Oldsmobile Alero

expwyman · July 2004

I've been looking at new cars, and I saw the Collector's Edition Alero recently. I wanted to know from people who own one what they think of the car and GM's promise to back the car for 5 years.

coalcracker1 · July 2004

I have a 2000 Alero, 4 door, v-6, with about 26,000 miles on it. Yesterday I was shocked to see several ripples on my front dash near the left side of the windshield. It appears that there is a gray plastic film on some kind of hard surface below it that has loosened from that base. Not only has it separated but it wrinkled. The area affected is about one foot long and about 2 inches deep. It looks bad. I am totally surprised about this event since I thought the dash was solid plastic. Evidently it is not. Also, the car is only 4 years old. I don't expect things like to happen until a car is about ten years old and usually on cheaper cars. My warranty is long gone and I am not sure how to fix this defect. The appearance really bothers me and I am very disappointed in Oldsmobile for this kind of defect. I would expect something like this to happen on a "Yugo" and not on an Alero. I will be in misery until I get it fixed and I wonder if I should keep the car to find out what other defects Oldsmobile has in store for me.

rdeschene · July 2004

Post #2244 addresses this same problem:

red_alero Dec 10, 2003 3:56pm

I don't think this is a universal problem for all Aleros, though. Ours is a 2000 model, and the interior is still holding up well.

ijennings1 · August 2004

Does anyone know if there is a fuel filter change on the 3.4 Alero? It does not say so in my handbook, but I normally change them around 30,000 miles maximum. If there is, where is it situated and is there a pressure release switch to activate first?
Thanks.

Ian

bryan · August 2004

I purchased number 363 of the final 500 Aleros in May 2004. The car has been absolutely perfect, not one little annoyance, squeak, rattle, etc. I gave the car a perfect JD Powers survey. I bought it from a multi-GM car franchise (CP Diver, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware) that has regulary demonstrated outstanding service and follow through. They have serviced my 96 Olds LSS for the past 40K or so miles, and it runs as good today as when I bought it new (85K miles later). I also bought an 03 Aurora from them, and it has had several warranty repairs (sunroof rattles, blown out BOSE stereo speaker delivered defective from the factory) that this dealer has taken care of to my utmost satisfaction. So, I do not have one worry about warranty repairs and service at all.

I am NOT the least bit concerned about the Alero's quality, and the no charge extended warranty beyond the normal 3 year, 36K miles warranty to 5 years, 60K miles was one of the main reasons I bought it over other GM cars I was considering. Because I will put less than 10K miles on this car annually, I purchased an additional one year warranty for $100 more, so I have 6 years, 60K bumper-to-bumper protection. I'll get to six years before 60K miles.

The car has been a blast to drive--great power from the V6, and I'm getting close to 29 mpg on the highway. The chrome wheels and the spoiler set this car off, and the Final 500 badging and monogramming on the leather seats and floor mats are first rate. I test drove the car one day after it was delivered to the dealer--not even cleaned up. When I returned from the test drive, there were a few lot lookers that wanted to drive it, but alas, they were too late as I bought it on the spot! I really like the satellite radio (very worth the cost and monthly charge to me). Fit and finish appears to be top rate, and the car is very quiet, and as I said above, free of squeaks and rattles. Not one peep even from the sunroof!

There are alot of Oldsmobile "fanatics" out there. I don't think you would ever have difficulty in selling one of the Final 500 in the future, since there are only 500 Aleros out of tens of thousands that have this color combination. I'm more than glad to share my positive experience with this car. Good luck, and as several of the folks on the Edmund's boards routinely say, "Buy and drive what you like". I'm glad I did.

coalcracker1 · August 2004

After reading #2244 and following his links on the same problem I am convinced that GM does not stand behind their product. No more GM cars for me. This is the first time anything like this has happened to one of my cars. It really makes me sick.

jtrujillo86 · August 2004

I had heard of the dash pad and door pad warping issue before I purchased my 2002. To this day I still think that it's just a few isolated instances. I am actually having my dash and one door panel replaced under warranty due to warping. Both were EXTREMELY minor (I actually thought the dealer would turn down my request to replace the stuff). I showed my service advisor and they got it in right away, but I am just waiting on parts. I am glad that the dealership is covering this because on the invoice I got after I left, the price the dealer is paying for the dash and the door panel together is just about $800, and remember, that's only factory to dealer pricing. I'm sure we would have to pay much more. Anyway, there are no other signs of warping on the other three door panels. Everything looks good. That's why I believe this is an isolated issue.

