be had tons of problems with the 2001 Alero:

Heater broke THREE times
Brakes have made noise since purchase, Oldsmobile refuses to acknowledge problem
Seatbelt, yes the seatbelt, even broke. Thank god not during an accident.
Noises while turning the steering wheel
Trim pops off everytime I open the trunk

The car lacks the minimum quality I expect from a vehicle. And be weary of the extended warranty. After 3 years or 36,000 mi, it switches from a New Vehicle Warranty to Majorguard, which doesn't cover nearly as much!

dindak

You must have a useless dealership service department.

Any other GM dealers in your area?

sedanlvr

I've had it to three different dealers in two different states. It is the GM mentality/laziness that is really getting to me. Even their 800 number customer service line is ridiculously unhelpful. I've only owned GM cars, so one can say I have been very loyal customer. My husband and I also own a SAAB, and it is plagued with just as many problems. I can honestly say my next car will NOT be a GM.

mlm4

I hear you. I don't know what your expectations are, but if I had those problems I'd be upset too. No argument about the service experience either. The only reward GM has ever given me for loyalty was $1,000 toward the purchase of a new GM vehicle (and lots of credit card offers). Other than that, loyalty gets me nowhere. If I'm lucky, I'll get the one service writer who actually remembers my name. Unless maybe you buy a fleet of vehicles every year, but I'm not sure what that would even get you.

Best of luck with your next car...

dindak

What area of the country do you live in?

I can't imagine no one in your nick of the woods is listening to you and no one is capable of fixing your car. I'm lucky to have found a good dealer now, but I have delt with bad ones in the past.

jtrujillo86

Hey guys! I'm currently looking at buying a 2000 Alero with the 2.4 QUAD engine, traction control, power everything (minus sunroof), CD/Tape, and alloy wheels. I now own a 97 Malibu with the 3.1 V6, which is a variant to the 3.4 that's in some Aleros, so needless to say, I have become used to that type of power. My 3.1 is good for 155 B.H.P. and 180 # feet of torque. I have also had many problems with my 6 cyl. How do you guys rate the 2.4 in terms of reliability and performance? How about the 3.4? And what about the rest of the car? Thanks in advance for any response!

Jeremy

dindak

I have an 02 with a 2.2 Ecotec, but given the choice I would go with the 3.4L. My parents had a 99 and it's got lots of torque and is quieter. Quad4 isn't bad either, but I prefer the 6 to it. 3.4L is better than the 3.1L from what I have heard.