2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO Complaints

MY TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS HAVE INTERMITTENTLY BEEN COMPLETELY CEASING TO WORK. THIS COMES AND GOES, BUT SOMETIMES WILL BE TEMPORARILY REMEDIED IF I PUSH THE HAZARD BUTTON AND THEN RELEASE IT. IN RESEARCHING NHTSA, I FOUND NHTSA RECALL 03V327000 WHICH PERFECTLY MIRRORS THE SYMPTOMS I AM HAVING. UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN I CONTACTED GM REGARDING THE RECALL, THEY SAID MY VIN DOES NOT FALL WITHIN THE RANGE. I FEEL THIS FAILURE IS RELATED. MY VIN IS [XXX]. THE FILE NUMBER WITH [XXX]. AT THIS POINT, THEY SAY THEY CAN'T HELP ME SINCE MY VIN DOESN'T FALL WITHIN THEIR RANGE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RECALL. *NM UPDATED 07/12/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NO EVENTS LED TO THE FAILURE. THE FUEL PUMP FAILED FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER. THE CAR WOULD CRANK, BUT IT WOULD NOT START. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BECAUSE THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY.*JB

MY 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY STALLING SINCE APRIL 2006. I HAVE HAD MY CAR DIAGNOSED BY 3 MECHANICS ALL OF WHICH CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG VIA THEIR DIAGNOSTIC MACHINES. BEFORE TAKING IT TO GM. GM HOOKED THE CAR UP TO THEIR DIAGNOSTICS MACHINE AND DROVE IT FOR 20 MILES OVERNIGHT AND SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE CAR IS GOING TO STALL. UNFORTUNATELY I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY FOR THESE REASONS, IT COULD STALL AND I COULD BE KILLED BY SOMEONE GOING FAST AND RUNNING INTO THE BACK OF ME. I ONLY DRIVE THE CAR LOCALLY IN THE CITY IN WHICH I LIVE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE OF THE HAZARD WARNING SWITCH CAUSED THE TURN SIGNALS/HAZARD LIGHTS TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY AND RANDOMLY. A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V327000 WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE ON 2001 PRIOR TO HIS OWNERSHIP. THE RECALL WAS CONCERNING THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING: HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS: SWITCH, HOWEVER THE RECALL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT OFFER A SECOND REPAIR UNDER THE RECALL. UPDATED 10/25/2006 - THE VEHICLE HAD A THREE YEAR HISTORY OF THE TURN SIGNALS FAILING INTERMITTENTLY. WHILE DOING RESEARCH THE CONSUMER FOUND INFORMATION ON THE HAZARD SWITCH RECALL. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE FILLER NECK WAS CORRODED WHICH ALLOWED GASOLINE TO LEAK OUT.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ON 7-2-06 WHILE GOING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND. THE VEHICLE WAS AIRBORNE AND LANDED INTO A CONCRETE MEDIUM. NEITHER THE DRIVER NOR PASSENGER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE REAR AND TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED, AND A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION WOULD NOT START. THE SECURITY LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED THREE WEEKS LATER AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED THREE WEEKS LATER AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH. *AK

THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING / ANTI- LOCK BRAKE UNIT HAS GONE BAD TWICE IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING / ANTI- LOCK BRAKE UNIT HAS GONE BAD ONCE IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. WHEN THE UNIT STARTS TO FAIL THE BRAKES DO NOT WORK OR PULSE MOMENTARILY AND THEN THEY WORK AGAIN. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS OF REAR ENDING SOMEONE AT A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT WHEN I DEPRESS THE BRAKE AND THERE IS NO SLOW DOWN FOR UP TO 2-3 SECONDS UNTIL THE ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM IS SHUT OFF BUY THE CARS COMPUTER. WHEN I REPORTED THIS TO THE OLDSMOBILE DEALER IN PAINTED POST, NEW YORK THEY NOTIFIED ME THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE OLDS ALERO'S. I HAVE REPLACED THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING / ANTI LOCK BRAKE UNIT TWICE. THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING / ANTI-LOCK BRAKE UNIT CURRENTLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *JB

4/18/05: LOWER INTAKE LEAKING BADLY, REPLACED LOWER INTAKE GASKETS & CLEANED ALL PARTS UNDER WARRANTY. COOLANT IN OIL. 6/24/06: ADVISED THAT COOLANT LEAKING INTO OIL AGAIN. ADVISED OF NEED TO REPLACE UPPER INTAKE AND VALVE COVER GASKETS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED COOLANT IS LEAKING OUT AT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.