2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO Complaints

REGARDING 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO: EXPERIENCED STEERING FAILURE WHEN MAKING RIGHT TURNS. STEERING WOULD COMPLETELY LOCK WHEN MAKING RIGHT TURNS AT SLOW SPEEDS AND WHEN MAKING SLIGHT STEERING ADJUSTMENTS TO THE RIGHT EVEN AT HIGH SPEEDS. CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE. I HAVE SEEN RECALLS ON SEVERAL OTHER GM VEHICLES (DIFFERENT MODEL YEARS) FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAD TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION UNIT, COSTING OVER $950. IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN GM VEHICLES, THEN WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL? *LA

I BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN 2001 WITH 30K MILES ON IT. I BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY TO CARRY ME OVER TO 75K MILES. I FIRST HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION. THEN I HAD TO GET A NEW FUEL FILTER AND FUEL PUMP. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS APPROX 4-5 TIMES IN 2 YEARS. THE ROTORS TWICE. THEY BOTH NEED CHANGED AGAIN. THE AIR CONDITIONER HAD TO BE SERVICED BECAUSE THE SWITCH WAS BROKE AND IT WAS BLOWING AIR AT ALL VENTS INCLUDING THE FLOOR AND WINDSHIELD. THEN, THE MOTOR WENT OUT. AT APPROX 65K MILES. A USED MOTOR WAS PAID FOR BY THE WARRANTY COMPANY AND INSTALLED AFTER SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR OVER A MONTH. THIS WAS IN JANUARY. AT THAT SAME TIME THE EXHAUST HAD WENT OUT. I WAS TOLD MY WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER IT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IT WAS A PIECE THAT HOOKED ONTO IT. FINALLY AFTER THEY REPLACED THE MOTOR THE PUT A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER IN. THEN COMES THE CD PLAYER. IT EJECTS AT RANDOM AND SKIPS. IT ALSO GIVES ERROR CODES FREQUENTLY. THEN I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE LIGHTS. THE ABS LIGHT AND THE TRAC OFF LIGHT STAY ON ALONG WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I WAS TOLD THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON BECAUSE THE FUEL INJECTORS WERE CLOGGED. WELL, YESTERDAY I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR A FUEL INJECTOR CLEANING AND FLUSH. I ALSO HAD A TUNE UP, OIL CHANGE, TIRES ROTATED, AIR FILTER INSTALLED, NEW FUEL FILTER, AND NEW SPARK PLUGS. STILL I AM HAVING A FUEL PROBLEM OF SOME SORT. THE CAR IDLES AND MISFIRES VERY BADLY. IT SHAKES BADLY ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU NAUSEOUS. IT ALSO MISFIRES WHEN YOU SPEED UP AND SOMETIME SPUTTERS LIKE IT DOES NOT WANT TO GO. THIS WAS AFTER EVERYTHING WAS DONE. THEN I AM TOLD IT SOUNDS LIKE MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS GOING OUT AGAIN AFTER ONLY 8 MONTHS. THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE PROBLEMS. I WOULD NOT SAY THAT BUT I HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THAT EVERY SINGLE COMPLAINT MENTIONED THE BRAKE SYSTEM BUT 50% OF THEM MENTION THE FUEL SYSTEM AND SEVERAL MENTIONED THE ENGINE PROBLEMS.

LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILURE CAUSING LEAKAGE OF COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE AND ONTO PAVEMENT. THIS TYPE OF GASKET FAILURE IS UNACCEPTABLE AT SUCH LOW MILES. AUGUST UPDATE: SINCE FILING THE COMPLAINT, I HAD THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED (ALONG WITH THE OTHER GASKETS, SEALS, AND RINGS THAT ARE TYPICALLY REPLACED IN THIS PROCEDURE) BY THE OLDS DEALER HERE IN MY AREA. THIS WAS DONE AT MILEAGE 51947 ON 2/11/03 FOR MY 2000 OLDS ALERO THAT WAS PURCHASED NEW ON 7/6/2000. AS FOR COST, I WAS ABLE TO DO SOME NEGOTIATING WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. ABOUT ONE MONTH EARLIER, I HAD TAKEN THE CAR IN TO GET THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW REPAIRED. IT HAD FALLEN OUT OF TRACK (FOR THE SECOND TIME), AND I RAISED THE ISSUE THAT THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE, AND THAT THEIR COMPETITOR CARS DO NOT DO THIS (NON GM VEHICLES). HAVING NEGOTIATED A LOW PRICE ON THIS WINDOW REPAIR, THE SERVICE MANAGER REMEMBERED ME FOR THE INTAKE MANIFOLD REPAIR. I RAISED A NUMBER OF ISSUES AND FACTS SURROUNDING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE ENTIRE REPAIR DONE FOR $276.75, ALONG WITH AN OIL CHANGE AND SERPENTINE BELT REPLACEMENT, INCLUDED. I HAVE NOT NOTICED AND PROBLEMS WITH COOLANT LEAKAGE SINCE THE REPAIR WAS PREFORMED. ANOTHER CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS, SINCE MY REPAIR WAS DONE IN FEBRUARY 2003, BUT THE SERVICE BULLETIN IS DATED MARCH 2003, WERE OLD PARTS USED IN MY REPAIR AND WILL THIS HAPPEN AGAIN?

