2002 Oldsmobile Alero GLS from North America - Comments

2003 alero with 40,000 km on it.

ABS/Trac/Service lights were on intermittantly.

I took in in and under warranty:

- 1 front bearing replaced

- 2 ABS sensors replaced

- 2 front rubber bushings were hammered to death and replaced

- air conditioning knob was busted and replaced

- seat belt pin broke and fell off - was replaced.

I am sure glad it was warranty. It drives nice, but I'm sure it will be back in the shop again at 80,000 km with the same problems and no warranty.

If your Service/ABS/Trac lights come on - don't ignore them - it might be a bearing.

I just traded in my Toyota with 180,000 miles on it for another Toyota. Never had a problem with the car and don't expect any with the new one.

My wife bought a 2002 Alero GLS before we were married. I almost didn't marry her for it, but love does crazy things. Now she thinks she can drive my new car and leaves me with the worst purchase of her life...

PROBLEMS WITH HER POS>>>

She had the front hub assembly replaced on both sides, one at 30,000 miles (under warranty) and the other at 65,000 (just after the warranty ran out). I think GM planned that one. Now the one replaced under warranty is bad and needs replaced at 75,000 miles.

I replaced the front brakes and rotors on the car three times and the rear brakes and rotors twice. This is something that is easy to do and you should do yourself.

We haven't had any other MAJOR probems with the vehicle other than brakes, rotors and hub assemblies, but if you don't know how to change them, it'll hit you in the pocket.

***For all of you with Trac Control, Service Veh Soon and ABS lights on in your Alero... your ABS sensor on one of your hub assemblies has gone bad. Which one??? You have to take it to the dealer with the vehicle codes to find out. This light will come on occasionally, then more often until it finally stays on all the time. You will start to hear a grind/hum as your bearings go on the hub.

GM dealer will charge you $54 to find out which hub is crap (takes 5 minutes). They tell you it costs $420 to replace one hub assembly. They know before they hook it up to the computer because that is such a common malfunction in this POS. Don't let the dealer replace it!!! They will put the same type of GM part on your vehicle that broke to begin with.

It cost me $180 at the local service station the first time (American made Timkin part). I later learned that this would happen again and again and again... so I learned how to do it myself.

You can get an american made hub assembly at the auto parts store for $100. You can get the chinese part for $65. All you need, if you can change your own brakes, is a torque wrench.

If you own a GM, I would suggest learning how to change brakes, rotors, calipers and hub assemblies. it will save you thousands and make you feel good that you just kept money out of GM's pocket.

I am going to forward this site to my wife so she can see what others think about her POS...

I purchased a 2003 Oldsmobile Alero GL w/2.2.Ecotec in May 2004, my wife liked the car as well as I, I just wished I would have researched a little bit before the purchase... I have not had any major problems with the car rhtat have not been a fault of my own like leaving an extra twist in the brake line on the front, left to rub through the CV boot..:), OR checking my air filter and accidently breaking the power steering return conntection off of the pump, yeah my bad.

But, yes, but now I have a problem that was not caused by my idiocracy, I have a noise that is a terrrible grinding/rubbing sound coming from my front Driver's side while going between 10mph and 85mph, but to throw a twist in the common troubleshooting, when I turn right, the sound stops completly until I resume straight again.

If anyone has this problem or knows what the diagnosis is and can save me $60.00 let me know @ dinodeputy@hotmail.com.

Thank You.

This is a GREAT website. I will never buy a car again until I check this website to see what people say about the car. I have read all the reviews on the Alero and am convinced that it is a bad car to own. I have had just about all of the same issues with my 99 Alero (140,000) that everyone else has had. Here is a list:

1) Faulty gas tank sensor; gas gauge would read empty when I just filled it up - under warranty.

2) Power window passenger side replaced - under warranty.

3) Brakes & Rotors - under warranty.

4) AC stopped working properly; replaced Resistor and Blower motor - under warranty.

5) Brakes & Rotor replaced two more times.

6) AC stopped working again, same problem I am sure.

7) Wheel bearing Hub assembly replaced twice same side.

8) Power seat gear broke, will not raise or lower.

9) Low coolant light keeps coming on and not because it there is not enough coolant.

10) Low Trac/Trac Off/Anti Lock lights keep coming on.

