The smart thing to do would be to find a nice, used low-mileage Alero if you are in the market for one. You know because Olds is going out, the resale value is going to hit rock bottom. Also, if you get a nice year-old car with low miles, the original owner already took the biggest hit in value loss. You shouldn't be able to lose much more.
Just FYI I have a 2000 AL 4 cyl. program Alero with 13000 miles. The blower motor quit on the first two positions. The dealer reported that the resistor and air conditioned head were out and needed to be replaced. The parts were ordered from the out of state distribution warehouse.
Standard radio with DC and Cassette sucks. The radio picks up interference from other stations and sources. Dealer will not correct this problem. My wife has a 2000 Intrigue and the radio with only a cassette has a good sound without the interference problem.
The fuel mileage is 24 to 25 in light city driving and 30 to 31 moderate highway driving at 68 to 70 MPH.
Rotors are still OK, and I like the car and think the style is much better than the over active Grand Am gingerbread.
I am just about set to buy a new 2001 ALERO (4 cyl., 5-speed getrag). I really like this car! Only one thing scares me-reliability! here is where I am coming from-my current car is a SATURN SC-2. In 53,000 miles, I have had NOT ONE lick of trouble with it. my previous 2 cars were saturs as well:car #1 went 124K miles, with only a water pump replaced. #2 went 104K miles with no problems whatsoever! I really like the Olds, but I also like not going to the dealer for repairs-will this car (Alero) be as trouble-free as my saturns?
There are people (one of them a co-worker of mine with a 1994 SC2) who have all sorts of problems with Saturns, but yours were trouble-free. It's a chance you take when buying a new car. The Alero (according to Consumer Reports) has an average reliability rating, so you might want to consider that.
I just got my V6 GL on Wednesday. Reliability was a concern for me too. But with the deals they are having on the vehicles and providing the extra warranty at no cost, I figured I really didn't have anything to loose. The only extra I got on mine was the V6 engine and I paid $15,500. I think a good deal. Good Luck.
Well, I've had my Alero for less than a month now, and already the windshield wipers are causing me trouble. First the one on the passenger side stopped wiping most of the area. I tried playing with it a few times to get it to work right, and after the third try I managed to fix it.
That was no big deal, though. But then I noticed something horrible! On the driver's side, I saw what appeared to be a thin scratch that's the length of the entire arc of the wiper. I tried to convince myself it wasn't a scratch, but it won't come off. As far as I can remember, I didn't keep the wipers on for any period of time when the windshield wasn't wet. Maybe it has something to do with the way the windshield washer fluid seems to take its time coming out while the wipers are moving on a dry windshield? Maybe it has something to do with the wipers themselves? Or maybe it was just something that has nothing to do with either of them. I don't know, but I've never had a brand new car with brand new wipers get a scratch in the windshield like that.
Sure, it may not be a big problem to some people, but I get really mad everytime I see that scratch on the windshield of my otherwise perfect car. I don't know what, if anything, to do about it. I guess I'll just wait until I get a huge chip in my windshield, or someone throws a big rock at it or something. Then I won't feel so silly having the whole thing replaced. Of course, there's no way on Scrod's blue Earth that the dealer will do anything about it..
Loving the way my spouse's Intrigue drives, I am considering buying an Alero 5-speed for myself. Am dissapointed that the only engine available with this transmission is the 2.4L four-cylinder. Is this a combination that "wants to go" but can't, or does it deliver??
Any comments, experiences, praise or gripes would be appreciated.
There is a Cadillac/Olds dealer in Greenwich Ct that was advertising on the radio a special sales on a fleet sale of used 2000 ALeros. The advertised price was $12,999 incl power seats, CD, power door locks etc. i assume it was a 4cyl Gx as there was no mention of power windows. Even so it's a pretty good deal. This dealer is in Ct but the radio ads covered the NYC area.
