The make : oldsmobile model : alero year : 1999 manufacturer : general motors corp. Mileage: 62,000 miles problem: engine intake manifold leak - dexcool I, like several hundred thousand other gm owners, am experiencing a leaking engine due to the dexcool coolant used in the radiator. The problem stems from the intake manifold not being sealed correctly to house the corrosive coolant. (I've been told by both my mechanic and the dealer that this effects all 3.0l series engines in gm vehicles from the years 1998 - 2003.) I only realized my problem after my friend (with the exact same model car and year) had his head gasket blown off due to the engine coolant mixing with the oil. Total estimated cost: $750. Risk of accident if car's engine blows in traffic.
1999 Oldsmobile Alero engine complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 85, newest first, as owners wrote them.
In the last six months three out of 4 windows on my vehicle are now held up with duct tape so that they don't fall into the channel and I can't get them up. Luckily, only one of them managed to do that and a friend managed to get it back up for me. That occurred at the end of january 2006. I could understand one- maybe- but three!!! No. This is definitely a safety issue. I suspect the only reason that my one working window, the back passenger side, is still working is because I haven't tried to put it down- or the result would be the same. I am sure that is going to be expensive to repair, so I guess I'll go with the duct tape for a while. I have also had a problem with the intake manifold, the gaskets on that were replaced in january, 2006. I was losing antifreeze from the overflow tank, and having to fill it every day. Took it to the dealer, and they found the water pump leaking and the intake gaskets leaking. They were replaced at my expense. And... The intermittent turn signal is also a problem. That has been going on for about a year now. It should be recalled for that, like you did for the 2000- 2001 vehicles. The vehicle has 70,000 miles on it. The interior trim on this vehicle is shoddy, and that is being kind. The car was purchased brand new with 23 miles on it when we got it to our house in june, 1999. In less than a year a door panel had to be replaced because it had come apart. The dashboard has been peeling for about 11/2 years because they used cheap glue to hold the covering on the plastic. I realize that you consider that cosmetic, but it shouldn't be happening: I check every alero I see in a parking lot and there are a lot with peeling dashboards. Gm should be responsible for fixing that- they caused the problem. Gm caused multiple problems on this vehicle by doing it on the cheap. It is very costly to the people who own them, and it shouldn't be. I don't mind paying for routine repairs, I expect that, but these problems are not "routine".
Locked up ignition switch cruise control fell apart gear shift shifter not secure and slides up the shift.. Both oxygen sensors failed all four windows electric motors, and racks have been replaced front end vibration when stopped or parked on incline dash board leather cover came loose and rolled up like a used rug original fuel filter have to be pried out of line and then pieces left had to be removed with needle nose pliers. Fuel gauge as never worked. Now its running about 4 miles and then quits, sets for 30 minutes and drive another 4 miles then quits. Code reader says engine running lean, (problem is 4 to 5 sensors including the injectors could be causing this, no way to tell with replacing them until it runs. The expense of this could be 1000 to 3000 dollars. Electric door locks failed , replace switch, only works part of the time.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving at various speeds there was a humming noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. Additionally, the ABS light illuminated, the cruise control became inoperable, a burning smell appeared and the vehicle was loosing water. The dealership inspected the vehicle. The battery, wiring, spark plug wiring and a belt were replaced. The water pump and window switch was replaced. The blower motor needed to cleaned out. The brakes were inoperative updated 05/01/06.
Noticed my son's 1999 olds alero was using excessive antifreeze, took to shop & had to have defective intake gasket replaced as antifreeze was being sucked into the engine. Repair shop reports that they are repairing same problem on 3 gm cars per week in this town of 25,000 people. Cost $ 650 to repair; gm should recall this vehicle & similar models and replace these defective gaskets, we were lucky that we did not ruin the engine on this car. We had to get the car repaired immediately as my son did not have any other vehicle to drive to work while the alero was being repaired and really could not afford this expensive repair on this car. Repair shop advised that gm is not recalling this part or paying for the repairs even though they are aware of the problem and that it is the fault of a defective gasket and not the car owners fault.
