The car will shut off while driving/idling. There are no check engine lights. Took it to get the latest recall fixed that had to do with this and they just gave us new keys. It did not remedy the situation! Now we are paying to fix it because it is still shutting off while driving.
Oldsmobile Alero check engine light comes on
33 of the 1,957 owner complaints about the Oldsmobile Alero describe check engine light, most of them for the 1999 model year.
- owner complaints
- 33
- worst model year
- 1999
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,000
- typical mileage
- 70,000
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
ABS 6Overheating 4Fuel pump 4Won't start 2Stalling 2Knocking 2Engine failure 2
Trouble codes mentioned
P219A 1P0420 1P0301 1P0011 1P000A 1
What owners say
1200 miles after j02 recall car runs sluggish going up canyon. Stop car and engine is misfiring. Turn around and coast downhill in neutral until check engine light turns on then stop and park car for several hours. Called dealer and asked what I should do. Coast out of the canyon with the engine off. Turn engine on after several miles and no more problems. Drive home carefully. Next day throws several codes and running sluggish. Several days later codes are gone right before it goes to dealer. They can't diagnose if car has no active codes or symptoms. About a week later turn car on and car is making a knocking sound and has several pending codes. Carefully drive home. Codes didn't save. Finally able to take to dealer around june 25th while car is making the knocking noise but no codes and they think it's a lifter but not sure. I left the car and they say they can't replicate the issue. Literally the same day I pick the car up it is knocking and consistently does so for the next week as soon as the engine warms up. July 5 engine sounds like it's being hit by a hammer and throws p0011 cam timing advanced. Oil pressure is 5psi at idle and 40psi at 5000rpm. Have car towed to dealer because it probably wouldn't make the drive and they say it is piston slap without even opening the engine they determine it is not caused by the recall. At this point the engine is sitting in my garage with the timing cover, oil pan and one valve cover off and I don't know what to do with it. I can't afford to pay them to fix something that is happening to dozens of people after the recall. I'm going to try to get the dealer to actually tear it down to diagnose it.. Codes thrown so far are p0011 p219a p0301 p000a p0420 knocking seems to be when oil warms up and oil pressure drops to about 30psi and below.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 oldsmobile alera. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 MPH, the temperature gauge increased and white smoke or mist emitted from the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the engine block was cracked and recommended that the vehicle be taken to a radiator specialist, who diagnosed that there was a crack in the block and the engine manifold. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 215,015. The VIN was not available. ....updated 07/05/16
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 oldsmobile alero. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle shut off and the check engine warning light illuminated. After several attempts, the contact was able to restart the vehicle. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 162,000. Ma 09/25 updated 11/28/2017
1999 oldsmobile alero. Consumer stated the vehicle cut off and the engine light illuminated. *ss according to the repair invoice, the vehicle had an evap leak and the front hub assemblies were replaced.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 oldsmobile alero. The contact stated that the while driving at various speeds, the check engine and ABS warning lights illuminated. The contact mentioned that when the brake pedal was depressed excessive force was required to stop the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the steering wheel was loose. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 oldsmobile alero. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to start and failed to turn to the off position. Also, the contact mentioned that the check engine warning light illuminated. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received a notification for recall the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system). The contact mentioned that the vehicle was experiencing the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 oldsmobile alero. The contact stated that the four windows failed to open or close. The contact mentioned that both turn signals failed to illuminate. Also, the service engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the fuse needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The contact received a notification for recall the federal safety agency campaign id number: 14v400000 (electrical system). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 oldsmobile alero. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The contact powered off the vehicle and was unable to restart the ignition. The failure occurred on multiple occasions. The dealer was unable to locate the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 3,332.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 oldsmobile alero. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, there was a noise heard from the front driver's side suspension area. The check engine light illuminated and the vehicle veered to the left abnormally. The failure only recurred once. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic the following day, who diagnosed that the tie rod and wheel bearings were defective and needed replacing. The repairs were completed. The failure mileage was 78,000. Updated 10/7/14
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Oldsmobile Alero check engine light
Why does the check engine light come on in the Oldsmobile Alero?
Owners who report it most often also describe abs light or abs activating, engine overheating and fuel pump failure, and the codes they mention most are P219A, P0420 and P0301.
Which Oldsmobile Alero years have check engine light problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1999 (8 complaints), 2000 (8 complaints) and 2003 (6 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix check engine light on the Oldsmobile Alero?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,000 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Oldsmobile Alero?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history