My 2000 GLS has been in the shop for over a week....(yes I'm bitter). I'm driving a courtesy 2000 GL 4cyl, and I can't stand it. The 4 seems to hesitate alot and to me, just sounds cheap. I am so glad now that I chose a 6 over a 4. It would be nice if I could drive it again...... Also, does anyone know???? Olds is offering the extended warranty on all 2000 and 2001 - on my 2000 bought in May 2000, does that apply to me or just on ones purchased after that announcement??
fatjuan: Here's what the Olds website says for the GM protection plan:
Must take retail delivery from participating dealer stock between 12/16/2000 and 10/01/2002. General Motors Major Guard® Protection coverage for 5 Years/60,000 miles (whichever comes first) effective from date of delivery and 0 miles.
This is on 2000, 2001, and 2002 models. Since you bought yours before 12/16/2000 you will only have the 3 year/36K mile warranty. Also, I think 12/16 was the day GM made the announcement to shut down Olds.
It's been over a week....I was told today that my fuel pump is on "national backorder" and have no idea when they will get one in. Is this possibly an alero problem that is becoming more common or a GM problem???????
I'm not sure the actual date of the Olds annoucement except that it was the same day we FINALLY learned who would be President. I think it was a before the 16th though. The deals and warranties soon followed.
My insurance seems high to me. I was orginally quoted $420 for a 6 Month premium. I have a GL1 Sedan with the V6. Turns out they gave me my husbands rate, but since I have a speeding ticket from 2.5 years ago I get to pay $540 every 6 mos. I am 26 yr old female. Is this what every one else is paying?? ALso $250 deductible.
Well, the Ruby-Red gem is great. Had the oil changed at 2400 miles and the service guys ordered a new mirror for the driver door for me. Man, the resale value of our Aleros are a joke! On the Edmunds used car appraiser, my car with 2400 miles is worth about the same as my dads '97 camry with 74,000 miles!! Unbelievable!! Anyway, I'm continuing to compile audiophile equip. for the car so it can have the BOOM I love... Hope all you Alero owners are happy with your cars; I really love mine. Even if I did see an ad in the paper yesterday for a brand new 2000 Millenia for $20,000!!
Though, it depends very substantially on were you live. My friend's insurance dropped by 1/3 after they moved several miles to another suburb. And I had hear about substantial insurance increase / decrease when moving to different zip code inside the same town, with 3 post offices. All of this happens in Connecticut.
On the other hand, I believe that one speeding ticket in 3 years does not influence insurance in our state. After the second ticket the payments increase substantially.
My wife and I have insurance with a little known local Connecticut company, named General Electric :-). Well, this is only partial joke: GE is a big and famous company, but it is not famous for car insurance. They sell the insurance by mail, by phone, and at Internet.
Other mail-order insurance companies are bombarding us by junk mail, claiming to save us a lot of money. To be sure, I asked them for quotes several times. Every time it turned to be it costs several hundred dollars more than we are paying currently. Something like $250 to $600 more per year for two cars, depending on company. As well as I remember, I checked with Prudential, GEICO(?), Arabella(?).
Recently we bought a renter insurance from GE. The policy had very good price even before substantial discount for auto insurance with the same insurer.
And the last: the $250 deductible are very low. Better to have $500 deductible - or even $1000, if your loan officer does not object.
It does not pay to apply for insurance reimbursement in case of small damages. First, it is too much trouble to apply and to wait for appraiser. Second, the insurance may get through roof the next year, and will remain high for years.
I do not know the exact cut-off point for reimbursement, but my friend, who lives in US for 25 years and know better the customs, did not apply for the reimbursement recently, when he was hit-and-run with $2500 damage. The same when a thief broke his windsheld to steal a cell phone. But he was reimbursed several years ago when his car was totaled by a vehicle which lost control on highway.
will definitley check out GE's website. Insurance is such a neccesary evil. I have always had State Farm and never thought about changing until now. We have 3 vehicles and we do our renters insurance thru them. It is a big move for me.
I was told Aleros are very high rating - higher insurance. When i was single, 24 yr old male with no tickets, they wanted $675/6months. I got married and went with allstate and with my car and my wife's truck it is 550/ 6months.