As for the recent talk about GM standing behind their product: that infuriates me. The people who complain about GM not standing behind their product are the people who have issues at 37 or 38K and still expect GM to cover their repairs. When they purchased their car they knew the warranty ended at 3 years / 36K miles, so why are they mad when GM won't cover repairs AFTER that time? I have had a few issues with my car and it seems the dealer is more than happy to help will all of them. I don't however expect them to help with any repairs past that 36K mark, because I didn't pay for an extended warranty. If you want them to assist after the bumper to bumper warranty time, then buy that extended warranty. If they went around doing "goodwill" repairs for everyone who had issues after 36K miles, they wouldn't be in business.

Jeremy

jtrujillo86 · August 2004

The fuel filter is located near the gas tank under the evap canister. You can access it by lifting the rear of the car and looking to the front of the gas tank. Many repair manuals tell you to remove the evap canister before servicing the fuel filter, but it can be done without removal of the canister. To relieve the pressure from the system, start your car and let it reach normal operating temp. While its running, open the hood and take off the cover to the fuse relay box. With it still running, pull the relay for the fuel pump. The car will sputter a bit and then the engine will stop. It will be just like it's running out of gas. Make sure the car is on all fours before you do this. After you relieve the pressure of the fuel system, you can the jack up the rear of the car and start your project. Be careful not to twist the fuel lines when you're removing the fuel filter.

The manual doesn't state when to replace the filter, but I do it about every 30K too.

Jeremy

coalcracker1 · August 2004

The reputation of a car manufacturer is based on the quality of their product. Sure there are certain components that one would expect that after the warranty period expires I would have no problem repairing and /or replacing at my expense. However there are other components like the premature warping of a dash at an extremely early time period is a pure indication of "bad" design. This sort of defect should be corrected by the manufacturer without question. I have had over 17 cars in my lifetime and none of them had problems like this (even GM cars) at an early age. To me this event is an indication of the bad reputation of a manufacturer. They know this is a bad design and are not willing to do anything about it. It is a shame to see American mfrs. going in this direction. It is no wonder that more and more Americans are buying cars from foreign Mfrs. who do not exhibit this adverse attitude. The American loyalty to American products is continuously disappearing from the market. Only the die-hards will hang on. I feel sorry for them. Therefore I strongly do not agree with you about your comments.

jtrujillo86 · August 2004

Well, you can disagree with me, but this is not a widespread problem. I'm sure if you did a similar search on other forums, you would find something LIKE this...not the same exact thing, but something that COULD point to bad craftsmanship. That goes for Hondas, Toyotas, ect. I can easily put up with a few quality issues with a fun to drive vehicle, which I think the Alero is. I'm glad I didn't purchase a bland Civic, Corolla, or Camry, even though they MAY have less issues in 200K miles than my Alero.

Jeremy

ijennings1 · August 2004

Thanks for this Jeremy,

I took the car to our local Mieneke shop and they changed the fuel filter and charged $42 which I didn't think was bad. Money well spent I reckon!

I agree with your comments on these cars. They are great value IF bought at say 1 to 2 years old. I find the steering too light and the road holding could be tighter, but then again, with the terrible roads we have in Kansas City and Missouri, I wouldn't want the suspension any harder. Oh for Citroen's hydropneumatic suspension! I agree with your comments too about the blandness of Jappo cars. Their interiors are Germanic to say the least. Lots of hard plastic (Altima for example). Their second-hand values are way over the top. Our Alero 3.4 cost $10700. It was 14 months old with 22,000 miles on the clock. We have ABS, Traction, Auto box, tire warning light, oil change and vehicle service warning lights. The lights stay on after you switch off the engine.....and so on. We had one or two niggly problems when we bought it. The indicators failing and the drivers central locking, but it is fine now. My wife loves it. The driver's seat has electirc asjustment and lumbar control too.
I wish though GM would use their excellent 2.5 DOHC European engine though instead of the 3.4. It has a great turn of power and also develops 170 BHP like the 3.4. It can be mounted in-line or transversely. I also wish GM would lower their gearing too. Directly we hit an incline, the speed tails off too much, which involoves too many downchanges for my liking. Their European cars are renowned for thier tall gearing, which to me, robs the car of its performance potential. But there you are, we all know how cars should be built.
Thanks once again.
Ian