I AM ON MY THIRD PAIR OF BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. THE LAST TIME THIS WAS CORRECTED WAS IN NOV. 2002. THE INITIAL SET THAT CAME ON THE CAR WAS SUPPOSEDLY "BAD" AND REPLACED NOV. 2000. I GOT THE CAR IN AUG. 2000. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO DEALER OCT. 2002 AS WELL. NEVER COULD IDENTIFY PROBLEM. GRINDING LIGHT AND NOISES UNDER HOOD THAT WERE FINALLY IDENTIFIED AS THE BRAKES TAKEN IN AGAIN IN JAN. 01. THE "OTHER" CONSISTS OF A NEW ALTERNATOR IN NOV. 2002 AS WELL AS NEW TIRES IN JULY 2002. I HAD TO PURCHASE TWO WHILE GM GAVE ME 2. LOCKS WERE MESSED UP AGAIN APRIL 02. FAULTY WINDOW REGULATOR IN SEPT. 01. I HAVE DOCUMENTATION OF ALL OF THE INVOICES/PRINTOUTS FROM THE DEALER AS WELL AS MY MAINTENANCE PAPERS.

2000 OLDS ALERO GL 3.4: FOUND COOLANT DROPS ON GARAGE FLOOR. TOOK IN TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKING. THIS DOES NOT SEEM REASONABLE AT 3 YEARS OLD AND ONLY 47,088 MILES. GM NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND A RECALL SHOULD BE MADE. TOO MANY OTHERS I FOUND ONLINE HAVE SAME PROBLEM ABOUT SAME MILEAGE. COST TO DO WORK $843.85 (REPLACED INTAKE AND OTHER GASKETS DRAINED COOLING SYSTEM AND CHANGED OIL ETC.) TOLD THIS WAS ALL NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE LEAK FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. ON JANUARY 10, 2003, I SPOKE TO A MAN AT OLDS CUSTOMER SERVICE...HIS NAME GARRITT BATES. AFTER PUTTING ME ON HOLD HE CALLED THE DEALER AND CAME BACK TO TELL ME THIS PROBLEM WAS "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR". HE GAVE ME A FILE # AND TOLD ME TO HANG ON TO MY RECIEPTS IN CASE THERE EVER WAS A RECALL.

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS HAD TO BE REPLACED. IF LEFT ALONE, THE LEAK WOULD HAVE RUINED THE ENGINE WHICH WOULD HAVE COST 2000.00 OR MORE.

COOLANT LEAKING FROM ENGINE AREA, TOLD INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS NEEDED REPLACING. 3.4L ENGINE

ENGINE: INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK. LEAKING ANTIFREEZE INTO ENGINE. $846 ESTIMATE TO REPAIR. GM DEALER WILL NOT COVER REPAIR. BRAKES: 2ND SET OF BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS REPLACED, THIS IS FIRST ONE OUT OF WARRANTY.

FIRE MARSHALL STATED DEFECTIVE PART @ THE FUEL PUMP/FUEL TANK SYSTEM WHICH CAUSED FIRE AND COMPLETELY TOTALLED THE CAR. FUEL TANK EXPLODED QUICKLY. LUCKILY MY BABY WAS NOT IN THE BACK SEAT AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. I LOST A LOT OF MY BELONGINGS THAT WERE IN THE VEHICLE AS I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING.

VEHICLE'S TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS FAILED.*MR THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM HIS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED WAS SIMILAR TO RECALL #03V327000, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS BUILT PRIOR TO THE AFFECTED VEHICLE, THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE HAZARD SWITCH HIMSELF AT A COST OF $28.00. *JB