I'm 26, single, and have a clean driving record and insurance on my 98 Intrigue runs right at $600 every 6 months. A bit high in my opinion considering my record.
Wow! I pay just under $1100 CDN/ year on my 2000 Intrigue. You are getting hosed. I live near Toronto so rates are higher here than in the smaller cities.
Reading a lot of history in the forum (back a year or more), and not sure if the brake rotor and leaking problems have been permenately fixed on the 2001 Alero? One more question is about the real life MPG folks are getting with the 4cyl., 5 speed on the highway? Also, are folks happy with that power train? Am considering a new GX.
I finally took the plunge. With the 2K rebate, I got a Ruby Red GL2 5-sp. for $16,350. Then took off the $2.8K for GM Card points. I think I got a pretty good deal. I'm to pick up the car on Saturday. (They have to drive it from a dealer 5 hours away since the manual tranny is apparently in short supply and they couldn't find one locally.) I look forward to swapping accounts on this message board. Regards.
My husband and I are considering a 2001 Alero GX. Right now we have a Nissan 200SX (GARBAGE). I hear a lot about the questionable reliability of this car. I don't want to get burned again! How does everybody feel about thier Alero? What about a lease?
I'm a 21 year old single male. I don't have any points on my record and I have a $165 a month premium... Think its because of my age I am gettin' raped on insurance.
Bill - Have you shopped around? $165 /month is pretty high, in my opinion. I pay about $1300/year for full coverage on a '99 Intrigue GL and '96 Saturn SL. But I'm 26 and married!
etharmon - Is that $600 Canadian or USD? For someone 26 that would be a little high in US $$.
I live in NJ and we have the highest insurance rates in the country. I checked the premiums on various cars I was thinking about--Alero, Grand Am, Saturn LS, Altima, and a few others. The premiums were all very close to each other. So i did not pay an extra premium for Alero. I just pay a fortune for the privilege of living in NJ.
The Alero seems to be a very good car. You might want to try and get a GL model as they don't cost alot more and have a few extra features. As for a lease, GM is not subsidizing lease rates like they were 2-3 years ago as they are taking a hit on residuals. And with Oldsmobile now dead and resale(thus residual) lower, the best deals are on purchases. You should be able to get a good deal on a new Alero and your also getting a 5 year 60,000 mile warranty(unless you live in FL). Good luck.
ledzepbbc, I feel your pain. Before I turned 21, I was paying about what you are paying a month on my old car(89 Olds Toronado). It went down quite a bit when I turned 21 and then again when I turned 25. Looks like I'll have to get married or have a sex change to get it any lower now. Any of you guys think it's unfair that women have lower rates? Seriously, I'd like to see their statistics as I just don't believe that women(particularly in my age group) are better drivers. I sure as hell wouldn't let my ex girlfriend drive my car after riding with her.
Well, I visited my car at the dealership last night -- just driven in from Rochester. I had asked for the gray interior, but am apparently getting stuck with the tan. The dealer told me the only other Ruby Red 5-sp. in the nation was out in Nebraska, so I guess I shouldn't put up a fuss. The salesperson let me take a teaser drive before I pick it up on Saturday. Very nice, and surprisingly peppy for a 4 cyl. I imagine I'll get over the interior color before too long.
Drove home in a heavy snowstorm in NJ tongiht. Car handled like a dream. I was very impressed with ABS and traction control.
I needed to use the rear defroster. It worked finr. But it shut off automatically after about 10 minutes. I had to put it back on to get it working. is this normal. in my other cars, it stays on until it is either turned off the car car is turned off. Is this normal or do I need to get it checked?
This is normal. At least the rear defogger of my Malibu behaves the same way. The same with 1988(sic!) Ford Taurus Wagon.
If I remember right, it shuts off after 10 minutes only the first time. Than after 5 minutes.
With front defogger working at max hot, usually there is not so much need in the rear one after several minutes, after the engine warm-up. Though, the heavy snow can be different...
