2002 Oldsmobile Alero GLS from North America - Comments

I have a 2000 Alero GLS; it just turned 180,000 miles today.

My brake pads first needed to be replaced at 60,000 miles. The replacements were cheap ones and lasted 20,000 miles. Those replacements lasted 20,000 miles again.

Other problems were with the head gaskets @60,000 - for which there is a known service bulletin on the 3.6L engine. Out of warranty, but I complained loudly to the dealer and had the work done for about half what they should have charged me.

The other problem has been the front wheel bearings, which I've had to replace three times, at about 60,000 miles each time. These shouldn't be wearing out so often, but it's the only recurring problem I feel I shouldn't have.

Some have commented about the turn signals - there is also a service bulletin about this problem. You can fix this one very easily yourself by replacing the hazard switch (about $22).

All in all, my Alero hasn't been too much more troublesome than other cars I've owned. At 180,000 miles, the engine is still purring along and the handling is as tight as the day I bought it. If I had to replace this car, I'd buy it again, except of course they no longer make them!

Ahh yeah!! My wife and I own a 2002 Alero with the 3.4L, and I will never buy another GM product ever!! We replace the brakes every few months, have had wheel bearings replaced a total of 5 times!! And have had the upper and lower intake gaskets replaced, the upper twice!! All in 144000 miles!!

Those of you with the coolant leak, or who have to keep adding coolant, you better have the intake gaskets looked at asap!! I had the same thing happen to my 1999 Grand Am, and the thing eventually blew up because the dealer couldn't find a leak, so every thing "should" be OK. Yeah right! Never buy another GM!!

I bought a 2002 Alero last year in Montreal, and it had 98000km on it when I bought it. I now have 155000KM on it and I have to change the wheel hub. I love the car and I got it for cheap (I know why now). I am going to fix that and the brakes, and I will try and sell it because I don't want to end up with a bunch of problems. It seems like quite the LEMON. I've always had Japanese and European cars, but I figured I'd try a North American car (WRONG).

I also had an Alero. Mine was a 1999. I got it in 2001. It had 43,000 miles on it. I got rid of it 21 months later with 93,000 miles on it. In that time I had to replace:

Heater Core

Thermostat

All Gaskets. Twice.

Full Suspension. Twice.

E-Brake

Front and Rear Brake Pads & Rotors. Twice.

Wheel Bearings

Oil Pump

Fuel Pump

Drivers Side Window, Regulator and Motor

Alternator. Twice.

Cig Lighter. Both.

Wiper Motor. Both.

Rear Window Defroster.

Climate Control Knob Section

Fan Motor for Heater

And this list goes on...

I bought it for $12,000

When I sold it, it was only worth $1,200

It was worth the loss just to get it gone. I hate Aleros!

I bought my 2002 Oldsmobile 2.2 4 cyl. Alero in June of 2007 and it had 59,000 miles on it. I started having problems on it as of November of last year, the front bearings had to be replaced.

January my ignition control module had to be replaced.

February it started stalling and had to wait to start it up, and then I took it to get checked because the service engine soon light would not go off. I replaced the oxygen sensor. The car ran great for a few days, and then started stalling again.

I had to replace the battery and then the fuel filter in April.

It is now end of May and I replaced the fuel pump and it still not starting. It will turn over, but not start; I have tried everything. I haven't even had the car a year, and am having so many problems with this car, and after reading this site, which I should have read first, there are many more problems to come. I don't know what to do with this car, because I still owe on it and it is out of warranty, which is my fault because I didn't buy the extended one. I have spent so much money on this car, and now know of nothing else to do with it, it has been parked most of the time I have owned it.

I own a 1999 oldsmobile alero. From the moment I drove it off the lot, I have been doing repairs. I have had the tire rods replaced, water pump, wheel bearings, and numerous other malfunctions to occur.

I am getting ready to replace the wheel bearings again this week. The passenger window works when it wants to. You take a chance by going to a drive through. The service engine light stays on. I took it to a GM dealership to have repairs made. They replaced a R&R coil, which had just been replaced less than six months prior. This is not a car I would recommend to anyone else. I see why GM is having financial difficulty.

