I have had to replace the rotors once so far. (38,000 miles. not under warranty)
Also, I too have heard the growling sounds that the brakes make constantly, yet the dealership says that my pads are at 80%.
The leather bucket seats have started to wear badly especially the driver's seat. (not covered under warranty)
And just recently the leather on the dashboard has split and started to roll up or bubble up. I contacted the dealership in my area and the manufacturer and it is not covered under warranty.
Most problems with my Alero have been cosmetic, it still runs great however, it is only 3 years old and starting to look very worn, even when I take immaculate care of my vehicle. Very disappointing.
I will be contacting the BBB and suggest everyone else do the same. The price of this car is too high if the manufacturer is not going to back up its product when it is obviously a consistent problem.
Noticed today (8/23) that my dashboard LEATHER covering is BUBBLING.. I have GM extended warranty, hopefully it will 'cover' THIS defect... will contact BBB and GM... have had TOO MANY problems with my Alero...
LOVE THIS WEBSITE... very informative & useful... (FYI) I have written to your website/seen same.
DISENCHANTED OLDS/Alero owners need to bombard GM/BBB with their complaints.
Our Alero is a major LEMON!! Routers have been replaced 3 times now. The car has been in the shop 4 times since the last routers were replaced due to the fact that the automatic locks stopped working. The first time it was due to a leak on the drivers side that corroded the wires. That was fixed the first time under warranty. It happened again and again, no longer under warranty. Just took car in shop this morning to have the same thing repaired again. Nice looking car, but way too many problems. The car is only 3 years old and only 57,000 kms.
I purchased my Alero in 1999 and have been having problems ever since. My dealer in Canada is excellent and that is the only reason I am keeping the car. I do not even remember all the troubles I had, but some of them are:replaced fuel pump, both front wheels bearings (traction control),power steering hoses burst (wheel was "frozen" few times during winter), brakes replacement (corrosion), windshield wipers scratched my glass, all power windows are scratched, fan has been replaced twice, engine leaks and I can go on and on. Car only has 90000 km right now and so far I have spent over 5000 Cd dollars on repairs.
I bought a 2000 alero with 20,000km on it and the rotars died at 38,000km. the brakes were making a wierd creaking noise. other than that nothing has gone wrong, I kinda like my car.
I have a 2000, and love it. Yes, I've had a few problems. I was getting bad gas mileage, change the fuel pump., fixed it.
It has 67,000 miles.
If you like it so much you can have mine!!! nothing but problems. I would list them all, but if you have read some of the things on here mine has all of the same problems.
I have a 2002 Olds Alero - bought it in 2003 with only @ 100 miles on it. From week one it has been off and on in the shop - almost as much as I've driven it! Everything from major water leaks, to 2 new body control modules, replacement of front tires, struts, strut mounts, fuse box replacement, brake problems, and now the dashboard is crumpling!
GM extended my warranty, but now that is up and I'm still having problems! I am too far upside down to trade, or I would have anything but a GM at this point. I am unsure what to do with this major lemon other than drive it and hope it doesn't kill me or someone else in the process!
If anyone has any suggestions.. please pass them along! My suggestion.. DO NOT BUY AN ALERO!!!
Have an Alero 2002. bought used 2004, only had 20000km on it at the time. Brake pads changed once, now there is a humming noise not sure what it is, ABS light won't go off... service engine light won't go off, anyone else have this problem?
I bought a used 2003 Alero with 20000 miles on it. I told dealership that the brakes seem to be dragging and they replaced front brakes. So far, I have had a wheel bearing in front go out, brakes replaced, rotors in front replaced, new tires, (because they are "high performance" tires, they are more expensive) and I had the drivers side window and door fixed twice now because it broke and I could not get into the car-the key would not open the door nor the key-less entry would not work and I was lucky that was covered under the warranty. Now the rear rotors have to be replaced. After I get them replaced I am trading it in before something else goes wrong. Too bad I love the car.
I just bought a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero GLS. Very nice, but my leather on the drivers side seat is starting to tear, and my 'Low Tire Pressure' light keeps coming on even after the tires were filled properly with air. The car has 61,500 miles. Is this a sign that my car is a lemon?
I just bought a used 1999 Olds Alero, it looks great, but I have already (only a week later) encounter several problems. Luckily, the dealer that I bought it from said he would take care of any problems in the first 30 days and I have a 2 year warranty.
My rear defrost doesn't work, there was a major water leak in the back seat on the drivers side, and clangs and rattles in the trunk are.
Has anyone else encountered the water leak issues? What was the problem? I have no clue what it is! (Its in the shop--hope they can fix it!)
I have a 2000 Alero that I bought used. It now has 70000 miles and the motor just blew up! There is a hole in the block big enough to put your hand in! I have replaced the brakes several times, new tires, 3 new window regulators, 1 window, the dash is peeling, the passenger side door lock doesn't work, I have replaced a speaker, my service engine soon light comes and goes, and the low tire pressure light stays on even after having the tires rotated and balanced and the light was reset. It is junk and once I fix the motor I am trading it in! There has to be something we can do!
I bought a 2004 Olds Alero with only 23K miles and remainder of 36,000 warranty. Around 38,000 miles I suddenly noticed the dash bubbling and wrinkling. I contacted GM by email and a service rep called me (sept. 06) and documented my complaint. After a short question and answer period, he determined they would do nothing and closed my case. This defect is known by many and has to be a defect in manufacturing. If anyone knows of any class action suit against GM for not responding to this problem, feel free to contact me. blgoodyear@mchsi.com.
I wouldn't suggest buying an Oldsmobile Alero. I have experienced the defective hazard switch, the low tire pressure light consistently coming on, and the bubbling or peeling up of my dashboard and door panels. I personally do not want to re-upholster my vehicle, but the bubbling is incredibly tacky I feel as if I must. The vehicle is running well now, although I have doubts it will last me through college.
2000 Olds alero GLS 4 door sedan 6 cylinder 69,000 miles.
I have an 2000 Olsmobile Alero GLS I bought it in 2003. I love the car, but... So far, I have had the wheel bearings go 3 times, brakes replaced 5 times, all rotors replaced more than once, new tires... the dealer said it is the model the brakes go fast it is the way it was made! He suggested to get GM brake pads they last longer!