Nice name. You have the same name as my wife. Alero is a great car. It's not perfect, but it's reliable. My mom has a 1999 GL with a V6 and it has been problem free for two years.
Your rear defogger is working fine. Every car I have owned has done that(98 Intrigue included). BTW, what was your old car? The defogger is designed to clear most ice and fog in ten minutes then shuts off the conserve energy as it draws alot of current.
Thinking about buying a used 2000 Alero GLS. It seems like a really good deal. The dealer has come down to 13900, which I believe is due to the amount of business my parents give him (they buy a new truck every year and a new SUV every 3 years, plus do all servicing there). It could also be due to the high mileage on only a year old car (28571). I am concerned about the rotor and leakage problems other Alero owners have mentioned. This will be my first auto purchase on my own, so I want to make sure this is a good deal. Any advice you could all offer me would be greatly appreciated.
Had a Pontiac Grand Am with a 4 cylinder engine a few years ago, and would never buy a four anger again. Not enough power, especially with A/I on. Dealers will tout fuel injected, but 6 cylinder has more power and seems to run smoother.
I am still getting use to the power of the V6 engine. I only have 600 miles on my 2001 GL1, and I am still pushing the gas more than I need to at takeoff from a stoplight. It is because I am coming from a 90 Mustang with 1.8L 4 cyl.
Hi Everyone, I am looking at several vehicles both (foreign/American). I test drove the Alero, both 4cyl/6cyl. Pleased with either. But, I have a very long commute to work. My question is: Does anyone have exact gas mileage figures on the 4cyl 5pd or 6cyl. And have you had any serious problems with them. My past experience with American made autos was not good. A little leery now. But the rebates are quite luring. Thank you
I knew the old style base Mustangs came with a four, but I didn't know it was that small. Geez, I bet the Alero feels like a Corvette compared to that.
easyeee, if it makes you feel any better, all new Aleros come with a 5 year 60,000 mile warranty. And the warranty will be honored at any GM dealer once Olds does finally close it's doors.
I have only got to check my gas mileage once on my V6. I wasn't very happy. I got 21.5 with 50/50 city to highway. Like previously stated mine only has 600 miles on it. Will this get better the more it is broken in? This is my first new car. I am going to retest this week. It should be all highway. I'll let you know what I get.
I have a 2000 GL2 with 6 cyl and 6500 miles. I average about 24 to 26 mpg in mix of city/highway/suburban driving. My wife has a hjeavy foot and I get lower mpg when she's done most of the driving. I find that is gets much worse when the weather is very cold. It's not too terrible but its less than I expected.
I read in another forum that somepeople replaced their spark plugs with paltinum plugs. Claim to get much more power and better mpg. Has anyuone done this?
Looking at my local market at 2000 GLS models, I see that most all are selling a little lower than the $13900 you mentioned. $11,000 to $13,000 seems to be the range (especially for the GL's) Make sure it is a V6 (for that money and high mileage), or walk. You can buy a brand new 2001 GX model (4 cyl. & 5 speed) for $14,200 giving the dealer a couple hundred profit. With that deal you get the full extended warranty up to 60,000 miles. I am still waiting to hear from someone with the 4 cyl & 5 speed, what kind of highway mpg they are getting?
Don't even bother with the 2.4L 4-banger. The V6 provides much more power, smoother operation, and at most suffer a 1-2 mpg. penilty in gas milage. If gas milage is your only concern, then get the V6, trust me its worth it.
I have a 2000 alero GLS with 17000 miles. Towed into dealer - fuel pump on national backorder. Been there 16 days without any notification, called parts manager, GM has no parts or no plans to ship them. Under Iowa law it states a lemon is out of service 20 days.....has anyone here had any experience with GM??? Heard a couple bad experiences.
I spoke with someone who is selling a 2000 Alero which sports a rare Olympic trim. Have any of you ever heard of this car? Before reading an ad for this car, I was dead set upon purchasing a new car. In fact, I came very close to buying a 2001 Mitsubishi Galant GT for $23,000. Any advise would be appreciated!