This last problem is because the Wheel Hub Assembly has some delicate wiring that gets severed. Your wheel bearings may be fine, but if the wiring gets severed you will lose your Antilock brakes and your Traction system will stop working.

Here is my problem, I replaced a bad Wheel Hub Assembly, but my lights are starting to come on again just days later. Now what am I suppose to do? Any Suggestions... besides taking a bat to my car.

I have a 01 alero also I have had to rpl

the brakes and rotors in the front

Also have rpl the wheel bearings at about 50k

now the Calipers on the back and front drivers side are messed up and need to be replaced at 60k.

9 Nov 2005.

Wow!! I by chance ran across this site and was completely amazed!! I also have a 2002 Alero, bought it straight off the lot as a dealer demo with 2000 miles on it. WELL, with in the first 6-9 months I spent more time in a rental while it was in the shop than I did in it!! Time ofter time the main computer was going out, I'd be driving down the free way then all my lights would start blinking then the whole car would just shut down. I'd have it taken to the dealership shop, get it back and with in a week or two it would do the same thing! This happend so many times I started looking into the Lemon Laws of Colorado, I thought I'd just got a bad one! However, by readaing all of these, I'm obviously not alone!!

These of course are not all of my problems, the brakes have been replaces twice by the time I hit 55,000 miles, nad done set of rotors and bearings...

I've had the car sitting for the last 2 years while I've been posted over seas, but I'm returning in a month and dreading, what it has in store for me once I return!!!

2000 Old Alero - I really wish I would have read up on some of the issues with this particular vehicle. I have had so many problems with my Wheel Bearing Hub Assembly. I had the Drivers side front replaced in January. I just had the Passenger side replaced a week ago. Now mechanic is telling me that the Driver side is bad again!!! I just don't have the time to make all the repairs not to mention the $$$. He also recommend that the front brakes be replaced!! I also am having problems with the blower motor, it does not work in speed 1 or 2 but 3, 4, and 5 work fine. I have also been told that I need to replace the entire heat control panel. Yippee... I would not recommend this car to anyone!!

1999 Alero 43,000 miles.

Both power windows replaced--2005

Emergency brake cable replaced--2005

Dash board cracking

Paint peeling off

Blinkers working when they want to --had repaired 2005

Water pump replaced as of 11/15/05

Gasket blew--replaced 11/04/05.

I own a 2002 Alero. It has just hit 40,000 miles. Here is my list of problems.

Service engine light is on regularly.

Low tire pressure lights is not dependable and is now on.

New breaks all the way around.

Two new rotors on front.

Back defogger interferes with radio.

Radio turns off and on by itself.

Power window motor on driver side broke.

Dome light has fell out several times.

The most recent problem is computer failure. The doors wouldn't unlock with remote, so I opened the driver side with the key. I then tried to unlock the other doors from the driver side door, wouldn't unlock. I then started the car, but it didn't stay running long enough for me to try the door locks again. I finally got it started and the locks worked fine. I've had this car for almost two years and have already had more problems with it then with any other vehicle I've owned.

I too recently purchased a used 2002 Alero and I wish to god that I had seen this site before I signed on the dotted line. This car has been in the dealer just about every month and less with brake problems, noise problems. Every time I have taken the car in they have fixed something on it. Six months later I still have the same problems only now there are loud noises coming from the drivers side underneath the car. Now the dealer is trying to tell me that those noises are normal, if they had told me that on May 31, 2005 I would never have agreed to purchase the car.

Don't take no for an answer when dealers tell you things, take action. I have demanded that they give me another car, and definitely not another Alero, they said that they would, but that I would lose money on my car. We will see about that, this problem existed before I picked up the car. I am a nice person, but if I have to I will make sure that they regret the day that they sold me that crap.

I guess like many of you out there, I really like the look of the car, I still think it's a beautiful car, but one cannot live on beauty. I cannot afford to take a chance on what lies ahead in expenses for this baby, so I am giving it back and putting up a fight.

Please do the same, we have to work really hard to pay for the second most expensive investments in our lives, don't just settle for the dealers words. We don't have to be experienced mechanics to know that there is something seriously wrong with these cars.