jtrujillo86 · August 2004

That's not too bad for the fuel filter. When I had my Malibu, the stealership tried pulling $60 out of my pocket for the job...that's when I decided to do it on my own.

The Alero is a steal, like you said, after someone else takes the huge depreciation hit. It sounds like your car and mine are exactly alike. I got mine with 25,425 miles on it back in November for $9995. I was so close to going to a Civic, even though it was boring. There was no way I was going to find even a 3 year old Civic for the same price and the same equiptment (such as CD, p.w., p.dl, ect.).

I HONESTLY believe that no matter how many issues I have, I will always enjoy this car. With my Malibu though, that was another story. That was a grandma car and no fun to drive...I was OBLIGATED to sell it!

Jeremy

jtrujillo86 · August 2004

I just had the dash replaced on my car. It looks really good and smells good too

The only thing that kinda sucks is that the new dash kits don't come with a new passenger side air bag cover, so the cover looks a bit worn compared to the rest of the dash.

Anyway, the tech didn't reinstall the passenger side A-pillar cover correctly, so it's not flush at the top with the headliner. Does anyone know how to remove and reinstall this?

Thanks in advance,

Jeremy

expwyman · August 2004

For anyone who bought the Alero collector's edition, did you get any additional goodies from Oldsmobile, such as a package with commemorative items/flyers, keychain, letter? I read online that Aurora Coll. Ed. owners got such a package.

rdeschene · August 2004

Hi there Jeremy,

According to my Haynes manual the pillar trim can be removed using a "trim tool", so I assume this is just snapped in place. I don't know what size/shape this "trim tool" is, but I would guess it's probably like a putty knife but with a curved blade and strong metal to prevent gouging the plastic when you remove the trim.

Good luck, and congratulations on the dash replacement. Possibly vinyl cleaner would give more sheen/brightness to the air bag cover and it would blend in better with the newer components ?

rdeschene · August 2004

I'm just generally interested in hearing from other Alero owners if they would buy their particular car again if they knew the problems (or lack thereof) they were going to have with it.

Personally I like the comfortable seats, hwy 32mpg and overall responsiveness (acceleration, brake, steering, handling) and outward visibility. Over the last 30,000 miles (68,000 miles total, it's a 2000) we've spent about $1300 replacing BOTH front wheel bearings, the fuel level sensor and the auto. gearshift lever.

So that's about $650/year in repairs to a quite new vehicle, and those are all parts which I'm sure can be made to last much longer as they were never replaced in my Corsica (137,000 miles when I got rid of it). These isn't horrible reliability, but why should I accept it ?

So over the next 4 years I could reasonably expect to put another $2600 into an already depreciating asset. It is the sort of thing that will probably have me looking at Hondas and Toyotas/Kenmores the next time around, even if they are more expensive or don't get as good gas mileage. $650/year buys a lot of gas !

So if I had to do it again I'd probably buy something else, and in fact avoid GM/Ford/Chrysler entirely. And that is kind of too bad, for these corporations and their employees especially.

mikey00 · August 2004

I would definetly do it again. Mine is a 2000 V6 auto. Sticker was about 20K. Dealer discounted it to about 18K. I then applied my 6K of GM credit card earnings, so final cost was about 12K. The blower motor resitor board failed, but it only cost $17 and about 30 minutes of my time. I had the rotors replaced once on warranty, then turned down when brake pads were replaced, then they warped again and I had to pay to have them replaced with aftermarket brand rotors. I think the pulsating brake pedal is a problem that is always going to return every 15K miles or so. I always worry that the intake manifold gasket will fail as many have but so far no problems with it. The dash padding is holding up well and I am not experiencing the same problem others are with it. Overall it's a great car, excellent gas mileage (over 32 mpg on the highway), geared so that the engine is low reving at highway speeds. It has a lot of nice little features that are missing from my Lexus, such as: tire pressure monitor, always hot accessory power outlet, smooth idle, low gas chime, oil life monitor, auto headlights that won't kill the battery (leave a door adjar on the Lexus and the lights will stay on until the battery is dead). Not to mention that at the price I paid I could have 3 Aleros for the cost of one Lexus.