I'd like to hear from other Alero owners about the mileage you are getting .I posted a message a month ago about this subject.I have the 4 cyl motor with 3000 highway miles I 've been getting 23 mpg since I own the car.I would like to know what everybody else is getting as far as the mileage goes.I really like the car but very disappointed in the mileage.I would lke to know this because I would bring the car back and let them check the computer? Please respond
Well, I only have 1430 miles on my GLS Alero after a little over two months of ownership. Yes, I don't drive much.....
Anyway, my mileage is horrible, about 15-17 mpg in the city. It's only about a 3 mile drive to work, one way, so I'm guessing the poor gas mileage has to do with the short distances I dirve? I drove on the highway the other week and got about 28 mpg.
Just got the rotors fixed for the 2nd time. I now have 26,000 miles on my 1999 Aleros Last time the rotors were fixed, I had 14,000 miles on it. They tried to tell me that my tires were on too tight. NOT! But anyway, they were under warranty, so no charge and I have new rotors. Hopefully these will last.
I agree with most of you that the gas mileage is just not right. The sticker on the car said 28/30 mpg and I am not even close to that. I drive highway everyday (40 miles) each way to work and only get about 22 mpg. I have about 2500 miles on my car. I keep hoping it gets better, but it will have to get alot better! I also experienced something strange the other day with the brakes. The roads were slushy and icy and when I went to stop, I applied the brakes, and it felt like there was something preventing me from pushing the brakes any further and I heard a vibration type noise. Is this ABS? Maybe I have a problem with rotors? Also when I am backing out of my driveway, I hear a grinding sound when I apply the brake. Any comments?
Comments
Standard radio with DC and Cassette sucks. The radio picks up interference from other stations and sources. Dealer will not correct this problem. My wife has a 2000 Intrigue and the radio with only a cassette has a good sound without the interference problem.
The fuel mileage is 24 to 25 in light city driving and 30 to 31 moderate highway driving at 68 to 70 MPH.
Rotors are still OK, and I like the car and think the style is much better than the over active Grand Am gingerbread.
Kim
That was no big deal, though. But then I noticed something horrible! On the driver's side, I saw what appeared to be a thin scratch that's the length of the entire arc of the wiper. I tried to convince myself it wasn't a scratch, but it won't come off. As far as I can remember, I didn't keep the wipers on for any period of time when the windshield wasn't wet. Maybe it has something to do with the way the windshield washer fluid seems to take its time coming out while the wipers are moving on a dry windshield? Maybe it has something to do with the wipers themselves? Or maybe it was just something that has nothing to do with either of them. I don't know, but I've never had a brand new car with brand new wipers get a scratch in the windshield like that.
Sure, it may not be a big problem to some people, but I get really mad everytime I see that scratch on the windshield of my otherwise perfect car. I don't know what, if anything, to do about it. I guess I'll just wait until I get a huge chip in my windshield, or someone throws a big rock at it or something. Then I won't feel so silly having the whole thing replaced. Of course, there's no way on Scrod's blue Earth that the dealer will do anything about it..
Any comments, experiences, praise or gripes would be appreciated.
thanks,
Joe
2000 GL 4cyl, and I can't stand it. The 4 seems to hesitate alot and to me, just sounds cheap. I am so glad now that I chose a 6 over a 4. It would be nice if I could drive it again......
Also, does anyone know???? Olds is offering the extended warranty on all 2000 and 2001 - on my 2000 bought in May 2000, does that apply to me or just on ones purchased after that announcement??
Must take retail delivery from participating dealer stock between 12/16/2000 and 10/01/2002. General Motors Major Guard® Protection coverage for 5 Years/60,000 miles (whichever comes first) effective from date of delivery and 0 miles.
This is on 2000, 2001, and 2002 models. Since you bought yours before 12/16/2000 you will only have the 3 year/36K mile warranty. Also, I think 12/16 was the day GM made the announcement to shut down Olds.
and have no idea when they will get one in. Is this possibly an alero problem that is becoming more common or a GM problem???????
