Advice for Alero shopper

My sister is in the market for a used car. She said she's interested in the Alero/grand Am type car. probably a 2001 or newer. V6 or 4 cyl, really doesn't matter.

What are some of the most common and/or costly things that tend to go wrong with these models?

What are the pros/cons of the V6 vs the 4cyl? Actualy mileage testimonials would be great. Reliability and parts costs too.

Does the 3.4L they put in these cars have some of the same head gasket issues that they have in the vans?

Thanks

If You Can Try To Get An "03" Or Newer. I Have Heard That The Previous Models With The 4 Cylinders Have Been Known To Have Head Gasket Problems. That Is What I Heard. I Have An 03, With A 4 Cylinder. Runs Brand New, 36000 Miles On It. Handling And Ride Is Excellent. Wish I Had More Info For You. So Far Nothing But Good Experiences With This Car. Lets Keep It That Way.

[Well I have a 2001 2.4L Alero and I have never had any head gasket problems, just minor stuff. Things that could go wrong on any car, lets just say it has never left me on the side of the road.

Here is the skinny:

No matter what engine you choose, go for a 2002 or newer. Quality wise, some things changed in 02 for the better. For example, the choice for the four cylinder changed from the 2.4L engine to the 2.2 Ecotec engine, which is bullet proof. As for the 3.4L V6, they updated the materials in the intake manifold gasket, which was prone to failure on earlier years.

Things that may go wrong on both may include bad hub/wheel bearing, bad alternator, and warping dashpads and door panels.

Other than these issues, you should be okay. I have had a few trim issues on my car and only one isolated power steering pump issue. I have a 2002 Gl1 V6. It has 42K miles, and I'm in love with it. Keep up with the maint. and you should be okay.

I certainly would try and look for a newer Alero since they are extremely cheep right now. You could find a 2004 with 20K miles on it for about or under $12K.

Hope this helped.

Jeremy

Get the Pontiac Grand Am instead.

Get the Pontiac Grand Am instead.

Yeah...same car, yucky interior, $2000 more....how can I lose?

Hmm, I prefer the looks of the Grand Am GT to any alero (i'll admit they could have done better on the dash above the instrument panel). There are differences in the vehicle wiring in addition to the obvious ones. Plus oldsmobile is dead, pontiac isnt and you asked. Also the 2.4L feels a good bit stouter then the 2.2L in the different ones I have driven.

I drove all three when I was looking for an Alero: the 2.2L, 2.4L, and the 3.4. I also drove a 3.4 Grand Am.

The 2.4L was way, way too noisy for me. I thought the 2.2L felt and sounded much better. Of course though, I went with the 3.4L Alero because of the decent power and great MPG. City MPG with the V6 and 2.2L in the Alero is the same, so why not have the extra power? Also, if you compare two of the same Alero's with the same accessories, but one with the 2.2 and the other with the 3.4, often you will find they are the same prices.

I didn't get the Grand Am because the interior, overall compared to the Alero, is just plain ugly.

Jeremy

91...
explain the differences in the wiring

I would agree with getting a 2.2L model. That Ecotec motor is sweet sounding, smooth, and efficient.

Driving the 2.2 with one other person in it wasn't bad. I hear though that when you add two other people and have stuff in the trunk, the car gets slow.

EJremy

I own a 99 with 110K I had a small cooling prob that I thought it was the head gasket. I let Olds look at it and they told me it was very very uncommon for these to have a headgasket blow. and it turned out to be a leak in the overflow bottle. I LOVE my car (3.4) lots of lower end power and passing power. Decent mileage about 25 freeway and 21 city. good hadling properties and it is awsome in the snow and ice. I cannot even get it to slide around.

That's exactly like my car...I can never get it to slide. It's awesome!

Jeremy

I have a 99 Alero with the 3.4L engine... It has 66k miles on it.

I've had it since August, and the only major problem to date was a busted fuel pump, which cost me about $200 to repair. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the car... it's got plenty of power and is fairly agile (although parking it is a bit harder than the Neon i used to drive). it's got a nice ride, and good features (ABS and Trac. Control). Like most of the others on the post, I've found it to be pretty decent on snow and ice. As far as prominent problems, wheel bearings and speed sensor hubs and the such seem pretty common...I think bearings were replaced twice on my car before i bought it. Some people have trouble with the intake manifold as well, which I think is somewhere in the $500-$700 repair range. I get pretty decent gas mileage for a 3.4 liter engine, and it has a lot of kick. It's got a pretty good stock stereo, but my cd player seems to skip a little more than I would like it to.

But yeah, overall, I'm pretty happy with mine.

pps.... ive never heard much about head gasket issues on the 3.4l

Yeah same here -- The only real gasket issue is the lower intake manifold gasket which was supposidly beefed up for some of the 2002's and from 03 on.

BTW, my CD player seems to be skipping whenever there is the slightest smudge on the CD. To be honest, it's pissin' me off pretty quick. Nothing bothers me more than hearing a CD skip...

Jeremy