jtrujillo86 · August 2004

I would definitely buy my Alero again. I have had some issues with my car. All except for the R/F speed sensor have been trim issues: exterior door handle, dash pad warping, door panel warping. Don't feel bad with your $650/a year in repairs. When I owned my 1997 Malibu, I spent $2200 in one year in repairs...that's when you know you should get rid of your car. Even if I come across a few issues with my car in the next few years, I would still keep it. I love everything about this car: the styling, handling, responsiveness, great MPG with the 3.4L V6...everything. When I had my Malibu, it left me stranded twice in a year, also. My Alero has never left me stranded and I have yet to hear of any Alero owner being stranded except unless they've come across a fuel level sensor issue and didn't know it. I've heard though that they've been fixed on the 2001's and newer.

About that air bag cover: I don't think any vinyl cleaner/dressing would help. The lines in the air bag cover are more prominent than those in the dash, just because of age. It's okay though...it's not that big of a deal and I think the only reason I notice it is because I'm the only one in it every day. Thank you BTW for your help with that.

Jeremy

jtrujillo86 · August 2004

I purchased my car used with 25K miles on it for just under $10K. It was a great deal, I thought. The dealership that I purchased my Alero from replaced the intake manifold gasket right when they took delivery. This means that they used the supposedly 'new' materials and stronger gaskets, so I don't think that I'll be seeing this problem for a very, very long time, if ever.

Also, the secret to keeping repair costs down is finding a good independent GM repair shop. Make sure they specialize in GM...I would never take my car to those places who work on everything under the sun. There is a good one here in Denver that I plan on using now since my warranty is up. You guys can e-mail me if there is anyone in Denver who needs the name: j2000jeremy@cs.com

Jeremy

rdeschene · August 2004

Jeremy - thanks for the point on using a good, independent GM repair shop to help keep repair costs down.

But really, the front wheel bearings and fuel level sensor were obviously definitely dead and needed to be replaced. And this dealership is actually very good like that in general - on this and the previous vehicle they never "found" extra things that needed to be repaired, and their parts and labour charges are pretty much in line with the local independent shops from speaking with others.

No, basically I'm of the opinion that GM has no excuse for having faulty components which have been essentially around for 20-25 years (e.g. front wheel bearings on FWD cars, fuel level sensors, etc.) It's not like we're talking about stability control system components or NAV systems here, this is really basic stuff.

bryan · August 2004

Bought #363 of final 500 Aleros. No special goodies with the car like you mention. It is badged very tastefully IMO. The dark cherry metallic paint is just beautiful and the chrome wheels add to the car's beauty. I have received lots of compliments, and all in all am very happy with the car.

I also happen to own a 2003 Aurora (built in February 03), but not one of the final 500. Have had several warranty issues with the Aurora, most notably the defective bose stereo speaker and the rattling roof behind the sun roof. Everything fixed to perfection, but then I expected it because of the stellar service regularly provided by the selling dealer.

Absolutely no issue at all with the Alero, which was purchased in May 04 and has now about 1800 miles. In fact, just gave it top marks in JD Powers survey.

pat · August 2004

Hi Jeremy,

There's no reason why you can't post the dealer's name here, but there is a big reason why you shouldn't post your email address. The spambots will get it and eventually you will be inundated with garbage. The thing to do is just make your address public in your profile. That allows logged-in members to see it, but the spambots cannot.

