Oldsmobile Alero

dindak · December 2002

We had our first real snowfall this weekend so I finally got to try the Alero in the snow. It handles great! The traction control came on a couple of times so I guess it's working. All in all I'm quite pleased.

coalcracker · December 2002

Just want you all to know that my 2000 Alero is doing just great. It is a GL3 with a v6 and loaded. It now has 19,000 miles on it. No problems after the initial ones which were rapidly corrected. I am extremely pleased with the car. It is still ashame that Olds is closing down. I feel they finally got some good cars and they close it down. After reading all those negative comments on some of the Alero's, I feel extremely lucky, I guess, that mine is so perfect. Thank you Lord.

dindak · December 2002

I think most people are happy with their cars. Unfortunately there are a few lemons, especially in 99/00. Glad you are still happy. We love ours, it's a great car.

The all new 04 Malibu looks to be pretty good as a replacement some day down the road. We shall see what it looks like in January.

oldsman01 · December 2002

Whats interesting is 99 and some 00s had problems with brake rotors warping, but I haven't seen nearly as many compliants on later models. Over in the Intrigue forum, there were alot of complaints with 98 and some 99s having early warping rotors, but again fewer on later models. My 01 has 25.5K now and the brakes stop very smoothly and while I don't abuse the car, I do brake hard at times. Interesting how both cars had a similar problem their first year or two.

iamgwc · December 2002

You can add the '99 Malibu to the Rotor Warping list. It's a sibling to the Alero so I guess it should not be a surprise. I had my rotors replaced twice under waranty. As far as the '04 Malibu goes, keep an eye on the 2003 Saab 9-3ss as it is built on the new Epsilon platform which is where the Malibu is heading (so far so good for the 9-3 vis a vis the press). Malibu should show up this summer if my memory serves me correctly.

Grand total of 900 miles on the the '03 GLS and all is well.

kelver777 · December 2002

A few months ago I posted my problem, copy and pasted below:

Turns out that the factory put a Grand Am bushing on my Alero. Took the dealer three weeks to get the right part from the factory. Problem Solved, no run around/no hassels/100% Happy with the dealer and Olds.

Will keep you all informed another 53 months of warranty left...

#1748 of 1836 Noise when Turning left. by kelver777 Oct 24, 2002 (07:37 am)
Ok, I've had my 2002 Alero for about 3 months now and have not even put 2k miles on it. Noticed a noise yesterday when I finish turning left and the wheels are aligned back forward, I hear a slight pop or thump. The noise is coming from the right left wheel area. Anyone have any ideas on what this could be? Guess I'll get to see how the repair shop is next week. A friend of mine says it might be the boot, or the steering assembly.

Thanks

heng · December 2002

my Mom's Taurus rides better than my Alero. My Alero (with new Dunlop SP sport A2s) lets a lot more road noise and texture into the passenger compartment. Anyone else notice this?

I wonder if the spring isolators are shot or is it just the nature of Aleros?

oldsman01 · December 2002

I think the Alero has a firmer suspension(giving it better handling) thus causing a firmer ride than in a Taurus.

oldsman01 · December 2002

Well everybody, I am currently driving an Alero. My Intrigue started bleeding power steering fluid Monday night so Tuesday morning it got towed to the dealer. They gave me a 2000 GL with the four cylinder. It's not a bad car, except that it is electric blue. Sorry if I offend any electric blue owners, but that color is not for me! The car is fun to throw around and the four will move when pushed, but it does make a little more noise than I'm used to. Also, when driving in the rain the other night, I noticed that there is alot of "splatter" that can be heard from the rear wheel well areas. It almost sounds as if a door or window was not hut good. Is this common on Aleros? I know it is in Cavaliers and Escorts. One thing I did notice when braking hard from higher speeds is a rumbling or grinding noise from the front brakes. I didn't notice any vibration as if the rotors were warped and it only seemed to do it when the roads were rainsoaked. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get my Intrigue back, but if not I'd like to know how to turn the horn "chirp" confirmation on the door locks off. Everytime I use the power lock switch to lock the doors, the lights flash and the horn chips(actually it's more of a honk) to confirm they are locked.