I have a 2002 Oldsmobile Alero GLS. It has 84,500 miles on it. I've owned it for a year or two. It's pretty much gone to hell. Right now my driver side window broke again. Need a new motor. I have a mal intake leak. My wheel bearing on the right side went and my service vehicle soon, trac off, ABS lights are on. I have a broken strut. My brakes are acting up. I go thru gas like candy.

I bought my 99 Oldsmobile Alero back in 2003 it has been wonderful until these last two years.

I have replaced the brakes more times than I can think of counting. Just got the car out of the shop for a full break job. Since the day I bought the car I haven't had use of the E-break. Just found out there is nothing they can easily do about the e-break I figure I haven't needed it in the past 5 years no need for it now. In the past 2 years my traction control light comes on and now I leave it on since the car seems to drive smoother without it.

2002 Alero 6 cyl, my trac off, ABS, service vehicle soon lights came on out of nowhere also. A quick fix is to pull the ABS, ETS fuse located under the hood. The ABS light stays on but the other two go away, then try to sell it or trade it. These cars are money pits mechanically and at the pump. Anyone know which fuse to pull to get rid of the change oil light?

Bought my 01 Alero with 43k on it as a salvage vehicle. Did my repairs, which did not require any frame work, strictly bolt on parts and dents in rear quarter panel. Since then, the whole rear suspension has worn out. Struts knock and bang, front wheel bearings have failed twice, heater fan motor and resister, handles like a cheap sports car, but terrible on snow and ice. Interior is poor quality, vinyl is pulling apart on the dash. Only gets 19mpg with 4 cylinder. I'd rather drive my Ford truck. It's not a lemon from what I read, it's all normal!!! Stay away from them.

My daughter bought a 2002 Alero with 50K miles on it. Had to replace the intake manifold gasket at 80K ($700) and the right wheel bearing at 94K miles ($300). The rear defroster doesn't work, heater fan switch had to be replaced, and it had a blinker problem (GM fixed blinker for free). I know a fair amount about cars and do a lot of repairs myself. I cannot recommend an Alero... it drives nice, gets 28 mpg (3.4L) but just breaks down too often. As for the oil change light, see owners manual for a simple reset procedure, AFTER you change the oil.

I have a 2003 Alero and it has had the following issues.

1) Intake gasket - known issue by car owners.

2) SVS/trac light/ABS light on. Technical service bulletin indicates that front right ABS harness could be faulty. Cleaned contact with Isopropynol and used liquid electrical tape to see connector and no more lights.

3) Driver window fell out - replaced clips - $26.

Other than that the car has been good. Not GM's best by a long shot, but the 2003 and 2004 series are better than the 99-02 series.

I have a 2002 Oldsmobile Alero. The car has been great except for a few problems, which seem to be common.

When the trac, anti lock and service vehicle lights come on, that is when it is time to replace the bad wheel bearing.

I was reading other comments and a lot of them had brake issues. I had those issues only once. Our mechanic told us the way to get rid of the brake problems was to buy new calipers, brake lines, rotors and new brake pads. Doing that only to the front brakes solved the brake issues I was having.

To turn off the change oil light, look in your manual and it tells you how to do that. You only do this after every oil change.

The car has 150,000 miles on it and we just replaced the catalytic converter, which is normal with a vehicle with so many miles.

The thing that really bothers me is we have to replace the wheel bearings every year to a year and a half.

If anyone is having problems with the service engine soon light, and when you bring it to the mechanic, and the mechanic says it's the oxygen sensors. And you have replaced them like 2 to 3 times already. Usually when the oxygen sensors are failing a lot, that is because the catalytic converter is starting to plug up. That is what happened to my car.

It would be nice if GM would help some of you having major problems with your Aleros.

I recently bought my daughter an 02 Alero with I don't know how many miles. The car runs nice. The interior is coming apart in various places. It recently started sputtering and losing power and the service engine soon light came on. I added a bottle of dry gas (northeast) and changed all 4 spark plugs. The car runs great again, but the service engine light is still on.

You should bring the car to your mechanic and have them plug the car into the computer to see if there is anything else wrong with the car. And if there is nothing else wrong the mechanic can shut off the service engine soon light for you.