1999 Oldsmobile Alero GL review from North America
"Nice styling, good handling, poor reliability"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Bad transmission at 32,000 miles. Entire transmission replaced by dealer.
Blower switch settings 1,2 stopped working at 20,000. Replaced by dealer.
Many small rattles in the instrument panel (especially in cold weather)
Water pump failing at 60,000 miles.
Intake manifold gasket leaking coolant at 60,000 miles.
Engine light on at 60,000 miles due to two bad sensors.
General comments?
This car served us well until the 30,000 mile transmission failure (thank goodness it was still under warranty).
Since 30,000 miles it has been a disappointment. At only 60,000 miles coolant is leaking through the intake manifold gasket and this will be an expensive repair.
I love the styling and the performance, I'm disappointed in GM quality and reliability. This is my 3rd GM vehicle and I will going Japanese next.
Recommended reviews
| Cheap in more ways than one |
|
| If you can get past the problems, Alero has potential: MUCH better than the Achieva it replaced! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 4 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 17 miles |
| Most recent distance | 60000 miles |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Corsica |
| Date of Entry | 24th August, 2004 |