dindak · December 2002

Ours does not have much rain splatter noise, but ours is also an 02 so it mat be better. That said, our Intrigue is quieter.

heng : From what I remember, the Taurus has a very soft suspension so you will get a softer ride. I personally hate soft rides but in 40 years, I may want them!

jpelder · December 2002

Just got a call from our olds dealer today. It's been 51 weeks since we bought our '02 and he was calling to check on our satisfaction. The car continues to impress. I cannot say enough about that 5 speed getrag now that it is broken in. I drove a new Beemer 3 series with a manual last week and it had nothing on the Alero manual.

That said, at times I too have noticed a bit of outside noise coming from the rear doors. If you look at the rear door seals, they only cover a small portion of the door opening.
While water does not get in (I have checked during wet weather) it really should fully seal the door. I may consider doing this myself in the spring. However, since the noise is minimal and I rarely notice it, so I may never get to it.

Regarding engine noise, the quad 4 in the 2000 is much louder than the new ecotec 4 cylinder.

regfootball · December 2002

the ecotec with the 5 speed is a very good powertrain combo for the Alero. Having sampled the ecotec with manual in the Saturn L, I found it to be a pleasing combo that promises great mpg. I had previously driven an Alero a couple years ago with the Quad4 and automatic and the Quad4 at that time was still rough and tumble.

Imagine if you could get an Ecotec v6 Alero with a manual, bet that car would move.

blautens · December 2002

To oldsman01 -

You can program the characteristics of the keyless entry by using the driver's door power lock button and the remote. Check the manual for the particulars. Factory setting is to chirp - I turned mine off - only the lights blink. I think the neighbors appreciate it.

And my 1999 Alero GLS Coupe bites. It's literally falling apart (don't ask). Nothing but trouble. Too bad, because when it works, it drives pretty nicely. And yes, to really solve the brake problem, forget GM, go buy some Wagner (or something similar) rotors and decent (I bought Performance Friction - more dust, but less fade) pads. It's all of $100. 3 warranty repairs to my brakes might SEEM free, but that's money I'm not earning when I shuttle the little beast to the dealer.

Bruce

dprice5422 · December 2002

I have owned my 99 GLS since it was new. Nothing but problems from the start. Clear coat was peeling off after 2 months. It took three trips to the Olds body shop to get it right. Brakes, in one word, TERRIBLE!!!. Now I've got a leaking head gasket and tires that "walk" on the rims. If anyone is reading this review and thinking of buying a new or used Alero, think about this first. You may save a little money, but may I suggest a Solara, Camry, or Accord. You may pay a little more, but the resale value is proven to be much HIGHER than any oldsmobile could ever be, not to mention the headaches you will save with repair problems. Is the $30-$40 dollars that you will pay more for a monthly payment worth it? YES IT IS!! I'm just trying to let the consumer be aware, and this is one piece of junk people need to know about.

dindak · December 2002

Sorry you have a lemon, but your comments that the Alero is "junk" is just wrong. Your experience is far from the average and your car is not normal. Everyone I know who has an Alero has had a great experience and it's general average reliability ratings would back my comments up.

oldsman01 · December 2002

Forget the boring Accord and Camry, check out the new Mazda 6. I've got an Intrigue which I dearly love, but has turned out to be a lemon and have test driven the 6 twice already. I'm still not ready to trade(the 6 still lacks some of the soul the Intrigue has) but for those going the Camccord route, it is a far superior car both in looks and performance.

regfootball, I've been driving a loaner Alero since Tuesday and while not as refined overall as the Intrigue, it is a VERY nimble car. With a smooth revving DOHC V6 and a 5 speed, it would be a blast.

oldsman01 · December 2002

Just remember there was a time when Japanese cars were considered "junk" by many and a time not too long ago when such pretigous brands as Audi and Jaguar were known as being rather troubleprone.

jpelder · December 2002

Among the guests at my holiday gathering tonight is a friend with a 99 GL2 sedan. Last time we discussed it, he was approaching 100,000 miles without one problem. His only complaint was the cost of replacing the 16" tires. Paint is perfect and he does not garage this car.

