2002 OLDSMOBILE ALERO Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WARNING LIGHTS FAILED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V327000, REGARDING THE HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHT SWITCH. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHT SWITCH.

2002 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. AT 57,000 MILES TURN SIGNALS ARE OCCASIONALLY INOPERATIVE. FUSES WERE CHANGED AND THEY STILL FAIL ON OCCASION. IDENTICAL PROBLEMS RESULTED IN THE RECALLS OF THE 2000 AND 2001 OLDS ALEROS. UPON REVIEWING INTERNET WEB SITES I DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHER ALERO OWNERS WHOM ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. A TEMPORARY SOLUTION UNTIL THE HAZARD SWITCH CAN BE REPLACED IS TO SLAP THE DASHBOARD NEAR THE HAZARD SWITCH TO MAKE IT OPERABLE. THE INABILITY TO ALERT OTHER DRIVERS OF THE INTENT TO CHANGE LANES, OR MAKE TURNS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *JB

TURN SIGNALS DIDN'T ALWAYS WORK. I WOULD HAVE TO HIT THE HAZARD SWITCH AND THEN THE SIGNALS WOULD WORK. TOOK TO DEALER AND HAD TO HAVE A NEW HAZARD SWITCH INSTALLED. *NM

2002 ALERO WINDOW REGULATOR IS BRITTLE AND DISINTEGRATING CAUSING WINDOW TO FALL DOWN. *TS THE CD PLAYER WAS INOPERATIVE, THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WAS LOOSE AND THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR MESSAGE CAME ON. *JB

TIMING CHAIN BROKE ON 2002 OLDSMOBILE ALERO WITH 65,000 MILES IN FEB. 2006. EXPERIENCED A TICKING NOISE DAY BEFORE AND WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 55 MPH WHEN CHAIN BROKE AND LOST POWER. AUTO REPAIR SERVICE INDICATED IT WILL COST AT LEAST $1500 TO REPLACE CHAIN AND ADDITIONAL PARTS. ALSO INDICATED OIL PAN WOULD HAVE TO BE REMOVED AS FRAGMENTS WERE DETECTED INSIDE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AT 15MPH, A GRINDING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES. THE NOISE WAS COMPARED TO METAL ON METAL SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE ROTORS AND PADS WERE WORN AND NEEDED REPLACED. THE ROTORS AND PADS WERE REPLACED SEVEN TIMES PREVIOUSLY FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. ON AVERAGE, THE BRAKES AND PADS WERE REPLACED EVERY 20,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THE REASON THE ROTORS AND PADS WERE BEING REPLACED SO OFTEN WAS, ASBESTOS WAS NO LONGER USED IN THE MATERIALS WHEN MANUFACTURING THE PARTS. THIS WOULD LEAD TO REPLACEMENT OF THE PARTS MORE OFTEN WHICH WOULD BE CONSIDERED NORMAL BASIC MAINTENANCE OF THE VEHICLE.

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED THE HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V327000, REGARDING THE HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS SWITCH. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN THE RECALL, HOWEVER THE CONSUMERS MODEL YEAR WAS NOT INCLUDED. *JB UPDATED 02/21/06. *JB

BRAKE COMPLAINT: FRONT AND REAR BRAKE PROBLEMS CONTINUE INCLUDING ABNORMAL ACCELERATED WEAR, BRAKE NOISES AND ROTOR CORROSION. FRONT AND REAR ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE, TURNED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND THE FRONT AND REAR PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES IN LESS THAN 32,000 MILES. IN TOTAL, MORE THAN $1,000 HAS BEEN SPENT IN OUT OF POCKET REPAIRS PLUS WARRANTY WORK TO DATE. IT IS NOW NECESSARY TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED EVERY 3,000-5,000 TO INSURE THAT BRAKE OPERATION IS SAFE AND THAT THE FRONT AND REAR PADS AND ROTORS ARE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. CORROSION OF THE ROTORS REMAINS A PROBLEM AND ACCELERATES THE WEAR OF THE PADS. *JB

TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS FLICKER BUT FAIL TO COME ON IN BACK OF VEHICLE, OR THEY JUST DON'T WORK AT ALL. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. I MAY START OUT DRIVING AND THEY ARE FINE, THEN THEY COMPLETELY STOP WORKING, AND BY THE END OF THE TRIP THEY WORK AGAIN. SOMETIMES THEY WORK THE WHOLE TRIP, SOMETIMES NONE AT ALL. THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON TO IT. I REPLACED THE FUSE FOR THE SIGNAL LIGHTS AND THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS. *NM

BLINKERS FAIL ESPECIALLY DURING HUMID WEATHER. IT BEGAN DURING THE SUMMER. BLINKERS SOMETIMES WORK, BUT THEN WILL FAIL. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED YET. THERE IS A RECALL OUT FOR THE 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO, BUT NOT FOR THE 2002 EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM