1999 OLDSMOBILE ALERO Complaints

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. UPON CHECKING THE COOLANT LEVELS, IT WAS LOW. THE REPAIR SHOP DIAGNOSIS IS A LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WITH AN $800+ REPAIR COST. ACCORDING TO RESEARCH, THE PARTICULAR TYPE OF COOLANT, DEXCOOL, USED IN GM CARS IS LINKED TO CORROSION TO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS. *AK

TURN SIGNALS DO NOT ALWAYS FLASH OR CONTINUE TO FLASH WHEN ACTIVATED! I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE OLDSMOBILE DEALER DURING THE FIRST YEAR (1999) THAT I HAD THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, DURING THE PAST YEAR, THE PROBLEM HAS RESURFACED. THE FLASHER IS SEALED UNDER THE DASH AND IS NOT EASILY ACCESSIBLE AS IN MOST VEHICLES WHERE THE TURN SIGNAL FLASHER UNIT CAN BE REPLACED OFF THE SHELF AT ANY LOCAL AUTO PARTS STORE. TODAY, I WAS ENTERING A FREEWAY WHEN THE FLASHERS STOPPED FLASHING. THEY CONTINUED TO FLASH WHEN I PUSHED AND RELEASED THE HAZARD SIGNAL BUTTON. THIS PROBLEM CAUSES A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THE TURN SIGNALS ARE NOT RELIABLE AND NOT EASILY ACCESSIBLE WITHOUT REMOVING PART OF THE DASHBOARD.*AK

CAR ENGINE COMPARTMENT COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAME AFTER 5 MILE DRIVE TO A SHOPPING MALL. CAR WAS CRUISING PARKING LOT LOOKING FOR SPACE WHEN FIRE ERUPTED.

ENGINE: 3.4L V6. THE MANIFOLD GASKET AND WATER PUMP FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 40,000 MILES. THE DEALER PICKED UP THE COST OF THE PARTS UNDER THEIR "GOODWILL" POLICY, BUT OUT OF POCKET COST TO ME WAS STILL OVER $800. THE MANIFOLD GASKET ON MY 2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS, VIN [XXX] ALSO FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 18,000 MILES. THIS WAS DONE UNDER WARRANTY AT NO COST TO ME. THIS WAS ALSO THE 3.4L V6 ENGINE. IT IS OBVIOUS THIS IS A PROBLEM GM HAS KNOWN ABOUT FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND HAVE NOT TAKEN CORRECTIVE ACTION IN A TIMELY MANNER. AN EXTENSION OF THE WARRANTY ON THIS ENGINE IS CERTAINLY CALLED FOR. I HAVE ADVISED MANY FRIENDS TO AVOID PURCHASING A GM CAR WITH EITHER THE 3.1L OR 3.4L ENGINE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

2 DRIVER SIDE WINDOW MOTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, DASH PULLED TO CORRECT CORR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, NO DASH LIGHT, NO HIGH BEAM LIGHT, ALL WITHING FIRST 6 MONTHS, 1-03 WATER PUMP REPLACED, AND TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. ONLY 21000. MILES ON THE CAR..

WITHIN MY 36,000 OF DRIVING FROM 50,222 TO 86,119 MY INTAKE GASKETS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE. MY RACK HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED A THIRD TIME. I AM ALSO AWARE THAT THE RACK WAS REPLACED WHILE THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THE CAR. RECENTLY I REALIZED WHY WATER WAS GETTING INTO MY PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE WINDOW SEAL IS SHIFTED CAUSING THE WINDOW TO LEAK IF THE CAR IS PARKED AT CERTAIN INCLINES. THIS REPAIR IS NOT COVERED BY MY PRE-OWNED VEHICLE WARRANTY. ALL MAJOR REPAIRS HAVE BEEN COVERED BY MY WARRANTY AND ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS HAVE BEE QUOTE "EATEN" BY REPAIR FACILITIES.

1. PERSISTANT SCRAPING NOISE FROM FT END SINCE 10/21/01. CAVENDAR MECHANICS EVALUTED PROBLEM 4-6 SEPARATE TIMES W/ DIFFERENT PROGNOSIS EACH TIME, LATER DETERMINED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ON 3/18/02. CURRENTLY STILL HAVING SAME SCRAPING NOISE AND FLUID(REDISH) LEAKAGE FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE 2. 3 WINDOW MOTORS FAILED /REPAIRED 3. TWICE ALTERNATOR FAILURE/REPAIRED W/2 SEPERATE ALTS

WHEEL BEARING WORE OUT AT 52000 MILES. BATTERY TERMINAL POST BROKE OFF. BRAKE CALIPER MELTED AT 51000 MILES. TWO POWER STEERING LINES BURST AT 59000. THE COST OF THE REPAIR FOR THE POWER STEERING PROBLEM IS AN ESTIMATE I GOT FROM A MECHANIC, BUT I HAVE NOT YET REPAIRED. I'M HOPING FOR A RECALL BEFORE I TAKE ANY ACTION. MY COMPLAINTS ARE BASED ON THE FACT THAT THERE'S NO GOOD REASON FOR ANY OF THOSE THINGS TO NEED REPAIR THAT SERIOUS. AREN'T WHEEL BEARINGS AND POWER STEERING LINES SUPPOSED TO LAST FOR A WHILE?

CAR OVERHEATED. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. REAR OF INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKING. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS HAD TO BE REPLACED. *CB

THE OLDSMOBILE ALERO IS A PILE OF CRAP. SINCE I HAVE HAD IT I HAVE REPLACED ALMOST EVERYTHING IN THE FRONT END. MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER WENT OUT AT 70,000 MILES, I HAD A WARRANTY AND THEY DIDN'T FIX IT. MY ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND TRACTION CONTROL WENT OUT AND MY CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH HASN'T WORKED SINCE ABOUT 60,000 MILES. I'M JUST WAITING FOR THE DAY THIS CAR JUST BURSTS INTO FLAMES. *CB