2002 OLDSMOBILE ALERO Complaints

THE EVENT IS UNEXPECTED, THERE IS NOTHING DEFINITIVE THAT LEADS UP TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE IS THAT THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING. IT HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES IN THE LAST NINE MONTHS. ONCE IT WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AFTER JUST A FEW MINUTES; ANOTHER TIME I HAD TO WAIT ABOUT 45 MINUTES TO RESTART IT THEN IT SHUT DOWN AGAIN AFTER DRIVING 12 MILES DOWN THE ROAD. EACH TIME IT WAS TAKEN TO A GARAGE AND PLACED ON THE DIAGNOSTIC, IT DOESN'T SHOW A PROBLEM EXISTS, THEREFORE, TO DATE, NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE SINCE NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS . THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY INJURY AT THIS TIME DUE TO THIS PROBLEM, BUT IF THIS CONTINUES A SERIOUS OCCURRENCE IS INEVITABLE; I.E. LOSING POWER WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH. *TR

2002 OLDSMOBILE ALERO HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD MODULE NOT WORKING PROPERLY AT TIMES. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE SIGNAL LIGHTS WERE INTERMITTENT AND A TIMES WERE COMPLETELY INOPERABLE. THE CONSUMER LEARNED OF A RECALL, HOWEVER SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL THAT HER VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER QUALIFIED FOR. RECALL # 03V327000. *JB UPDATED 03/01/10

I BOUGHT MY 2002 OLDS ALERO IN MAY OF 2006 AND HAVE HAD PROBLEMS EVER SINCE. I HAD TO HAVE THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL BEARING REPLACED 2 DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP PAID FOR THE PARTS AND LABOR THAT TIME, BUT I WAS ON MY OWN FROM THERE. FREQUENTLY I WAS HAVING THE PROBLEM OF THE ENGINE TURNING OVER, BUT NOT STARTING. I HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK 6 TIMES IN 2 MONTHS. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED AND A WEEK LATER I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS TIME IT THE BODY MODULE WAS REPLACED. 2 DAYS LATER I WAS CALLING THE TOW TRUCK AGAIN. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED THIS TIME. THE NEXT TIME I THREATENED TO SUE THE MECHANIC WHO HAD WORKED ON MY CAR. THIS TIME THE CAR STARTED RIGHT UP FOR THE MECHANIC. HE CONTACTED GM TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM COULD POSSIBLY BE AND OF COURSE THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. AFTER THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE SHOP A FEW MORE TIMES THE MECHANIC FINALLY GOT A HOLD OF ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO SPECIALIZED IN GM REPAIRS. THAT MECHANIC TOLD HIM ABOUT THE FAULTY SECURITY SYSTEM. HE PASSED ON THE INFO TO ME. IF THE CAR WON'T START, TURN THE KEY ON FOR 10 MIN. UNTIL THE SECURITY LIGHT STOPS FLASHING, TURN THE KEY OFF, TAKE IT OUT OF THE IGNITION AND TRY IT AGAIN. THIS HAS WORKED EVERY TIME FOR ME, BUT REALLY, WHO HAS THE EXTRA 10-15 MINUTES TO SPARE EVERY TIME THEY NEED TO GO SOMEWHERE, JUST IN CASE THEIR CAR WON'T START? I ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE TURNING SIGNALS WORKING ONLY WHEN THEY WANT TO. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG ALERO OWNERS. AFTER THE NIGHTMARES I'VE HAD WITH THIS CAR AND THE DISRESPECT SHOWN BY GM TO THEIR "VALUED CUSTOMERS", I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GM MODEL AS LONG AS I LIVE! BUYER BEWARE!!! *TR

MY TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS FAIL TO TURN ON SOME TIMES. I HAVE A 2002 ALERO AND I SEE A THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS AND THERE IS A PE 05-055 WHERE THERE IS A RECALL. MY CAR HAS UNDER 50 000 KM. CAN I GET MINE CHANGED FOR FREE? *TR

THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IN MY CAR 2002 ALERO WITH 67,500 MILES, COME TO FIND OUT GM KNOWS ABOUT THIS AND IT IS A COMMON REPLACEMENT, DESIGN FLAW WITH GM VEHICLES EVEN THE REPAIR SHOPS HAVE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS. IS THERE A R-EMARKET REBATE FOR THIS PROBLEM. IT WILL VCOST ME ABOUT 700 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

