2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO Complaints

TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD WARNING LIGHT WERE NOT WORKING. NHTSA RECALL 03V327000 WAS ISSUED ON THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

THE RACK AND PINION MALFUNCTIONED. AS A RESULT WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL A KNOCKING NOISE WAS PRODUCED. *AK

THE TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. A RECALL (03V327000) WAS ISSUED VEHICLE'S VIN NUMBER IS OUTSIDE OF THE REMEDY SCOPE. *AK

1. THE BUTTON ON THE AUTOMATIVE GEAR SHIFT BROKE 2000, REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, BROKE AGAIN 2002. 2. THE TURN SIGNAL WOULDN'T WORK, WORKED ON TWICE, NOW A RECALL! 3. MOTOR ON POWER DRIVER SEAT BROKE. 4.DASH BOARD IS BUBBLING AND PEELING! CHEAP *** GLUE! 5. BRAKE PADS-TOO MANY TO MENTION! 6. CRUISE CONTROL WENT OUT...NOW SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL RACE AND I DON'T HAVE TO PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS, BUT IF YOU HAVE TO APPLY BRAKES, YOU HAD BETTER HOLD IT DOWN HARD, OR YOU'LL END UP RAMMING SOMEONE IN THE BACK. IF YOU TRY TO GUN TO GET THE RPMS DOWN, IT'LL SHOOT UP TO 3000 RPMS! 7. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH GMC/OLDSMOBILE!!!! I WILL NEVER RECOMMEND THIS CAR!*AK

TURN SIGNALS WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO. HAZARDS HAVE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN STOPPED FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS STARTED ONE MONTH AFTER PURCHASING A "CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED" OLDSMOBILE

REGARDING 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO - INTERMITTENT FAILURE/ MALFUNCTION OF ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND TRACTION CONTROL WHILE BRAKING TO A STOP.UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WOULD APPEAR TO WORK FINE. THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM, INDICATED BY THE "LOW TRAC" LIGHT MAY OR MAY NOT BE LIT, INDICATING A PROBLEM. SHORTLY AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND WHILE BRAKING TO A STOP, THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM SEEMS TO SENSE A SLIPPERY ROAD AND ACTIVATES THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES, CAUSING THE BRAKES TO DISENGAGE AND THEN SLOWLY RE-ENGAGE, AS IF STOPPING ON SLIPPERY PAVEMENT. HOWEVER, THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON DRY, NORMAL PAVEMENT AT NORMAL SPEED AND STOPS. HAVING THE BRAKES DISENGAGE WHILE BRAKING TO A STOP INCREASES THE NEEDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND REQUIRES THE DRIVER TO EITHER TURN TO AVOID A COLLISION OR USE THE EMERGENCY BREAK TO STOP. NOTE THAT THE THE RED BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT IS NOT ON DURING THIS CONDITION. AFTER STOPPING, THE AMBER "ANTI-LOCK", "TRAC OFF", AND "SERVICE VEHICLE SOON" LIGHTS ARE LIT AND THE VEHICLE APPEARS TO DEACTIVATE THE ANTI-LOCK AND TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP. THE BRAKES THEN WORK FINE, WITH THESE SYSTEMS DEACTIVATED. *AK

WHEN USING THE TURN SIGNALS CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. ALSO, THE HAZARD LIGHTS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER ABOUT THIS ISSUE.*AK

THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES WHILE DRIVING AT 60-75 MPH, ON RELATIVELY SMOOTH ROADS. THE VIBRATION CAN SOMETIMES BE FELT THROUGH THE FLOOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, AND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS. THE SEVERITY AND LOCATION (STEERING WHEEL/SEATS/FLOOR) OF THE SHAKING VARIES WITH DIFFERENT ROADS, BUT NEVER GOES AWAY COMPLETELY, EVEN ON NEWLY RESURFACED HIGHWAYS. ON SURFACE STREETS (50 MPH AND LESS), THE SHAKING IS NOT NOTICEABLE. THIS HAS MOST LIKELY LEAD TO A LOT OF THE MINOR SQUEAKS AND RATTLES IN THE INTERIOR THAT MAKE THE CAR SOUND AND FEEL OLDER THAN IT IS. I REPLACED THE ORIGINAL TIRES AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES, AND RECENTLY HAD THE NEW TIRES ROTATED AND BALANCED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. I HAVE NOT YET TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO REPAIR THIS, SINCE I AM STILL RECOVERING FROM $1700 WORTH OF REPAIRS I HAD DONE TO FIX THE HEAD GASKET LEAK AND REPLACE UPPER STRUT MOUNTS. THIS COULD BE A VERY NICE CAR, IF IT WASNT FOR THE NUMBER OF LARGE (AND EXPENSIVE) REPAIRS NEEDED SO EARLY IN THE CARS LIFE.

CHECK ENGINE SOON LIGHT COMES ON; HAD PROB FIXED BEFORE MECHANIC SAID A WIRE WAS LAYING ON MANIFOLD, REPOSITIONED AND TIGHTENED BUT PROB IS OCCURING AGAIN; SERVICE VEHICLE LIGHT STAYS ON ALONG WITH TRAC OFF LIGHT; CAR ENGINE PRESUR IS DECREASED AND MAKES NOISES AND WHEN TURNING WHEELS LEFT OR RIGHT THERE IS A SOUND LIKE RUBBER RUNNING TOGETHER; PADS HAVE TO BE CHANGED EVERY 6 MONTHS AND RORTORS HAVE BEEN CHANGED TWICE.*AK

THE 3.4L V6 ENGINE REGULARLY LOST COOLANT, AND THE RESERVOIR HAD TO BE REFILLED ABOUT ONCE A MONTH. ALSO NOTICED THICK WHITE GOO ON THE OIL CAP (BUT NOT ON THE OIL DIPSTICK), AND HEARD A TICKING SOUND AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, WHICH WENT AWAY AFTER THE ENGINE WARMED UP. THE DEALER SAID THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING, AND THE REPAIR COST $1,100. THE ENGINE HAD 53,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE REPAIR, WHICH IS WELL BEYOND THE WARRANTY, BUT THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WOULD HAVE DEVELOPED SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES AGO, BEFORE ANY SYMPTOMS WERE NOTICEABLE. IT IS VERY DISAPPOINTING TO HAVE MAJOR ENGINE WORK DONE WITH SO FEW MILES (ALSO HAD TO HAVE SERPENTINE BELT REPLACED), ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ALERO'S SALES BROCHURE BRAGS ABOUT "LONG LIFE FLUIDS, INCLUDING COOLANT, THAT WILL LAST UP TO 100,000 MILES OR MORE." WHEN THE DEALER REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET, THEY SAID THAT REPLACEMENT PART IS THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL (GM HAD NOT MADE ANY DESIGN CHANGES TO THE PART), SO THIS WILL MOST LIKELY BE A RECURRING PROBLEM FOR THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE. OVERALL, IM HAPPY WITH THE CARS DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE, BUT ITS UPSETTING TO HAVE SUCH HIGH COST REPAIRS ON A CAR I PLAN TO DRIVE FOR SEVERAL MORE YEARS.