Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) I bought a 2000 oldsmobile alero about 3 years ago, I noticed at the beginning that the turn signals nor the hazard lights worked. We have done everything from changing bulbs,checking fuses and ground wires to no avail. I recently started having another problem where the oil has backed up into my oil reservoir, my car has not overheated and no oil leaks. That is how I came to find out that there had been a recall on the hazard switch on the alero. I contacted gm and gave them all the information that they needed. After being on hold for about 15 minutes, they then told me that it was not my make or model that had been recalled. The description on their website pin pointed my problem to a tee! And they are telling me that it is not their fault. My car has 91,000 miles. Vin: [xxx]. I feel that gm should be held accountable for this defect in my vehicle, just because it was not my make or model as they are stating does not mean that it could not happen. I believe that it is a defect that they should be held accountable for.
2000 Oldsmobile Alero engine complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 88, newest first, as owners wrote them.
2000 oldsmobile alero engine dies. My car, up to date with all recalls, has numerous issues still with driving and dying. When you start the car, sometimes it has a high idle- 1500 to 2200 RPM. When you shift it into drive, it dies. Sometimes you can be driving and the car just shuts off. I have had the car looked at by 3 different auto shops. 1 of them a gm dealership and 2 of them local auto shops. They have replace the fuel filter and played around with the idler. The problem still continues. A local mechanic did suggest that the issue might be that the engine would be getting flooded when it shuts off and then has way too much excess fuel when you try starting it. He said if it is true, his thoughts, it could eventually lead to an engine fire. This has been going on for over 8 months now. I will report the incident as today's date, as it has done it all day. When the car does shut off it is hard to control and I have had to use curbs as my stopping mechanism.
Engine shuts off going down highway. Will not restart for several minutes. Able to drive a few miles and will do it again. After having it towed the service center cannot find the problem. Has done the same thing four more times.
Car dies without any warning. Car consistently misfires, hesitates. Occurs quite often. Especially dangerous on the highway and hills. Purchased the car used in may. Dealer had it for a while putting in a new serpentine belt and after the first stall, the catalytic converter. Didn't even have it ten days, when it first stalled and had to be towed. Brought it back to the dealer, changed spark plugs. Had it about a week, died on a hill with my two children in the car, started to roll back into another car. Muffler was worked on. Died again on the highway at 55mph. Called dealer, brought it back to his service person and he felt it, but no codes showed. Dealer was done with helping. Warranty on engine and transmission expired 08/01/09. Brought car to another mechanic, changed crank sensor. Car died two more times. Wrote a letter to gm, brought car to their mechanic. Asked gm to assist since there have been so many complaints concerning the same issue. To me this is a manufacturer defect, not a maintenance issue. Too many people have had this same complaint, some at the purchase of the vehicle new, some like me, bought it used. Gm needs to accept this responsibility, before someone is seriously injured or worse dead. As a single mom, my children are everything to me. Their life should not be jeopardized because of a car's malfunction, nor should anyone else's. I can't get rid of this car in good conscience, knowing another person may buy this vehicle and could lose their life or someone else's. Please review the complaints on line and previously made. This is a safety issue. The saddest part is gm could make this right and won't. Please know that I would appreciate your investigation into this issue. Thank you.
I join the ranks of sorry from gm, I really can't believe that gm can get away with the junk they now produce, I know they test these vehicles way in advance,and should of known of the faulty head gasket the oldsmobile alero is in my opinion the junk. When will gm be held accountable for the junk they produce, my complaints have gone unanswered for years oh well should of bought a toyota! Shame on you gm.
When trying to start car, it want turn over such as start at all. Could be from bad spark plugs or bad connection somewhere. This does this very so often sometime after the car has been driven some distance. This situation has not been fixed yet, but has put a new starter and battery on there. Do not have the money to keep putting into it if it does not fix the problem the first time.
2000 olds alero . Shuts off while driving. Read numerous other reports on the alero . Same problem.
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 oldsmobile alero. The contact stated that she heard a loud grinding noise coming from the engine. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle would stall simultaneously. Prior to the failure, the engine warning indicator would flicker on and off. The vehicle has not been inspected to determine the cause of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 100,000.
The intake manifold gasket is failing, introducing coolant to engine oil. This problem is a result of a poor design. General motors has been aware of the problem for years. However, gm currently does not have a recall on these vehicles. While the part itself isn't costly, the labor to repair it is very intensive, and has been quoted around $800. Recalls should be mandated in all cases of incompetence, not solely when it affects public safety!
1. Not sure what events have caused the engine failure. 2. My car shuts off while I'm driving. The steering wheel locks and I have to pull over to the shoulder, put the car in park and try to start the engine again. It has happened numerous times while driving on side roads under 40mph, but recently happened while I was driving on the highway at 60mph. This issue happens at least twice a week, sometimes repeatedly in the same day. This is a very dangerous problem because there is no warning signs that it is going to happen. I was very luck to be in the slow lane so I could pull over to the shoulder without having to weave through traffic without being able to control the car. 3. We have brought the car into two different repair shops and neither of them were able to pinpoint the problem. They gave us several "maybe" solutions, but were stumped as to what the true problem was. Possible solutions included fuel pump/line, ignition switch, etc., but without a sure fix we were unwilling to spend that kind of money for a "maybe" solution.
I have researched this problem and there seems to be too many people whose windows jam than fall down into the door. I have personally paid over $400 two times to have this fixed. Also another incident with this car are the blinker which sometimes work and sometimes don't. Just this week another problem with the air conditioning. The blower is not working therefore no defrost in this cold weather.
While driving 65mph in the fast lane on the highway my car died. I had to cross over the highway to make it to break down lane very scary and very dangerous three mechanics later no one can solve problem . It happened 4 times on the highway and now it happens on the main streets.
My 2000 oldsmobile alero has had serious problems with it since purchasing it in june of 2002. To date, I have had to replace my waterpump, intake manifold gasket, tires, brakes and rotors consistently (three or more times ayear) . The most recent problem is my gas gauge will indicate that I have 1/4 tank and to my surprise the car will not start unless more fuel is added. The engine also sounds rough, I have both service engine lights on, along with my low tire pressure, anti lock brake light on and I have new tires, replaced a gas cap, and the lights went off, but then come back on. I am also positive that my car will not pass inspection. The cosmetic defects are that of the dash board starting to peel and come loose. I have read up on that gm responded to a problem with all 2000 oldsmobile aleros about the gas problem and I contacted the dealer dorschel and spoke with service manager lou, gm agreed to add a different filter so that the gas was draining back into the tank, it was also mentioned in the article that dealers could be fined thousands of dollars daily if not complied with, but because it was not an actual recall, the dealer denied my request to fix. After reading the multiple complaints about these vehicles, I am shocked that they have not been recalled, the should be as they are not safe cars in my opinion. I am challenging you to take a ride in my car with your family and see if you feel safe, because not only am I out 13,000 that I paid for the car, but also if I have to estimate probably another 6,000 in repairs. That is ridiculous. I expect a written response from your office within 30 days of what you intend to do to investigate these problems. Not only read my letter, but you should google in 2000 oldsmobile aleros and see the disgust of performance people are complaining of.
Driving on parkway, at 65 MPH. Car lost all power. No warning lights, no chimes. This happened four times on one trip. Each time the car died, was a shorter distance traveled than the previous time.
I purchased a 2000 oldsmobile alero in june of 2002, since the purchase I have had nothing but mechanical issues. The first being brakes/rotors being replaced twice a year, then my head gasket went, tires wear too quickly, and now my service engine light, ABS light, no traction light (which does not work), change oil light is on, and now I am having problems with my wheel bearings, and cv joints, the car actually makes grinding noises when turning to the left and often sounds and feels as if I have a flat tire. I have had all of these repairs done and the car was fine for 1 week and now all of the problems are back except for the head gasket. Did I mention I also had to have the power steering pump replaced as well, I feel that for the price I paid and the research I have done, there are many others that are having the same difficulty as me, when I read others problems, I feel like I am reading about my car. This was my first car I had ever purchased and feel that mine and my family's safety is at risk because you never know when something is going to happen and I am about out of money replacing parts. Please look into anyone who owns a oldsmobile alero and give me some advice. Thank you.
At approximately 40,000 miles after having had the oil changed, my coolant light came on. When I took it to be checked (even though the fluids were all checked as part of the oil change), it was low. This happened each time I had the oil changed in the winter. Finally, in november I was told that it was a leak in the intake gasket.
I bought my olds, alero used in july of 2002 and nothing but problems, it stalled on me on the interstate just a few months after I bought it. The mechanic said he fixed it only to get it back and stall again and again. I spent so much money on it trying to find out what was wrong. The mechanic didn't know and did not refund me my money. My lights on the dash stay on, the check engine light and the trac and water and oil change light. My cigarette lighter does not work again and the button you push in to put the stick shift in reverse has fallen off. The dash upholstery is messed up. The radio never came in right. I bought a lemon. Just the other day my car stalled again on the bridge and I was almost killed, my 13 year old daughter and my 13 year old niece were with me and they were crying scared , we were almost rear ended. I finally got it to start and made it to my house, my car was missing and making a popping noise. I started my car an hour later and it was fine. I need some help. What can I do? Please email me back at [email protected] or call me on my cell#(225)802-0394.
I have had a number of problems with my alero, including the turn signal issue, water leaks in the interior of the vehicle, loss of coolant due to a problem with the manifold intake gasket, water/coolant leaking into the oil, excess oil burning and oil leaks. I am particularly concerned about the problem with the manifold intake gasket as I took my vehicle in with regards to loss of coolant while it was still under warranty and the service form states that evap system was performing to spec. I plan on complaining again, but probably to no avail. I am considering litigation.
Leaking intake manifold gasket. Coolant and oil mixing together and loosing both. Have to keep refilling oil and water tank. Had this problem fixed at a cost of over $810. It should have been a recall issue back in march 2003 when oldsmobile was aware of it.
After experiencing loss of coolant in my 2000 oldsmobile alero, I was informed that I needed a new intake manifold gasket (it was leaking) which would cost almost $700 to fix. Although my vehicle is no longer under warranty, I feel that a leaking intake manifold is a premature repair for a vehicle only 5 years old and only 51000 mi. I have done some searching and know that I am not the only gm owner with this problem. This problem is obviously a manufacturer defect not to mention a potentially dangerous one. Any longer and I would have had a ruined engine that could have caught fire or stalled on the highway. Gm needs to take responsibility for this problem.
2000 oldsmobile alero. Diagnosed with a leaking lower intake manifold gasket at 55,000 miles (~ $800 repair). Contacted oldsmobile for cost assistance because this is such a common problem. They told me that this was a case of negligence on my part. Considering discussing with a lawyer due to the high volume of similar problems on this engine type.
Engine blew. All the warnings lights are on across the dashboard. We bought this car used for our son and after having it for about a 18 months the engine blew. The dealer that fixed it said he should have paid attention to the warning light. My son changed the oil on time always and the lights never went out. Tried to get the lights out to no avail. Paid 2800.00 to have used engine put in by the dealer and the dash lights are still on. Some sort of electrical problem because heat/defroster only work on high even after replaced engine installed. This has been a nightmare for a young man with his first car.
My alero's (2000 3.4 v6 60,000 miles) coolant light came on. I checked the coolant and added what was needed. A couple of days later I noticed a pool of coolant on my driveway. It turned out to be the lower intake manifold gasket - aparently a common porblem and design flaw by gm in a number of their vehicles. I have not fixed the problem as of yet because of the cost involved and I am not currently driving the vehicle until I can get it fixed. I am unaware of any other problems as a result of the gasket at this point - will have to wait until it get fixed.
On march 3, 2005 my 2000 oldsmobile alero gl v6/3.4l would not start. On march 4, 2005, all 3 distributor coils were replaced as well as all 6 spark plugs. The car worked fine until march 7, 2005 when while driving the car for about 10 minutes, the car shut down. It coasted to the side of the road and I could not get it to start again. In both instances the car seems to try to start but is unsuccessful. In my online research, this appears to be a very common problem with no known resolution for other owners of the alero. Additionally, after the window fell into the driver side door, on october 19, 2004, I had the mechanism for the driver side window replaced. In december 2004, the same window failed to work at all. I have not had it fixed again. The water pump was replaced after a sudden coolant leak completely depleting the system in november 2003, and the same situation occured again requiring the water pump to be replaced again in february 2005, a little over a year later. One of the cigarette lighters stopped working in june 2004. The service engine light, tire pressure light, and coolant light come on intermittently with no apparent problem. The interior dome light is touch and go, meaning if I touch the case, it may or may not go on or off. The front brake system has been replaced more times than I can count on my one hand in the nearly 3 years that I have owned it. The signal lights would stop functioning and buzz hideously until I pressed the hazard button. Water has collected in the front passenger floorboard and in the trunk from seal failure. The engine seems to burn oil quickly.
Intake manifold gasket leaked coolant internally and externally.
Manifold gasket failure, excessive loss of coolant. Returned car to dealer, dealer stated it was a normal occurrence. Have since talked to several people with same problem. We had problem fixed at our expense, $861.63. Have been to several sites where complaints such as ours have been excessive (mycarstats.com)
2000 oldsmobile alero motor, ignition, fuel pump and catalytic converter had to be replaced.***no answer required***. *mr although the engine was replaced the check engine light remained illuminated. The turn signal don't work. The A/C only work on high. The vehicle shakes while idling. The brake pads have been replaced 2-3 times per year. The brakes were replaced the rotors had to be replaced.
"low coolant" light continually "on" for nearly 2 years, despite repeated attempts to refill it. When took car into the shop for separate issue, was informed that the intake gasket was faulty, resulting in $700+ of repairs, and concerns over possible enging damange done by leaky coolant in engine. I understand this is a common issue faced by many gm owners, and urge gm to issue a proper recall for this part.
At 80,000 miles my car's engine rod went bad. I do regular maintenance on my vehicle and expected the engine to last much longer. I have a 2000 olds alero with a 2.4l pfi dohc 16v engine. With this it requires a used engine to solve my problem. The cost for the engine and labor will exceed $2,000.
1. I started to get loud popping noises when turning my steering wheel in either direction. . Coolant leak getting progresssively worse and I am smelling ethylene glycol in the interior of the vehicle.*ak I have looked up both items and found them to be inherent problems with my 2000 alero. The first is related to the steering arm/gear problems and the second is to the plastic intake manifold gasket defect. I am facing nearly $1600.00 in repairs. I wish I would have researched these items before buying this car used even with 35,000 miles on it. It has just turned 60,000 miles.
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