If you want, I'll be glad to delete your post with your address in it - just drop me an email.

isseyvoo · September 2004

Why is it that even with with the Alero's 100K mi. spark plugs, 5 yr. coolant, etc., that a dealer "15K mi service" still costs $300+ (and that's even with a manual tranny)? I knuckle under and pay up because I fear voiding the warranty if I don't perform a service the dealer recommends, but I can't imagine what they're doing that justifies this kind of charge. Thoughts from the gallery? All I can figure from the invoice is that they did an oil change and "checked" things.

coalcracker1 · September 2004

This is commonly known as the dealer maintenance rip-off. They sock it to you for really uneeded "checks." When you take it in next time tell them that you only want the maintenance that is required to keep your car in warranty. They don't like that but its up to you.

expwyman · September 2004

I bought a collector's edition Alero and just love it. The dealer told me that Oldsmobile/GM would be sending a package to me eventually to commemorate the special edition. Still haven't heard anything. In fact, I have no idea what number my car is (out of 500). The salesman had no idea how to determine it. I'll contact GM for that info shortly.

As for maintenance, ask to have only what is necessary. My dealer also adds on fluid replacements that don't need to be done (and when it was pointed out that Olds says that the fluids last for 100K, then they said that they recommended that it should be done. But then why does Olds recommend otherwise? Why does Olds advertise low maintenance as a key feature? Tell them to do only what is necessary based on the recommended service by Olds.

bryan · September 2004

I too bought a final 500 Alero--number 363 to be exact. The number is on the driver's side door sill where the door meets the frame when the door is closed--there is a badge with the number on it. It was one of the first things the salesman showed me.

Glad to hear you are happy with yours too. I'm really enjoying the XM satellite radio--can't imagine buying another car without it. As to maintenance, I am fortunate to have found a GMC/Chevy/Pontiac/Buick/Olds dealer in Delaware that doesn't play the service game. I now have all my GM cars serviced there, and I live 130 miles away! The followup after both sale and service has been outstanding.

Here's to many enjoyable miles for you in your collector's edition.

expwyman · September 2004

I found the number. Not far behind you... #367. You might want to move the coin to a safer place inside the car. I think it's stuck on with double sided tape, and it could eventually fall off one day when you open the door.

By the way, I contacted Olds about whether there would be a Customer Appreciation Package mailed to us (like the one people got with the coll. ed. Aurora), and they said no. No special anything from Olds to commemorate the purchase.
I'm probably going to go to the Olds Museum in Michigan next year for kicks.

Happy driving!

bryan · September 2004

Wow, your number is close. I see from your profile you are in the Pittsburgh area, a few hundred miles from Delaware where I purchased. I'm curious to know how was your car equipped? IIRC, the sticker was $26,400 on mine. I'll dig it out to jog my memory on how mine is equipped exactly and post that for you in the near future.

My dealer has given me several articles from GM shop publications about the final 500 for my "archives". It's in my files with the window sticker, etc. for posterity.

I'm getting 32 mpg highway, and car has about 2K miles. The car is a kick to drive--makes me smile every time I'm in it. Enjoy your ride.

bryan · October 2004

Has the Alero thread run its course? I hope not. Where's Jeremy--back in school and no time for Edmunds right now?

My collector's edition has been resting in the garage for the past two weeks, but it's coming out this weekend for a run to the Delaware shore. Car has almost 3K miles--just about time for its first service. Took my Aurora in Monday for some minor body work, and the service advisor asked about the Alero. It sure is nice doing business where the dealership folks know your name and take such good care of you and your cars.

Let's hear some from some other final 500 Alero owners.

dan165 · October 2004

Alero is still for sale so it's not completely dead yet. Local dealer has 4 or 5 2004s on the lot still.

expwyman · October 2004

My Coll. Ed. came with everything except the XM radio. I bought a Roady 2 for a 1/3 of the price (plus I got a free home kit), and have it mounted in the front cup holder with a Belkin TuneDok. (Can't use the front cup holder for much else... my only quibble with the car so far... poor cupholders) My dealer had absolutely zilch about the collector's edition, etc., so I took a few brochures with the DVDs. Once in a while, you'll see stuff on Ebay for the collector's edition (posters, flyers, etc.).
I'm waiting on some parts from GMPartsDirect.com... ordered a trunk tray, splash guards and extra mats (I put the originals in the house so I wouldn't mess them up).
At a restaurant a few weeks ago, the valet told me the car looked real sharp. I do enjoy driving it.

bryan · October 2004

I'm glad to hear you also like the car. IIRC, there are several pix posted earlier on this thread that show the final Alero coming off the assembly line, autographed by the folks who built it.

