2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO Complaints

THE GM RECALL FOR A DEFECTIVE HAZARD/TURN-SIGNAL SWITCH ON ITS MALIBU, ALERO, & GRAMAM LINES IS TOO NARROW!. THIS CONCERNS [NHTSA RECALL NO. 03V327/GM AND RECALL NO. 03043]. *AK A LARGE NUMBER OF CARS MANUFACTURED SLIGHTLY BEFORE THE RANGE CONTAINED IN THE RECALL ALSO HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. A QUICK SEARCH OF ANY MESSAGE BOARD CONCERNING THESE GM CARS WILL BACK UP THE CLAIMS IN THIS COMPLAINT. EVEN WORSE, LOCAL DEALERS REFUSE TO HONOR THE PROBLEM. EVEN WORSE, FOR CARS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, SOME DEALERS CHARGE FOR LABOR, DESPITE THE TERMS OF THE RECALL.. IN SHORT, GM IS KNOWINGLY AND PURPOSELY NOT EXTENDING THE RECALL TO ALL VEHICLES ACTUALLY AFFECTED. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS DEFECTIVE PART CAN BE QUITE FATAL -- INOPERATIVE TURN SIGNALS CAN LEAD TO ACCIDENTS, DEATH, AND DESTRUCTION. I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN IN MANY "NEAR-MISS" INCIDENTS DUE TO THIS FAULTY PART. (NOTE, WHILE THE DEATHS AND # INJURED ARE SLIGHTLY EXAGGERATED -- THE NUMBER OF FAILURES IS NOT!). DUE TO THE INTERMITTENT NATURE OF THIS PROBLEM, I WAS UNABLE TO GET IT REPAIRED DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. NOW THAT THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, IT IS LESS INTERMITTENT, AND MORE OFTEN IN A FAILED STATE.

MY ALERO'S (2000 3.4 V6 60,000 MILES) COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON. I CHECKED THE COOLANT AND ADDED WHAT WAS NEEDED. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER I NOTICED A POOL OF COOLANT ON MY DRIVEWAY. IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET - APARENTLY A COMMON PORBLEM AND DESIGN FLAW BY GM IN A NUMBER OF THEIR VEHICLES. I HAVE NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM AS OF YET BECAUSE OF THE COST INVOLVED AND I AM NOT CURRENTLY DRIVING THE VEHICLE UNTIL I CAN GET IT FIXED. I AM UNAWARE OF ANY OTHER PROBLEMS AS A RESULT OF THE GASKET AT THIS POINT - WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL IT GET FIXED.

WHILE PARKING MY VEHICLE, I STOPPED THE CAR AND FOR NO REASON THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. ATTEMPTED TO GO THROUGH GM AND THEY ADVISE THE FRAME OF MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. MY VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN REPAIRD AS IT WAS NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT.... GM REFUSES TO PAY FOR MY VEHICLE.

WHILE DRIVING INTO A GAS STATION IN MY 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERA AT ABOUT 2 TO 6 MILES AN HOUR MY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. I HIT NOTHING NOR DID I FALL INTO A HOLE IN THE ROAD. SINCE THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THE BAGS TO DEPLOY I WROTE OLDSMOBILE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD G ROBERT WAGONER, JR REQUESTING ASSISTANCE. HIS STAFF HAVE STONE WALLED MY EFFORTS TO GET ASSISTANCE. I WAS SENT TO SULLIVAN OLDSMOBILE FOR INSPECTION. THE INSPECTION WAS AT BEST USELESS. THEY DID NOT PUT THE VEHICLE ON A LIFT TO CHECK THE UNDERCARRIAGE YET THEY TELL ME THE BAGS DEPLOYED BECAUSE OF THIS. THEY SAID THEY TOOK DIGITAL PICTURES, BUT WERE UNABLE TO SHOW THEM TO ME. I STOPPED ON MY WAY HOME AT A LOCAL GARAGE HAD THEM PUT IT ON A LIFT AND CHECK THE SENSORS WHICH WERE NOT DAMAGED. OLDSMOBILE WAS STILL NOT INTERESTED SO I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER OLDSMOBILE DEALER WHO ALSO PUT IT ON A LIFT AND TOLD ME THEY HAD NO IDEA WHY THE BAGS DEPLOYED. OLDSMOBILE IN DETROIT CONTINUES TO GO BACK TO SULLIVAN'S INSPECTION IGNORING THE TWO INSPECTIONS THAT SHOWED NO REASON. OLDSMOBILE HAS DENIED ME ANY COMPENSATION.*AK