While I don't doubt some have had bad experiences, I think it is just plain bad advice to tell people to steer clear of the Alero...especially with the current deals.

As I mentioned earlier, I bought my '02 one year ago and it remains perfect. To boot, I only paid about $11,500 out the door ($3100 GM card). The car has stuff like ABS/traction control, 4 wheel discs, aluminum wheels, leather wheel/shifter, keyless entry, spoiler...not stripped.

This was my first GM car, but the quality has been outstanding and I would buy again.

dindak · December 2002

GM quality in general has come so far in the past few years. I was a Honda guy through the early and mid 90's, but GM offers more for the money these days with near Honda quality.

Like I said, there are always lemons with every brand and if you get one I'm sure your views will be tainted.

oldsman01 · December 2002

I've been driving a loaner Alero for nearly a week now and while it is not as refined as my Intrigue, I think that quality wise the Alero beats the more expensive Intrigue. Many components of the Alero feel more solid than on the Intrigue, particularly the door panels. Also, I've been reading this forum for some time and it seems that brake rotors are really the only common problem on a large scale.

dindak · December 2002

The Alero has a very good interior, better than the Intrigue in some ways. That said, the ride and power of the Intrigue still make it a better car. Of course.. it cost a lot more also.

mikey00 · December 2002

As I said before on this board, I did not expect such a great car when I purchased my 2000 GL3 "value" car. Only problem in 32k has been the rotors which the dealer replace at 13k. I guess there can always be a lemon not matter what brand.

markymac · January 2003

I am a proud owner of a 2000 black Alero, and I keep it polished and waxed all the time, and it does turn heads on the streets. The car is now reaching 58K miles with no major problems. Now, I did replace the front rotors and front pads at 45K miles with beefier brakes I bought at AutoZone, and otherwise it has been riding great.

But the Alero is not the only car experiencing problems with the pads and rotors during "normal wear and tear." I have visited other forums here and noticed that other brands are suffering the same problems to include the pricier Mercedes Benz with brakes wearing out at less than 10K to 20K miles. So don't assume that it is a just an Olds problem or GM problem. It's a problem throughout the ENTIRE auto industry.

I like the feel of the Alero and the tight suspension which is awesome on curvy roads and at times, I have outmanuevered more pricier luxury sedans that either the cars could not handle the curves or the drivers could not handle the curves.

rkw2 · January 2003

Granted, every manufacture has made some cars that turn out to be lemons. Cars are extremely complicated machines. I like my 2000 GL 6cyl Alero alot. But the small things that have had to be replaced by me and many others should have been corrected by GM as soon as they became aware that they were a problem......brakes, shaking mirrors, leaks etc. While under warranty, these get fixed at no cost to us....but there is a major cost to GM. They may save a few cents on production costs....but they pay out big dollars on warrantee repairs....in addition to bad reputations for quality. I just hit 36k miles and am no longer under warrantee....and hope taht nothing major goes wrong.

oldsman01 · January 2003

I agree with you on the warranty costs. I'd be curious to see how much money GM will be spending on warranty claims for these Oldsmobiles that are now being sold with the 5 year/60K warranty.

rdeschene · January 2003

Yep, I work in manufacturing and the pressure to "put out product now" even if it's just good or very good rather than excellent is palpable.

Although both are GM products, I've had more problems with my 2000 Alero then I ever did with my 1995 Corsica. So far on the Alero: replaced the resistor for the fan (did it myself CDN$25), fuel tank float for CDN$360. We've owned the car for about 15mths and 38,000km.