Please...please...discourage anyone else from going through what we all have been through. Tell everyone to do their homework before investing in their cars, if they don't it can cost them dearly.

mariammendes@rogers.com

Wow! I was searching on the Internet for reasons why my wheel bearing needs to be replaced for the third time! I have a 1999 Alero with 118,000 miles on it. I bought it as a “dealer used” car with 21,000 miles on it. My husband is very diligent with getting it serviced and keeping it in good condition. Nonetheless, I already had the wheel bearings replaced three times on the front, and now I am assuming it will be the third time in the rear when I take it to the shop (again). For me, it’s almost a guarantee that when my “trac off” light and my “Anti lock” light are on, I am need of a new wheel bearing. I thought it was just my car, but now I see it is not. Each time one gets replaced, my car cracks and grinds when I make a sharp turn…it sounds like something is going to break in half.

My battery died the first week I owned the car. I have to get my rotors replaced. I just had my alternator replaced. My ceiling light falls down. My heater/air conditioner works only on the two highest settings. The rubber around the rear window peeled away and I had water in my trunk. The hard plastic on my front windshield peeled away and broke. My rear spoiler is nearly white with all the “sun fading.” Now I know my car is older; however, many of things went wrong (or have been going wrong) for some while. I know there are other things that have gone wrong, but my husband is usually in charge of the car so my knowledge is lacking somewhat.

I am disappointed, and I would not recommend anyone purchase an Alero. It looks great; however, looks aren’t everything! I sure hope others are having better luck.

I have own my 2000 Oldsmobile Alero for about three years, purchased used with low mileage, and right now I am having nothing, but problems. I live in the USA, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and am experiencing a majority of the problems many of the same problems people in this forum are experiencing. Here is a small list:

(1) Indicator lights come on and off whenever they want. I have seriously just covered them with black electrical tape because I have just become so annoyed looking at them.

(2) Security feature every now and then malfunctions and I have to wait 10 minutes before I can drive my car. It works in monthly cycles.

(3) Sounds like the good old' wheel bearings are going out courtesy of the grinding noises when I turn.

(4) Blinkers went haywire (recall)

(5) Replaced rotors and breaks 2X.

(6) Automatic transmission sometimes sticks and will not let me put car into park without knock the shifter around.

There must be some way a class action lawsuit can be put together against GM for producing such a horrible car. Oh yeah, I have rust and peeling paint also. I will never purchase another GM product ever, except for the corvette, but aside from that NEVER again!

Marvin, darkstar7000@cox.net.

I have an 01 Alero that I purchased new with 7 kms on it. While I have had a really good experience in comparison with some on here, I too have seem to have many of the more common mechanical problems.

1. the wheel bearing problem, one replaced less than a month again and I can hear the other going again ($350.00 ea - not at GM service. I know the mechanic and he gave me a break)

2. the 'service engine soon/ABS/trac off' problem with the hub replacement... for the second time (I have no idea how much this is going to cost me since it was under warranty last time).

3. the turn indicators working intermittently whenever the heck they felt like it (recall).

4. I have also had the heater control knob (controls defrost, feet, dash directions of the heat) break... for the second time in less than a year (fortunately only 23.04).

5. Rear defrost module has broken (which will cost me $294.99??? is the thing made of GOLD??)

I own a 2002 Alero 2.2 Ecotec with 50,000 K. I have had the car since it was new. These are the problems that I’ve had:

1. Replaced pads and rotors; front and back, after 45,000 km. (seems normal)

2. The dashboard vinyl is peeling up. I read someone else’s post that this is not covered under the 60,000km warranty. Can anyone else confirm this??

3. Paint on the stereo knob is peeling off.

4. Clear coat on the hood started to peel after 5,000km (covered under warranty after arguing with the dealer)

5. Traction Off light stayed on once, but after shutting the car down and re-starting, the light went back off.

I have been getting poor gas mileage lately (about 21MPG Highway) which is a lot less than when I first got the car. I have been putting 87 Octane in it since it was brand new. I just replaced the air filter and put new AC Delco plugs in it, but it still sucks down the tank in no time. Would a fuel system cleaning help this?? New fuel filter?? New O2 sensor?? If anyone could give advice on how to get better gas mileage, please email me at jrubybackup@yahoo.com.

I own a 2004 Alero with the 3.4L and I have over 45,000 on it. So far the only problem I have had was a pebble got caught between the brake pads and wore the drivers side down faster. Other than that I have really enjoyed this car. It has a whole lot of power. It is very comfortable and a lot of fun. I looks like that most of the problems are coming from the cars in Canada and 2002 models. So far I have nothing, but good things to say about this car. I absolutely love it.