Best line I heard about my new car was from my neighbor. To make a long story short, her husband knocked a door and bicycle into my '03 Aurora that was in my garage while trying to borrow my extension ladder. His wife thought it was the Alero, and said to me "Well, we'll certainly pay for the damage--I'm just glad it was not your collector's edition car!" Me too. Especially since it was not the Aurora's first time going to the body shop!

jhs70 · October 2004

My son has a '99 Alero 2 dr 6-cyl Alero. Very nice car and he's real proud of it. Two "issues" though:
1-The check engine light and another idiot light just won't go off when he tries to reset them. THere doesn't seem to be anything "wrong" with the car that would make the lights go on. Any ideas on that?
2-when the engine is rev'ed to about 4k RPM the engine tries to move to a lower RPM, almost like there's some kind of governor on it. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? (Of course, WHY he thinks he needs to be at that RPM is a topic we've also discussed!)

THANKS ALERO FANS!

expwyman · November 2004

I've noticed that when I have my lights on in my Alero, the floor console (where the automatic gear shift is) gets very hot, especially where the P R and N letters are. I'm presuming this is due to the bulb that is hidden below to illuminate these letters. Has anyone else had this problem before? I'm taking my car in for its first oil change in a few weeks, and I want the dealer to look at it. If anyone else has had this problem, please let me know on this board. Thanks!

mikey00 · November 2004

I drove for 30 minutes with the headlights on and the interior light intensity adjusted to max briteness. The console got pretty warm in that area but not what I would call hot. It was not hot enough where I would have to pull my hand away. It may get hotter after 30 minutes. You might try to adjust your interior britness down a bit and see if this helps.

mikey00 · November 2004

I had to do another trip tonight, this one about 35 minutes. After driving for that time with the headlights on and the intreior intensity all the way up, I could gently lay my index finger on top of the indicators and keep it there. If I put pressure on my index finger I had to remove it due to the heat. I guess it does get pretty hot in that area.

expwyman · November 2004

I went to the dealer yesterday and described the problem, and the service rep said that they do know about the console getting hot, but there's no safety issue and no repair necessary. He said that the only way it would cool down is if the bulbs burned out. Needless to say, I thought this was a pretty poor answer. I also wrote to the online GM service center and they said they have heard of no problems with the console.

Currently, I do drive with the interior dash lights on low to keep the floor console from heating up too much, but my arm tends to lean on the arm rest and my hand often rests near the hot area on the console. I'm going to see if I can open up the console soon and check what's going on with the bulbs (are they too close to the console? can they be disconnected?).

The main reason I worry is that I drove a rental Alero earlier this year which had it's floor console lights (P, R, N, D, ...) with blister cracks, presumably due to the heat. I don't want that happening to my car too.

jtrujillo86 · November 2004

Sorry that I haven't been on in a REALLY long time. I have been busy with school (my first year at Colorado State -- GO RAMS!).

My car is doing awesome. I have some bad news though...I have to sell her. My insurance on this car is killing me and with a car payment on top of that, I just can't do it. All I really need is a cheepo to get me to and from work every now and then, which is like a 5 mile drive, and something to get me 75 miles to and from home every other weekend or so. I found a 95 Saturn SL2 with 130K miles on it for only $900. I think I might spring for that. I hear that Saturns can go forever without problems...some have bad alternators or valve cover gaskets, but that's the same with these Alero's. I'm EXTREMELY depressed over this, but hey...what can I do?

Hope everyone is doing okay here...

Jeremy

burdawg · November 2004

I think your making a bad move with that SL2, especially if it has a quad 4 engine (not sure if the SL2 came with it or if it was an option). At 130K I really think your asking for some major repair bills. Also, I don't know what the situation is with your Alero as far as equity in the car, but the resale is not good on it, so you may take a beating in the sale.
Have you considered re-financing it for a longer term with lower payments? In your situation that may be an option, even if not the most desirable one, and at least you know what you have. You can't do much about the cost of insurance though.

burdawg · November 2004

Looks like a 95 SL2 was only available with the 1.9L, not the quad 4, but I still feel the same way.

skibry1 · November 2004

Refinance will cost ya...but you know her history.
Anything with 6 digits could be more costly than your cp+ins.

jtrujillo86 · November 2004

You guys all have really good points. I have to admit too, that while I was washing my car today, I sort of changed my mind. I REALLY don't want to sell it, but I worked two jobs in high school just so I could have something this nice. Right now I am working out some sinarios to see if I can keep it. I don't know tho...

Jeremy

bryan · November 2004

Good to see you posting again--you seemed to be the one that kept the Alero thread going. I have an '04 collector's edition that I am enjoying. I hope you are able to work it out so you can keep yours. Good luck to you with your car issue and also with your studies.

jtrujillo86 · November 2004

Thanks for your comments, guys. Bryan: congrats on the collectors edition. Those are really sweet cars. Personally, I would rather have one of those over, say, an Audi A4 that I seem to see all over the Denver-Metro area. I saw one for sale on e-bay. It was brand new, being sold by the Oldsmobile dealer. The "Buy It Now" price was $4,000 below the window sticker price...now that's a deal. If I had the money, I would have to spring for that one.

Jeremy

bryan · November 2004

I did better than the e-bay price, by far! I got $4700 off sticker ($3500 rebate plus $1200 off sticker) and I got almost $1K more for my trade than any of the used guides, including Edmunds. It pays to maintain your car--the dealership GM valued my trade himself, and they sold it for $3K more than my trade allowance, IIRC. Do I care--NO--because I got more than what I felt was fair.

Overall a great experience--both the car and the dealership. GM said it was one of the nicest trades he had ever taken--they had to do NOTHING to put the car on the front line ('95 Cutlass convertible, traded in May). I guess it also helped that all maintenance on that car had been performed at that dealership for the previous two years.

jtrujillo86 · December 2004

So here at Colorado State University, we just got our first big snow. Of course, the university is too lazy to plough the parking lots, so there are nice two-foot mounds of ice all over the place (which I am willing to bet will be there for about a month until they melt). Anyway, driving through the parking lots seem to be like taking an off-road journey. I came home the other night, hit a few ice mounds without realizing, and broke the splash guard under the front bumper in two places. I also scratched the front bumper. The splash guards are in three pieces: the right, left, and center. I managed to damage each piece. The stealership wants $250 to fix it all...can you believe that crock?? I found them all for about $30 bucks a pop on gmpartsdirect.com and they look like they just snap on. Chalk one up for the kid who refused to get hosed by the stealership!

Jeremy

P.S. Gmpartsdirect.com has a ton of parts that are below list price. (You do have to pay for shipping though.) It's a great place to get Alero accessories too, since even the GM website doesn't offer them anymore. Check it out.

sean3 · December 2004

you think when you see an alero that the owner is cheap, well considering how cheap they are to buy? many people said if i buy an alero i would be looked at as boring and cheap, and i have noticed alot of lower class area driving aleros, heck you can buy an alero cavalier grand am chaeaper than a hyndai,but atleast there cas arent all old school engines designs and chassis. GM seems to build there small to midsize cars for people who dont know any better, rental fleets love GM's. why did gm ever punish us with the malibu? impala? redesign. cars are an extension of us, so if ou drive one of those, People will draw a conclusion.

sean3 · December 2004

we get a good laugh when a male is actually driving an alero, i mean seriously. have some pride! they are for 16 year old girls, but were made for 56+ year old women. what happened to guys driving guy cars and girls driving girl cars?geeez, ")

dontshopthewal · December 2004

I feel otherwise. I know otherwise, actually.

The Alero was designed to be sporty and appeal to any age group (including males). I have no idea why you think it was designed for 56yr+ people.

Maybe its the deceptive name "Olds"mobile.

mikey00 · December 2004

According to insurance company statistics the Alero is primarily a male youth car.

Oldsmobile Alero

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