Both are "typical problems" on the Alero, and certainly something that could have been addressed through continuous improvement. Comparatively, the Corsica had much higher mileage on it before it required any major repairs and these were not really "typical" for that model, and reasonable wear items: front struts at about 120,000km, one rear bearing at about 150,000km.

badgerfan · January 2003

I don't want to intrude too much in your Alero group, however, I do have some insight to share on Taurus, and did drive a rental Alero 4 door sedan for a full week on vacation last year.

First, the Alero likely was the base 4, but I admittedly did not look under the hood. It was somewhat noisier than my '00 Taurus with the 24V Duratec, but not unobjectionable. Handling and ride may have been slightly stiffer, but then Alero is a much smaller lighter car, so this could be expected. Acceleration was adequate. Overall, not a bad car, however I did have two major beefs. The outdated GM multifunction switch with the cruise just has to go. The other objection we had was anyone sitting in the back seat feels like they are sitting on the floor. Way too low and uncomfortable. Otherwise, it's pretty decent.

I personally do not think Taurus suspension is too soft. If anything, up until the 2000 redesign, many complaints were Taurus suspensions were too stiff and harsh. Since 2000, I believe they have it just about right, not too harsh, but not too floaty, and still very flat on the curves. Definitely better than Buick Century, which I have also rented on occasion. And the Taurus DOHC Duratec is sweet.

dindak · January 2003

Sounds like you were driving a 4 cyl model as you noted is was noisier than the Taurus and adequately powered. The V6 is smoother and very peppy. A close match to your Taurus is the Intrigue with the 3.5L DOHC V6. It has a a very smooth powerful engine you would love.

badgerfan · January 2003

I have always liked the looks/design of the Intrigue and if I was considering buying GM at the time might have considered one. Now, however, Intrigue is gone, and I won't be looking into a new car for about 7 years unless some catastrophe happens. Too bad GM neglected to promote Olds properly as they had some good cars going with Aurora and Intrigue. I would have thought when they decided to dump Olds, they would dump some of the frumpier Buicks and overclad Pontiacs and kept the Aurora and Intrigue rebadged as Buicks or Pontiacs but it isn't happening.

Also, unfortunately, I have a long memory, and can't seem to shake the bad feelings I had for that old 1983 POS Chevy Celebrity with the "Iron Duke" engine. I guess I carry a grudge too long.

I'm on my second Taurus; enjoyed the first one (1990 model) ten years with very little trouble, and my current 2000 SES has been flawless at 23K and 2-1/2 years.

dindak · January 2003

Yes, Intrigue is gone. It's too bad as we love ours. You may still find a leftover here or there though.

Glad you like the Taurus. It's a decent car, just a little on the soft side for me.

oldsman01 · January 2003

The Alero does not have the "outdated"(and I agree with you on that) GM multi-function lever with the cruise control. It has it's cruise control buttons on the steering wheel, just like your Taurus does. To me, the Taurus and Alero are in a different class. The Alero is smaller and more sportier, the Taurus is your basic midsize family sedan. I personally like the Taurus's twin the Sable somewhat for what it is. I guess thats because there are far fewer of them on the road.

gallen22 · January 2003

Oldsmobile advertises a 5 year "bumper to bumper" warranty and also advertised 0%interest in the past.
This lured me to the dealership and I bought a 2002 new Alero in the last quarter of 2002--new.
I wondered if what I ran into was common practice??? My dealer said I had to pay extra above the advertised price to get the 5 year warranty ($700 more) and if I didn't, I would only get a 3 year warranty. I also was told that to get 0% interest that I would have to pay about $3000 more. WAS THERE A LOT OF FINE PRINT THAT I MISSED, OR DID I GET DUPED??? I am curious if this is an Oldsmobile policy that in order to get their advertised 5 year warranty that you have to pay a fee extra. Also, I was mailed what looked like an old fashioned "extended warranty" that had so many exceptions, I question the bumper to bumper. A lot of things were excepted that were what I consider more than normal maintenance that I have to do.
HAS ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE?? IS THIS NORMAL OLDSMOBILE POLICY?? This has caused me to not trust my dealership. I like the Alero I have, but I don't want to take it back to the dealership for anything because of my suspicions and what I consider a bad experience with them. IF IF FIND OUT THIS IS NORMAL PROCEDURE, I WILL TAKE MY CAR IN TO THEM FOR REGULAR SERVICE ETC AND WILL FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEM. Any help and suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks

gallen22

rebrab · January 2003

It is my understanding, at least here in Canada, that the 5 year warranty applies only to the powertrain. The rest of the vehicle is covered, bumper to bumper, by manufacturer's warranty for the usual 3 year/60,000km. It sounds like the extra $700 is an "extended warranty" that they want to sell you to add 2 more years to the original 3 yr warranty and like all extended warranties there are lots of exclusions and conditions on that coverage and often a deductible too.

As for the "fine print", the actual 3 yr warranty and 5 yr powertrain warranty were explained to me while shopping at the dealership. This information may (??) also be contained in the Alero brochure.

jpelder · January 2003

Gallen, the 5 year warranty is standard for 2002 models. Just after I bought my 2002 (Jan 2, 2002) they started offering an additional discount of $750 if you wanted the 3 year warranty instead.

Check your paperwork to see if you got an additional $750. Perhaps the advertised price included the $750 discount? IT seems to me that the rebate was $3000 including the 5 year warranty, but I may be wrong. I bought my car the last day of the $1500 rebate...they went up to $2002 the next day! Both included a 5 year warranty.

Do you mind telling us what you paid? I paid $100 over invoice, minus the $1500 rebate.

dindak · January 2003

The warrany in Canada is not the same as in the US. You are right though, the 5 year up here applies only to the power train. In the US you can have 5 year BTB or $750 cash off and 3 year like jpelder said.

mikey00 · January 2003

Most Oldsmobile dealer ads I see in our local paper state in the fine print that the price includes a $750 cash alternative to the 5yr/60,000 mile extended warranty. So to get the warranty you would have to ad $750 to the advertised price. Also it doesn't seem that odd that an ad would state "0% financing or $3000 cash back" and in fine print state that the advertised price includes the cash back. Only way to determine if you were duped is to check your actual ad.

badgerfan · January 2003

Yes, I believe I was in error about the placement of the cruise control on ALero. I think I was confusing it with the rental Buick Century I had a couple years ago, which still had the cruise control on the wiper stalk.

As I said, Alero seems pretty decent, however the rear seats are pretty bad, agreed? I assume Grand Am rear seats are about the same, since they are on the same platform.

jpelder · January 2003

Actually, I really like the rear seating of the alero. A few years ago, I sat in the back of my friend's alero and was surpised how comfortable it was for a 2 hour trip. At first, I was a bit surprised at the angle of the bucket-like seating position, but the seats really support you and keep you from swaying in the curves.

They fit me well, but maybe that is because I am rather small (5'8, 155#). However, you never want to sit in the middle seat, as it is rock hard and not suitable for a human tush!

I have a friend with a grand am, and his rear seats are very different from the alero seats. Softer and less bucket-like.

dindak · January 2003

Never sat in the back before. I'll have to try it out.

My daughter is only 2 so it's not an issue anytime soon.

chipleykk · January 2003

Like most people I usually lurk on these boards to determine what vehicles are causing problems so that I can avoid them at purchase time. I agree with some of the posters that this results in almost all the postings being negative. It would seem that we really have a responsibility to report positive results so that the boards are not dominated by the vehicles causing problems.

We purchased a new 2001 Alero GL V6 2 door coupe in June 2001. Car now has about 21K miles. It has been absolutely trouble free! The only time it has visited the dealer's shop is for a recall on some fuel pump gasket. I change the oil every 5K using Mobil1 and the only other service is to top off the antifreeze coolant when light came on this fall.

I really appreciate this little car being dependable transportation for my daughter commuting to the university. With the 60 month/60K mile warranty I think this is one vehicle in our fleet that I will not have to work on frequently.

evandro · January 2003

I've had an Alero '99 with the 3.4 V6 and my experience with it has been nothing short of pleasing. The car was fairly reliable, with only minor repairs.