1999 olds alero gls, bought the car in may,2004 with 23,000 miles on it. From day 1 I have had nothing but problems with it mostly brakes, car has extended warranty on it. The rotors grind, pulsate, squeak, the calipers make cracking noises sometimes brake pedal goes to floor. The dealership refuses to fix the problem or says it will not do it for the mechanic, when I drop it off I allowed the service manager to hear it he also verified the sound, only to get the car back being told it won't do it. The rotors have been replaced 4x the brakes 3x the calipers 2x, I still have the problem. Cd player will not work told by dealership it is the humidity doing it which I live in philadelphia and it is winter there is no humidity. Told dealership about a squeezing noise under hood got car back and told they could not find anything wrong with it, I get home and pop the hood and find a grease like residue on the serpentine belt, I later find the water pump leaking. Car loses power and a metal banging noise occurs from under the hood under acceleration, dealership says cannot find the problem. I go back to the dealership and tell them about the brakes and water pump, the tell me that they cannot satisfy me and they will not service the car and not to bring it to them any more. In one month I was at the dealership for the same problem, it still is not fixed, with each time having to pay a $100.00 deductible. I contact gm the say car is to old and there is nothing they can do for me. The car has 56,000 miles on it and the warranty does not expire until 60,000 or may,2006. I am getting ready to trade it in for a toyota.
I purchased the car & immediately had to have the brakes fixed by the dealership. In 3/05 had complete look at car -at chevy. Dealership, they flushed radiator, clean fuel lines-things along those lines "to make my car run better". In june of 05 I started noticing a small puddle of water under my vehicle & it started overheating. Was told my repair man that radiator cap needed replacing. That seemed to help a little. By october 05 the car was leaking antifreeze from under the car. Didn't have the money to have it fixed so I didn't drive it because I was a stay at home mom. Dec 05 I went to work and its been downhill. My car now will overheat if it idles for very long, leaks antifreeze (I have to add coolant every morning), and we was told that it was the probably the intake manifold gasket gone bad which will cost about 900.00. This is just 1 of the many problems we have experienced since the purchase.
1999 olds. Alero 3400 gls. There is a problem with the manifold gasket many people have this problem I think it should be looked into for a safety recall.
Dt: 1999 oldsmobile alero. The contact stated the hub bearings on both sides of the front end went out. There was a noise coming from the front end, the contact took the vehicle to a garage. The mechanic told her of the problem, and said if she drove it much longer there would have been an accident. The head gaskets also blew out the engine. The vehicle was leaking antifreeze into the air system. The vehicle is currently at the garage being fixed for the head gaskets. Also, fuel pump went out while driving on the road. The vehicle was towed to the garage. Then, they replaced the fuel pump. The contact stated , in addition, there have been electrical problems. The computer system had to be reset a couple of times. This has happened within the past 12 months.
Rear defroster, steering, brakes (3x's), engine, radiator, belt, security systerm, tape deck, power windows.
Oldsmobile alero 1999 the vehicle experienced brake and rotor problems. *sc the alternator failed. The driver's side window regulator failed. The front coils spring failed. The oxygen sensor was replaced. Left front ABS sensor and hub assembly were replaced.
Discovered during a vehicle inspection that oil was leaking around the upper part of the engine...near the head and intake manifold area. Plus have been smelling burning oil through the ventilation system...occasionally. At the time, vehicle was no longer under manufacture warranty...contact manufacture for assistance, but assistance was denied.
Engine coolant leak onto engine block and transmission housing. Intake manifold gasket needed to be replaced. Oldsmobile dealership stated that this was a common problem with the 3400 v6 engine.
Without any warning or signs, the car engine died at approximately 65,000 mi. Car was driven locally and was well taken care of. It cost $1,700.00 to replace (with an engine that had 43,000 miles.), and seems that the engine should have lasted for more than 65,000 miles.
Failure of head intake manifold gasket on 1999 oldsmobile alero due to dex-cool engine coolant / faulty gasket design.