DRIVING A 2000 OLDS ALERO. THE GEAR SHIFT BECOMES INOPERABLE, BECAUSE THE PLASTIC BUTTON THAT IS USED TO PUSH IN TO OPERATE THE GEAR SHIFT IS COMPLETELY BROKEN ON THE INSIDE. THE PEICE HAS EVEN FALLEN OUT OF THE GEAR SHIFT MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO PLACE THE CAR IN GEAR. HAVE HAD TO PUSH THUMB INTO HEAD OF GEAR SHIFT TO ENABLE "PUSHING OF INTERIOR RELEASE" TO PLACE THE GEAR SHIFT IN POSITION. NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY DAMAGE UNDER MY POSESSION, AND AS FAR AS I CAN TELL THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD NOT ABUSED THE GEAR SHIFT EITHER. CAN CAUSE A "SUPRISING"MOMENT WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU CAN NOT ENGAGE THE GEAR YOU ARE INTENDING TO USE. RECENTLY I WAS BACKING UP IN THE VEHICLE, WHEN THE "BUTTON "CAME OFF, AND ROLLED UNDER MY SEAT. LUCKILY I WAS IN A PARKING LOT THAT WAS NOT EXTREMELY BUSY AT THAT TIME. I HAD TO TRY TO LOCATE THE BUTTON WITH MY FOOT STILL ENGAGED ON THE BRAKE SO THE CAR WOULD NOT CONTINUE TO "BACK UP". THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED BY STICKING MY THUMB IN THE OPEN AREA I COULD THEN ENGAGE MY GEAR SHIFT INTO DRIVE. *AK

ON MARCH 3, 2005 MY 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO GL V6/3.4L WOULD NOT START. ON MARCH 4, 2005, ALL 3 DISTRIBUTOR COILS WERE REPLACED AS WELL AS ALL 6 SPARK PLUGS. THE CAR WORKED FINE UNTIL MARCH 7, 2005 WHEN WHILE DRIVING THE CAR FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, THE CAR SHUT DOWN. IT COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND I COULD NOT GET IT TO START AGAIN. IN BOTH INSTANCES THE CAR SEEMS TO TRY TO START BUT IS UNSUCCESSFUL. IN MY ONLINE RESEARCH, THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH NO KNOWN RESOLUTION FOR OTHER OWNERS OF THE ALERO. ADDITIONALLY, AFTER THE WINDOW FELL INTO THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, ON OCTOBER 19, 2004, I HAD THE MECHANISM FOR THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW REPLACED. IN DECEMBER 2004, THE SAME WINDOW FAILED TO WORK AT ALL. I HAVE NOT HAD IT FIXED AGAIN. THE WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED AFTER A SUDDEN COOLANT LEAK COMPLETELY DEPLETING THE SYSTEM IN NOVEMBER 2003, AND THE SAME SITUATION OCCURED AGAIN REQUIRING THE WATER PUMP TO BE REPLACED AGAIN IN FEBRUARY 2005, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR LATER. ONE OF THE CIGARETTE LIGHTERS STOPPED WORKING IN JUNE 2004. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT, AND COOLANT LIGHT COME ON INTERMITTENTLY WITH NO APPARENT PROBLEM. THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHT IS TOUCH AND GO, MEANING IF I TOUCH THE CASE, IT MAY OR MAY NOT GO ON OR OFF. THE FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT ON MY ONE HAND IN THE NEARLY 3 YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED IT. THE SIGNAL LIGHTS WOULD STOP FUNCTIONING AND BUZZ HIDEOUSLY UNTIL I PRESSED THE HAZARD BUTTON. WATER HAS COLLECTED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER FLOORBOARD AND IN THE TRUNK FROM SEAL FAILURE. THE ENGINE SEEMS TO BURN OIL QUICKLY. *AK

OWNER WAS DRIVING THROUGH A GAS STATION AT APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR INJURIES. OWNER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER. *AK *NM

HEATER FAN QUIT. WINDSHIELD STAYS FOGGED UP IN WINTER. LIKELY TO CAUSE ACCIDENT. AND CRUISE CONTROL QUIT ALSO

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT IMPACT ACCIDENT AT 25 MPH. THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD THE DRIVER AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTACTED BY CONSUMER. *NM

WE WERE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN SEP 2004. ANOTHER VECHILE WAS KNOCKED INTO OUR VECHILE AND MY WIFE'S SEAT DID NOT REMAIN LOCKED IN POSITION. HE SEAT SLAMMED FORWARD AND MY WIFE RECEIVED FRACTURES TO HER LEG, AND FOOT. ALONG WITH A TEAR IN THE MINCUS OF HER KNEE. I HAVE REQUESTED THAT GM LOOK INTO THIS ISSE WITH THE SEAT, BUT I DO NOT FEEL THAT THEY ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ISSUE.*AK