Thanks
Kim
Though, it depends very substantially on were you live. My friend's insurance dropped by 1/3 after they moved several miles to another suburb. And I had hear about substantial insurance increase / decrease when moving to different zip code inside the same town, with 3 post offices. All of this happens in Connecticut.
On the other hand, I believe that one speeding ticket in 3 years does not influence insurance in our state. After the second ticket the payments increase substantially.
My wife and I have insurance with a little known local Connecticut company, named General Electric :-). Well, this is only partial joke: GE is a big and famous company, but it is not famous for car insurance. They sell the insurance by mail, by phone, and at Internet.
http://www.geautoinsurance.com/index. asp
Other mail-order insurance companies are bombarding us by junk mail, claiming to save us a lot of money. To be sure, I asked them for quotes several times. Every time it turned to be it costs several hundred dollars more than we are paying currently. Something like $250 to $600 more per year for two cars, depending on company. As well as I remember, I checked with Prudential, GEICO(?), Arabella(?).
Recently we bought a renter insurance from GE. The policy had very good price even before substantial discount for auto insurance with the same insurer.
And the last: the $250 deductible are very low. Better to have $500 deductible - or even $1000, if your loan officer does not object.
It does not pay to apply for insurance reimbursement in case of small damages. First, it is too much trouble to apply and to wait for appraiser. Second, the insurance may get through roof the next year, and will remain high for years.
I do not know the exact cut-off point for reimbursement, but my friend, who lives in US for 25 years and know better the customs, did not apply for the reimbursement recently, when he was hit-and-run with $2500 damage. The same when a thief broke his windsheld to steal a cell phone. But he was reimbursed several years ago when his car was totaled by a vehicle which lost control on highway.
So why pay for what is better not to use?
Again Thanks!
Kim
Thanks
Bill
etharmon - Is that $600 Canadian or USD? For someone 26 that would be a little high in US $$.
ledzepbbc, I feel your pain. Before I turned 21, I was paying about what you are paying a month on my old car(89 Olds Toronado). It went down quite a bit when I turned 21 and then again when I turned 25. Looks like I'll have to get married or have a sex change to get it any lower now. Any of you guys think it's unfair that women have lower rates? Seriously, I'd like to see their statistics as I just don't believe that women(particularly in my age group) are better drivers. I sure as hell wouldn't let my ex girlfriend drive my car after riding with her.
I needed to use the rear defroster. It worked finr. But it shut off automatically after about 10 minutes. I had to put it back on to get it working. is this normal. in my other cars, it stays on until it is either turned off the car car is turned off. Is this normal or do I need to get it checked?
If I remember right, it shuts off after 10 minutes only the first time. Than after 5 minutes.
With front defogger working at max hot, usually there is not so much need in the rear one after several minutes, after the engine warm-up. Though, the heavy snow can be different...
I am concerned about the rotor and leakage problems other Alero owners have mentioned. This will be my first auto purchase on my own, so I want to make sure this is a good deal. Any advice you could all offer me would be greatly appreciated.
Dealers will tout fuel injected, but 6 cylinder has more power and seems to run smoother.
I love my Alero. I am so happy I bought it!!!!
Kim
easyeee, if it makes you feel any better, all new Aleros come with a 5 year 60,000 mile warranty. And the warranty will be honored at any GM dealer once Olds does finally close it's doors.
I read in another forum that somepeople replaced their spark plugs with paltinum plugs. Claim to get much more power and better mpg. Has anyuone done this?
Been there 16 days without any notification, called parts manager, GM has no parts or no plans to ship them. Under Iowa law it states a lemon is out of service 20 days.....has anyone here had any experience with GM??? Heard a couple bad experiences.
Anyway, my mileage is horrible, about 15-17 mpg in the city. It's only about a 3 mile drive to work, one way, so I'm guessing the poor gas mileage has to do with the short distances I dirve? I drove on the highway the other week and got about 28 mpg.