1999 OLDSMOBILE ALERO Complaints

THE CONSUMER NOTICED A GRINDING NOISE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND WAS TOLD THE RIM WAS CRACKED AND THE TIRE LOST AIR. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS THE TIRES SLIPPED ON THE RIM AND HAD BROKEN THE SEAL. THE TIRE DEFLATED SOMEWHAT, AND CAUSED THE AUTO LEVEL ALARM TO GO OFF. THE ALLOY RIMS BY THE MANUFACTURER WERE DEFECTIVE AND CAUSED THE PROBLEM. *SCC *JB

COOLANT LEAKING AROUND THE ENGINE. MECHANIC SAYS THIS IS COMMON FOR THE 3400 ENGINE BECAUSE THERE IS NO GASKET, JUST A BEAD OF CAULK.*AK

THE COOLANT STARTED LEAKING INTO THE OIL. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, PENCE OLDSMOBILE, APRIL 24, 2003, DUE TO ENGINE TICKING. ADVISED OIL APPEARED TO HAVE NOT BEEN CHANGED IN 1 YR. I ADVISED THE SERVICE OIL WAS CHANGED EVERY 3 MONTHS LESS THAN 3000 MILES. OIL WAS "GUNKY" AND THICK LIKE VASELINE. VEHICLE ALSO LOOSING COOLANT. OIL WAS CHANGED AND ENGINE TO CLEAN OF GUNK ON 04/24/03. 07/5/03, COOLANT TANK LOW 15 MILES LATER COOLANT TANK REFILLED AGAIN.. 07/06/03, VEHICLE PARKED. 07/7/03, BEFORE LEAVING FOR WORK, COOLANT REFILLED AGAIN. NO LEAKAGE ON GROUND. AFTER ABOUT TRAVELING ABOUT 8 MILES, WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT THE VEHILCE STARTED TO TREMBLE & MAKE SOUNDS. DROVE APPROX 1 MILE TO EMPLOYERS PARKING LOT AND CALLED TOW TRUCK TO TOW IT TO. DEALER SERVICE DEPT INFORMED ME OIL PUMP O-RING, INTAKE GASKET, VALVA COVER GASKET AND PCV VALVE NEEDED REPLACING AND THERE COULD POSSIBLEY BE INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE.. THE VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP ON 07/11/03 BETWEEN 5:30-6PM, DRIVEN 20 MILES AND PARKED UNTIL 07/12/03 UNTIL 5:30PM..VEHILCE DRIVEN ANOTHER 20 MILES AND COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. COOLANT REFILLED. SUN 07/13/03, VEHICLE DRIVEN 10 MILES AND COOLANT LIGHT ON AGAIN. COOLANT WAS REFILLED VEHICLE PARKED UNTIL 07/14/03. VEHICLE DRIVEN BACK TO DEALER ON 07/14/03, AND LEFT WITH SERVICE DEPT.. I HAD JUST PAID $757.80 FOR REPAIRS AND 24 HRS LATER THE VEHICLE WAS DOING THE SAME THING. APPROX 1HR AFTER I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP, THEY CALLED TO INFORM ME THAT THE WATER PUMP WAS NOW GONE AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. COMPLAINT MADE TO OLDMOBILE CUSTOMER SERVICE BUT NO ACTION TAKEN. THE VEHILCE HAD 63000 MILES AND SERVICE AS REQUIRED. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT FROM THE MANUFACTORER.. WHEN THE COOLANT WAS LOW, PRIOR TO WATER PUMP PROBLEM OF 07/12/03, THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE. *AK

DURING A HEAVY DOWNPOUR THE RAIN ENTERS THE PASSENGER CABIN THROUGH DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. *AK

I BOUGHT MY CAR WITH 14 MILES ON IT. IN THE FIRST YEAR, I HAD TO HAVE THE MOLDING ON THE DOORS REPLACED BECAUSE THEY LEAKED. THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS MY REGULATOR THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I ALSO FOUND A BROKEN CLIP JUST SITTING INSIDE MY DOOR. YOU CAN'T BUY JUST A REGULATOR OR CLIPS SO I WILL NEED TO BUY THOSE PARTS PLUS THE MOTOR WHICH WILL COST AT LEAST $280. MY ROTORS ALSO NEEDED TO BE SHAVED DOWN BECAUSE THEY WERE WARPED AND MY BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND NOW, ONLY 5 MONTHS LATER, THEY NEED TO BE TOTALLY REPLACED BECAUSE THEY ARE WARPED AGAIN AND MY BRAKES WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. THIS IS THE WORST CAR I'VE EVER OWNED! MY FIRST AND LAST EXPERIENCE I WILL EVER HAVE WITH GM!! I REALIZE THINGS HAPPEN TO CARS, BUT I WOULD EXPECT OLDSMOBILE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THESE RE-OCCURRING PROBLEMS AND BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO FIX THEM. *NLM