Purchased the car in february'03. Bad vibration when driving at speeds over 45 MPH, tires rotated and balanced 4+ times, both front wheel bearing/hub kits replaced in less than 6 months after purchase, still occurs and have just grown accustomed to the shaking. Engine coolant leaks: replaced pump and "o" ring. Power steering pump and return hose replaced. Driver side window does not roll back up(believe dealership replaced prio to purchase). Driver side mirror motor has never worked properly, dealer(in rochester) put on receipt of last repair that they replaced motor, but didn't actually have part, but was on order. Never received a phone call back when or if part came in(dealership is over 300 miles from my home, purchased car on the internet).
1999 oldsmobile alero (out of warranty) began to have problems with transmission "slipping" occasionally during the summer. I was told no problem could be found. While driving home last evening, the service engine soon light came on as well as the "trac off" light and it was very hard to get the car to go more than 30 MPH on a 50 MPH highway very nearly causing an accident. By the grace of god, that did not happen, but now I am told that the transmission may "possibly be bad" or it "could be several other things." in either case, it would seem to me that someone should have found the error before. Additionally, the car has less than 65,000 miles on it and though it was sluggish from the time I bought it and would occasionally lurch forward when pulling away from a stop, it was not until the summer that it became a frequent as opposed to a rare occurrence. I truly believe that there is some flaw in the transmission. Of note also is that the driver's side window only rolls down on occasion and sometimes will not go back up, the fan only works on the highest 2 settings and the entire wiper blade assembly (some sort of sensor) had to be replaced 1 month out of warranty. What a piece of junk. And, the air conditioner no longer cools the car and I was told I had a slow leak.
Consumer took the vehicle to the dealership for a sudden acceleration issue. Vehicle was accelerating without the accelerator pedal being depressed. While having this issue checked dealership noticed that the head gasket failed and leaked radiator anti freeze into the engine. The cause of the sudden acceleration was due to a bad chip in the mother board. The cause of the radiator anti freeze leak was undetermined.*ak
My car's coolant light came on the first time about 2 weeks ago. At that time I replaced the coolant that was missing, only to have the light come on again 2 days later. I again replaced the coolant. I could not find any visible leaks under the car. I was driving to the mechanic when my check engine light came on, and the check coolant light came on. The cars tempature gauge was topped out. I had to pull over to the side of a major freeway and call for help. After 2 hours of waiting for a tow truck. The mechanic tells me that the upper and lower intake manifold gaskets need replaced. Also, the coolant had leaked into my engine and mixed with the oil causing the engine to miss. I had to have the gaskets replaced with a new version. And also have the engine flushed, an oil change and a coolant flush as well as a coolant change. All of this costing well over $700. Apparently, gm has issued a service bulletin related to this issue but has failed to issue a recall on that particular part. My safety should be of some concern to this car manufactuer to say the least!
A leak in the intake manifold that is allowing coolant and oil to leak into the engine. It costs between $600 - $800 to repair and this is a faulty part in a majority of the gm vehicles. There was a service bulletin dated march 2003 that entails the exact details of the problem, yet gm has not offered its customers any remedies to the problem such as paying for the repair. I have maintained this vehicle with all required service work. I want gm to pay for the repair.
1999 alero having problems with manifold leaking oil and failed fuel injectors. *mr the front spring had broken suddenly as the vehicle was in motion. The manifold and injector problem occurred within one week. Recall #3v473000 and there was a recall for the suspension. *sc
Loosing engine coolent. No visible leaking on the ground.
Due to gm defect to date I have had to replace intake manifold gasket, water pump, thermostat, serpentine belt and am now looking at replacing gas tank and heater core. .
Lower intake gasket failure causes near collision on freeway. While I was driving home on a busy day my coolant light came on and my engine started pulsing strangely. Trying to pull into the emergency lane caused several cars to nearly slam into the back of my car. The problem with the coolant was found to be a common flaw in the lower intake gasket on 3.4l (3400) gm engines. After investigation, I've found that many people are experiencing this problem yet gm is doing nothing to address it.
While driving at any speed consumer heard a rattling sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. Dealer examined the vehicle and replaced the front hubs and wheel bearings. Also, vehicle used an excessive amount of oil and coolant.
Loss of power during acceleration into an intersection.
At 50k miles, low coolant light would flicker on and off so per the manual dexcool/water mixture was added. This alleviated the problem only temporarily however. Light continued to come on, and later at 61k, oil leak was noticed on the side of the intake manifold. An appointment was made to bring the car to the dealership the same week, during which the security dummy light came on (for no apparent reason). Also during this week, the "change oil" dummy light came on 100 miles before the oil change was due (at 2900 miles). The car was brought to the dealership to fix per its appointment, and not only was coolant leaking into the engine, but the upper and lower intake manifold gaskets required replacement. In addition, on its way to the dealership, the engine started to misfire causing the "check engine" light to flash for several moments before turning to a steadily lit dummy light. Car has always been given routine maintenance and oil changes every 3k or as necessary, so this performance and obvious design flaw are very disappointing. Would not recommend this car/3.4l v6 engine to anyone looking to purchase a new vehicle and considering this make/model/engine type.
I bought my alero in may of 2003, and it is not march 2004 and I am replacing the motor. Started out with brake problems, then went on to the leather under the windows and on the dash "bubbling" up in the sun. Next, I had coolant/oil leaks at the intake manifold. Low trac light came on all the time, low tire pressure light stays on, the fan for the A/C or heat only worked in the 3-5 positions. (it's full blast or nothing.) coolant light frequently came on, transmission fluid vanishes, coolant leaks, yet no one knows where from. The temperature gauge never goes below halfway, and it ran hot a lot. Had to replace the coolant cap and overflow resevoir. The gas hand sticks, the speedometer sticks, the leather seats are tearing, had to replace the factory radio because it would not pick up any channels, rear defrost works only when it wants to, and service engine light stayed on about half the time. I took this car to 7 mechanics, had it hooked up to diagnostic computers, had everything checked-yet no one could tell me what was going on. Finally, I left the mechanic shop after being told that the car was "good to go" (which I would never put in the same sentence with alero again.), and it starting skipping. I had it towed, only to find out that I had a cracked block and cracked heads. (new motor needed-final prognosis) my mechanic told me that it would do absolutely no good to put a motor in it because in 2 years-the new motor will do the same! Oldsmobile should be ashamed that they would recall a glove box latch, yet not the motor. After reading the reviews that I have read in the past week, I am seeking legal action in regards to this issue. I did not pay $17,000 for a lemon, which is all I got!! Don't buy!! Buyer beware!!
I own a 1999 oldsmobile alero with a 3.4l engine. At a cost of $652.01, on 28-october-2003 I had service performed on my vehicle because I was loosing coolant at regular intervals and it was not leaking onto the ground. The severe cause for concern was after I had refilled my coolant reservoir, drove approximately 3 miles, and all of the coolant was gone. The temperature guage shot up to the red zone, and I pulled over immediately. I had the car towed to the dealer and they indicated that this was a common problem for vehicles with this engine. They replaced the intake gasket and I was on my way. A few weeks later I noticed the coolant level was low again, and I had to add more coolant. I took the car back to the dealership on 25-november-2003. They checked the car and said they could find no leaks. I continued to drive the car. Consistently, every 2 weeks, I was refilling the coolant resevoir. This has been happening until recently (february 2004). In late february 2004 I started losing coolant at a much faster rate, about 3 day intervals. On 2-march-2004 my car did not start the first 2 times I tried, on the third it caught. I decided to inspect the oil, using the dip stick, and found that the oil was a thick goo. This prompted me to call gm and the dealership to identify my options for having this problem resolved. I am frustrated, aggrevated, annoyed, among other things, and I fear that had this gone undetected, the oil would have gotten to a state where it would not have allowed the engine to function, perhaps leading to an accident. Not only do I fear for my safety, but I am concerned that having a severe problem like this "fixed" only to find that it happens again will only lead to the samething happening yet another time. How many times will I have to have this problem fixed? Is this a recurring safety concern?
Head gasket and manifold gasket leak on a 1999 olds alero with 55000 miles.
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