However, I've never had to top off the coolant on it for as long as I've had it (3 years and 34000mls). Yours' 3.4 V6 may be plagued by a bad head gasket. Check out if the coolant leaked to the crank case oil, for it can cause severe damage to the engine if that's the case.

burdawg · January 2003

I ditto evandro's response. Having to add that much coolant is not normal, unless it was low to start with which is a real possibility. If there's no apparent leak then I would keep my eye on the coolant level, and if it's low again I'd investigate.

mikey00 · January 2003

I had my 2000 V6 Alero about 3 years now (33K miles). Only real problem was the front rotors, which the dealer replaced under warranty. I also had my coolant light come on and had to add a little. It doesn't take much to make the light come on. This was about 6 months now and it's been fine since. I really don't consider this a problem , just normal maintenance.

dindak · January 2003

I know two other people with Aleros and both love them. Mom mom has a 99 and it's had no problems aside from a sticky door. Our neighbor 5 door down has a 2000 with the old 2.4L and it's been problem free. Our 02 is only 7 months old, but aside from a fogged up headlight, not one complaint.

With the incentives and 5 year warranties on Alero's these days, I personally think it's the best car for the money in it's relative class. The car isn't perfect and some people have had some problems but you can say that about most cars.

yurakm · January 2003

is a well known problem with 3.1l, 3.4l, and older 2.8l GM V-6 engines. There is a separate Edmunds board, discussing problems with these engines.

The usual reason - a bad intake manifold gasket. Easy to diagnose under pressure check. The check costs about $20-$25.

Replacing the gasket costs about $550 at independent shop, and up to $800 at dealership. Better to do it while under warranty. Even more, than the leak is not good for car.

By the way, GM recommends to have the pressure check every year. At least according to my 98 Malibu manual. Must be the same with Alero.

oldsman01 · January 2003

My Intrigue has had it's low coolant light coming on when I start the car up cold. It stays on for about 10 minutes and then goes away. When I've checked the coolant after the engine has run a while, the level in the reservoir is at the "Full cold" mark but this is when the engine is warm. I plan to have that looked at very soon. I haven't noticed any coolant pooling under the car when it's parked.

yurakm · January 2003

with my 98 Malibu - less than 1 quart in 3 months. This is about 1/3 ounce per day, or even less. No puddles.

mikey00 · January 2003

Why don't you fill the coolant to the "fill cold" mark when the engine is cold. Then just monitor it from there. If you lose anywhere near a quart in 3 months, as yurakm says, it could be a more serious problem that should be looked at. It is not that unusual to add a little coolant once or twice in 30,000 miles. I added less than a quart about 6 months ago to mine and it held steady ever since. If you do add some, use the right stuff per the manual (Dex-cool about $5 a gallon at Walmart).
GM did have a big problem with intake manifold gaskets leaking on these 6 cyl engines back in the late nineties but the problem has stabalized now.

lovetosavegas · January 2003

Rented an Alero for a week from friendly Avis location in New Jersey. And have to say that car has enough room for a long drive for 4 adults. Passengers in the back seat didn't complain during 6 hour trip. Though it had plenty of power(v6, I guess by the amount of gas consumed, compared to 4-cyl cars), car felt kinda soft. I noticed a 'leather' wrapped steering wheel, though quality of that 'leather' could be better. Overall I would be happy driving such a car, too bad it will be discontinued soon:(

cattcraw · January 2003

mu daughter has a 2000 alero. Great little car and gets great gas milage. we had a proble with it starting. I called oldsmobile and they said it had a recall. So I took it in hoping it would fix the starting problem. At first it seemd to . but A couple days later it would NOT start at all. I took it to a local mechanic and he looked a it. and said it was getting plenty of fire but no fuel. He changed the RELAY that runs the fuel pump and now( fingers crossed) it has started and ran since. The relay was working interminetly,letting the car start sometimes .
So I bought a new relay and put it in nad its doing good ...knock on wood?

Oldsmobile Alero

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