2000 Oldsmobile Alero from North America - Comments

I've had my alero since May 2000, and for the past few years have had a lot go wrong.

My tire pressure light comes on

Head gasket blown

intake gasket needs to be replaced

brakes replaced at least 3 times

wheel bearing replaced

and now..

ENGINE needs to be replaced!

I'm soo sick of this car, I loved it in the beginning, but now I feel like it's a money pit! I can't wait to be done with school so I can get another car. I would NOT recommend this car to ANYONE! Do not buy this car unless you want to throw your hard-earned money out the window.

Aler 2000, 105000 km

I wonder, is filling of the engine coolant at a rate of one Lt/400km a sign of head-gasket problems to come? I also noticed a white salt like deposit (not salt, I tasted it) under the bonnet, signs of coolant leakage?

Airco need also some attention as cooling is poor!

Thanks for dropping by.

Walter Pedro

The Netherlands.

2000 Alero 122,000 kms.

My main review is "It's too easy to complain about the ones we love.."

One comment about the Airco - Maybe there is something wrong with yours or you need a recharge. Mine is great, in fact, if I set the cool air on the coolest setting to recirculate with the A/C off it's almost as cool as the actual A/C!

(Anyone else who owns an Alero equipped with A/C - try this out and save your Freon... good trick! Even works on super-hot days!)

This is to Walter Pedro.

My car is having the same problem as yours. An easy way to see if you have a head or intake manifold gasket leak is to monitor the oil level. If either of the two are faulty, the coolant will go into the oil. Caution should be taken however as this will cause the oil pressure to increase and could lead to blow bottom end.

Sounds like to me though that it is more likely the intake gasket as the car would be running very poorly and a burning smell would be in the exhaust if it were the head gasket.

Another thing you can do is purchase a Haynes repair manual and a compression gauge from an auto parts store and rule out one of those two possibilities. The manual is an easy read and will teach you everything there is to know about fix your car.

It would be worth the thirty dollars for the manual by being able to know what wrong and fix it yourself then to spend all kinds of money at a garage for things you can do.

My Alero is a 2000 and the past couple of months I have had to add a gallon of antifreeze per month. Both hub sensors have had to be replaced. I have to replace the brakes numerous times. The service engine light comes on freguently. The car has definitely been a money pit. I am going to get rid of it soon. No wonder Oldsmobile went out of business.