THE MATERIAL THAT COVERS THE DASH HAS PEELED AWAY AND THE DASH HAS LIFTED. *NLM

DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW MECHANISM BROKEN. WINDOW FELL WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE. WHAT WAS FOUND AFTER DOOR INSIDE PANEL TAKEN OFF WAS MANY BROKEN PLASTIC CLIPS. THESE CLIPS ATTACH TO THE WINDOW AND WINDOW REGULATOR. AFTER INVESTIGATION THROUGH SEVERAL OLDS DEALERS AND USED CAR PARTS DEALERS WAS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR WHICH A SERVICE BULLETIN IS IN EFFECT. OF NOTE, YOU CANNOT PURCHASE REPLACEMENT CLIPS FOR THE WINDOW. IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, YOU MUST PURCHASE THE ENTIRE WINDOW MOTOR, REGULATOR AND CLIPS FOR WHICH ARE NOT GUARANTEED TO NOT BREAK AGAIN. THIS UNIT COSTS OVER $250. WE FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY VIOLATION DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE SLIGHTEST NICK IN THE WINDOW CAN CAUSE FATAL DAMAGE IF DRIVEN DOWN THE ROAD.

1999 OLDS ALERO 3.4L; STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, AT IDLE IN DRIVE, SPEEDOMETER PEGGED TO 140MPH, AND HELD FOR ~10 SEC. UPON CHANING OF THE LIGHT, I TRIED TO ACCELERATE, AND THROTTLE WAS NOT AVAILABLE, SIMILAR TO WHAT OCCURS WHEN THE SPEED LIMITER IS EXCEEDED. THE CONDITION OCCURED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 10 SECONDS, THEN RETURNED TO NORMAL SPEED REPORTING AND ENGINE OPERATION. NO SES LIGHT NOT TRACTION CONTROL ALRET WERE WITNESSED DURING THE EVENT. SUBSEQUENT READING OF THE ECM TROUBLE CODES SHOWS NO 'SNAPSHOT' DATA OF AN IMPENDING FAULT.

THE PLASTIC COVER THAT COVERS THE BUCKLE HAS BROKEN OFF AND THE SEAT BELT IS HARD TO USE AS THE BUCKLE ALWAYS FALLS TO THE FLOOR. IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO REACH THE BUCKLE TO HOOK UP. *JB

WE PURCHASED THIS CAR IN JULY 2002 FROM CLASSIC CHEVROLET IN OWASSO, OK. WE ALSO PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. IN DECEMBER THE CAR WAS HIT FROM THE REAR BY A HIT AND RUN DRIVER. IN JANUARY THE ENGINE BEGAN TO KNOCK. I CALLED THE WARRANTY PLACE AND GOT PERMISSION TO TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC, HE SAID IT WAS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, REPLACED IT WHEN IT STILL KNOCKED HE SAID IT WOULD TAKE AWHILE FOR ALL THE WATER TO GET OUT OF THE ENGINE. WE TOOK IT BACK, AND GOT A RUN AROUND FOR 4 WEEKS, FINALLY CALLED THE WARRANTY PLACE TOLD THEM HE WASN'T GETTING IT FIXED AND REQUESTED PERMISSION TO TAKE IT TO A DIFFERENT SHOP. GRANTED THEN WHEN THEY FOUND OUT IT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE THEY REFUSED TO PAY FOR IT, SAID THEY WOULD ONLY CONTRIBUTE A SUM OF MONEY TOWARD FIXING IT. I CALLED GMAC BECAUSE THEY FINANCED THE WARRANTY, ONE PERSON TOLD ME THAT GM SHOULD HONOR THE WARRANTY AND SO I HAVE A CALL IN TO A DEALER IN PITTSBURGH, KS. WE NO LONGER HAVE A GM DEALER IN OUR TOWN. MY POINT IS THAT SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE THIS RIGHT AND PUT A NEW ENGINE IN MY CAR AT NO MORE EXPENSE TO ME. WHEN I TALK TO GM I WILL BE LETTING THEM KNOW THAT I FOUND YOUR SITE AND CHECKED IT OUT, AND LODGED A COMPLAINT. I AM UNSURE OF THE EXACT DATE OF THE INCIDENT AND SINCE IT IS 4:15AM AM UNABLE TO CALL AND GET IT. *NLM