1999 OLDSMOBILE ALERO Complaints

OCTOBER OF 2004 I WAS PARKED ON SCHOOL GROUNDS WAITING FOR MY DAUGHTER TO FINISH SCHOOL.WHEN I HEARD A BIG BANG. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR ,AND WALKED AROUND IT. I COULD FIND NOTHING. WHEN I STARTED TO DRIVE IT THERE WAS A CRUNCHING COMING FROM THE FRONT END. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE COIL SPRING SNAPPED. I REPLACED IT THINKING IT WAS A FREAK ACCIDENT. THEN THIS WEEK APRIL 10,2005 I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND AGAIN HEARD ANOTHER BANG. THIS TIME THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT COIL SPRING SNAPPED. I CAN SEE ONE BREAKING AS AN ACCIDENT , BUT WHEN BOTH GO. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG. MY LAST CAR WAS A 1993 FORD TAURUS. THEY TOO HAD A FRONT COIL SPRING ISSUE. FORD RECALLED OUR CAR AND REPLACED THE SPRING AT NO CHARGE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK ON JAN 17 I TURNED ON THE REAR DEFROSTER. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, TWO TO THREE, I HEARD A POPPING SOUND. JUST ONE TIME, SO I STARTED LOOKING AROUND THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR. I NOTICED A HOLE BETWEEN THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW AND THE REAR WINDOW. MY ALERO WAS A 2 DOOR. WHEN I GOT WHEN I COULD PULL OVER THERE WERE FLAMES COMING FROM THE HOLE. I WAS UNABLE TO PUT THEM OUT. I CALLED 911. BY TIME THE FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVED THE CAR WAS FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND WAS BEYOND SAVING. THE ONLY THING LEFT OF IT WAS THE BODY AND THE ENGINE. *NM

I HAVE HAD 3 OF THE 4 REGULATOR MOTORS GO OUT ON MY FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE, BACK DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SIDE. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE REPAIRED AS THE DEALER QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $400 TO FIX EACH ONE. THE FRONT ONE BROKE WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, SO THAT WAS FIXED. EACH TIME THIS HAPPENED AS THE WINDOW WAS ROLLED DOWN OR UP. THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE AND THE WINDOW JUST FELL DOWN. THIS IS ESPECIALLY ANNOYING SINCE I HAVE 2 SMALL KIDS AND THEIR WINDOWS WON'T STAY UP. THERE HAS GOT TO BE SOME SORT OF DEFECT, SINCE I'VE READ A NUMBER OF REPORTS ABOUT THIS SAME THING, AND SINCE IT'S HAPPENED TO 3 OF MY 4 WINDOWS. I HAVE A FEELING IT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN TO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TOO, AS THAT WINDOW WON'T ROLL DOWN. *JB

ENGINE COOLANT LEAK ONTO ENGINE BLOCK AND TRANSMISSION HOUSING. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. OLDSMOBILE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 3400 V6 ENGINE. *JB

ABOUT 2 1/2 YEARS AGO I HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARING HUBS. ON 12/29/04 I HAD TO HAVE THE RIGHT BEARING HUB REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME. I DO NOT RECALL THE MILEAGE THE FIRST TIME. I HAD ABOUT 129,000 ON THIS TIME.*AK

WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR SIGNS, THE CAR ENGINE DIED AT APPROXIMATELY 65,000 MI. CAR WAS DRIVEN LOCALLY AND WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF. IT COST $1,700.00 TO REPLACE (WITH AN ENGINE THAT HAD 43,000 MILES.), AND SEEMS THAT THE ENGINE SHOULD HAVE LASTED FOR MORE THAN 65,000 MILES.*AK

FAILURE OF HEAD INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON 1999 OLDSMOBILE ALERO DUE TO DEX-COOL ENGINE COOLANT / FAULTY GASKET DESIGN.*AK

I HAVE HAD TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS THE FRONT SPRING BROKE AND PUNCTURED MY TIRE AND ALSO MY BACK COIL SPRING BROKE AND PUNCTURED MY BACK TIRE. I SPENT ALMOST A 1000 DOLLARS IN REPAIRS FOR THESE REPAIRS. *JB

THE POWER WINDOW MOTOR FAILED. THE MOTOR FOR THE WINDOW HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

THE HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH WORKS INTERMITTANTLY ON MY 1999 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. AFTER LOOKING INTO SAW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON MANY 2000 ALEROS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. WHEN IT STOPS I CAN NORMALLY GET IT TO WORK FOR A FEW MINUTES LONGER BY PUSHING THE TOP OF THE SWITCH DOWN OR WIGGLING IT. THE DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE ME OVER $100 TO REPLACE IT. I REFUSED AND PURCHASED THE SWITCH MYSELF FOR $30. SEEMS VERY ODD THAT GM WOULD RECALL MANY CARS WITH THE SAME SWITCH AND SAME PROBLEM BUT NOT OTHERS. WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT THIS SWTICH IS A PROBLEM IN EARLIER MODELS OF THE ALERO AS WELL. *AK