A.. THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER QUIT WORKING. REPLACED FUSES, RELAY BUT STILL DID NOT WORK. HAVING DONE SOME INTERNET RESEARCH FOUND OUT THAT A REAR CONNECTOR WILL MELT. LOOKED AT THE REAR CONNECTOR AND IT HAD MELTED. DEALER CHARGES $ 45 FOR A NEW CONNECTOR SO I HOT WIRED IT TO THE MODULE. IF THEY MELT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. B. THE SECURITY LIGHT WILL COME ON AND WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE CAR WILL BE LOCKED DOWN. IF YOU SIT FOR 10 MINUTES WITH THE IGNITION ON BUT NOT STARTED THE SECURITY WILL RESET. LUCKILY FOR ME, THIS HAS NOT CAUSED ME ANY $, BUT I AM SURE OTHERS HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR TOWING. ONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DISCONNECT THIS OPTION. *TR

SINCE 2006, ON SIX DIFFERENT OCCASIONS THE SECURITY LIGHT FLASHES AND TWO TO THREE DAYS LATER THE SYSTEM LOCKS DOWN AND THE CAR DOES NOT START. I AM STRANDED AND HAVE TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED. EACH OCCURRENCE HAS COST ME ANYWHERE FROM $600-$800. TOWING FEES, TAXIS TO AND FROM WORK, AND USE OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS' CARS ARE ADDITIONAL EXPENSES. I ONLY TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR THE REPAIRS. EACH TIME THEY TELL ME A DIFFERENT FEATURE ON THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM HAS FAILED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE ASKED THE DEALER REPEATEDLY TO DISMANTLE THE ANTI-THEFT DEVICE AND THEY SAY THEY CANNOT. WHO IS GOING TO STEAL A 2002 ALERO? I AM A SINGLE MOTHER WITH TWO CHILDREN IN TWO DIFFERENT COLLEGES. THIS ALERO IS OUR ONLY CAR. TO DATE I HAVE SPENT $3000 ON THIS "SOPHISTICATED" ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM. HELP ME PLEASE. I CANNOT AFFORD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER CAR. *TR

TWO YEARS AGO, MY SECURITY LIGHT CAME ON IN MY CAR AND MY CAR WOULDN'T START. TOOK IT TO THE GM DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE COMPUTER MODULE ON MY SECURITY SYSTEM THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WHICH COST MORE THAN $700. LAST FRIDAY, 11/14/2008, MY CAR WOULDN'T START AGAIN AND THE SECURITY LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I TOOK IT TO THE SAME GM DEALER AGAIN AND NOW THEY ARE SAYING THE BCM (BODY CONTROL MODULE) NEEDS TO BE REPLACED? AND NOW, AGAIN, THIS WILL COST ANOTHER $700 TO FIX, IF THAT IS ALL THAT IS WRONG WITH MY CAR. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED BEFORE WHEN THE COMPUTER MODULE WENT OUT. I WAS LUCKY THIS TIME SINCE I HAD MY CAR AT HOME WHEN THIS BCM WENT OUT. THE BCM ONLY HAS A YEAR WARRANTY. *TR

MY PASSLOCK THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEM ON MY 2002 ALERO HAS BEEN DEFECTIVE SINCE THE FIRST YEAR I HAD IT. I HAVE TO WAIT TEN MINUTES WITH KEY IN ON POSITION BEFORE IT WILL START. THIS IS A BIG CONCERN FOR ME, AND AS I OBSERVED ONLINE, FOR MANY OTHERS. I HAD IT TOWED AND LOOKED AT SEVERAL TIMES BUT THEY COULD NEVER FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS AND UNTIL I GET A 100% ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS ON SOMETHING, I DON'T PAY OUT MONEY FOR ASSUMPTIONS. I FOUND OUT ON MY OWN AND BY READING THE OWNERS MANUAL, WHAT THE EXACT PROBLEM WAS. I REALIZE I MUST DIE OR BE SERIOUSLY INJURED FOR ANY THING TO BE DONE. SAD TO SAY THAT IS HOW THINGS WORK IN THIS DWINDLING ECONOMY. I HAVE THE FEAR THAT STALKERS I HAVE HAD IN THE PAST MAY CATCH UP WITH ME AT A TIME WHEN MY CAR WON'T START. SHOULD I TELL THEM "HEY WAIT TEN MINUTES BEFORE YOU CAN ATTACK ME THEN I CAN GET AWAY." PLEASE PROVE ME WRONG AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. IT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOU CAN GOOGLE TO SEE THE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING FAILURES WITH HER VEHICLE EVER SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED. THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED INACCURATE READINGS AND THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS LOCKED TWICE DUE TO A DEFECTIVE WHEEL BEARING. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED TWICE AND RECENTLY FAILED AGAIN. SHE IS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION BECAUSE IT LOCKED IN PLACE. THE CONTACT WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,500 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,273.