Alero problems YOU have had

Just finished tallying up the maintenance records on my 2000 Alero. It seems almost everything I have run into most owners have also run into.

Mine is up to 109735 miles, and I hope to hit 200k (fingers crossed)

See if you have had these problems...
Or if you are a newer owner, get ready for these...


Coolant manifold leaks - twice

Brake Pads and Rotors - every 24k miles(see my other thread)


Fan resistor - twice (supposed known problem on the N body cars, such as Alero and Pontiac Grand Am, both I believe built on the same line in LGR)


And then, just at the 100,000 mark or so, a new fuel pump, water pump and battery. Not so unbelievable with those miles, but the repair cost was :banghead:

Any well known Alero problems I haven't hit yet? I do like the car overall, I just can't stand the known problems that GM engineers haven't bothered to solve. As an engineer myself, I never get away with blowing off resolving a design issue :screwy:

Window Regulator, and normal wear and tear. 99 GX 80000 miles on it

Blower motor itself - not the resistor - replaced around 70,000 miles. Brakes replaced around about 45,000, now has 86,000. It's getting a new passenger side hub bearing this weekend - not my first choice of weekend activity, but ya gotta do what you gotta do.

Mines a 99 GX with the 2.4.

My 2002 Alero - 70,000 miles

Window regulator - twice
Breaks (rotors and pads) - thrice
Wheel bearings - left and right - once
ignition cylinder - once

GO GM!! I am so utterly disappointed in this car.

Replaced hub assembly and something else on both front tires, they made this grinding noise and no it wasn't the brakes or rotors...

A/C went out had it fixed and is out again, I live in Houston so I'm soakin wet when I drive...

Cat had to be replaced not once but twice...

O2 sensors along with MAF..

Dome light fell out along with the rearview mirror...

Driver side window doesn't go all the way up.. You could stick a pencil through the opening so I have to get my hand and push up on the window to keep bugs, rain out.....

Driver power seat that makes it go up and down still comes on but doesn't do anything, just vibrates the seat...

Fan only works at the last 3 setting, I know it can be fixed easily but since I have no air it's pointless...

My left and right to adjust my side mirrors doesn't work

Replaced fuel pump

Windsheild washer fluid leaks, gets empty in about a day.......

Temp guage sometimes doesn't move from cold even though I've been driving for 20 mins or longer....

And to top all this off I have to add water to the radiator every couple of days, oil sludge in coolant.. Either a head gasket or intake gasket leak...


Just a month ago I now get the Anti-Lock light only when I put the car in gear


I'd say this is the last time I buy anything made by GM or Oldsmobile...

Get about 250miles to a full tank that holds 14 gallons....

It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't my first new and got raped on the fianance charges... This just adds fuel to the fire.. And yes I know I signed the papers and didn't have to but my other car was crapped and I had to geta car fast for work.. I have about 2 yrs left at 410 dollars a month for 6yrs, you do the math...... I could've gotten a 350z or BMW if I was old......



Glad this maker no longer makes cars.. Must have been ran by a bunch of high school drop outs...

99, 3.4, 4 door, 90k

Bought used with 61k on it.

Seems fine to me. New breaks/rotors like all cars.

Left/Right Wheel bearings.

AC needed to be recharded ( 20 bux to do it myself)

For the AC/FAN knob thing, only last 3 settings work, just blow air FAST on u, no slow settings).

My coolant leeks a bit, i just add to it when it gets low every few months. Maybe i screwed up when I flushed it, and replaced the plug myself.

25mpg or so. I think i have a 12 gallon tank, I can go 300 miles, but the idiot lite will have been on for the last 20+ miles if I get 300 miles. Normally I fill at 260 to 280. (11.5 gallons was the most i ever put in)

I bought this car cheap, so I am super happy with it, as I have not put much money into it in the last 30k i've driven.

Some constant problems that I have encountered are that the "Air Pressure" and "Oil Change" lights constantly go off even though I have just done one or the other. For example, one day I would go get an oil change, and the next the "Oil Change" light will flash........Another problem with this car is that it has the worst brakes ever I think. I am a speeder, I can easily do like 65-70 down a 30 m.p.h. speed zone, and I need very good brakes; the Alero has the worst brakes. I also live in Chicago which has a shitload of potholes and the problem I have is that when I try to brake quickly and the car hits a pothole, its brakes seem to not work.........Also, another problem along with my heavy foot is that gas wastes too quickly. Does anyone else have this problem, disregarding how fast they drive?

The problem with hitting potholes and braking at the same time is that it activates the ABS because the wheel spins a little. I notice the same thing with our crappy roads in Colorado.

Jeremy

I've had my car my car about 6 months. So far I've replaced:
thermostat
water pump
intake manifold gasket
having an alternator put on it now at the moment.

My Trac Off and Anti Lock lights come on at the same time frequently.
She starts and stalls frequently.

I have a 2003 with 43k that I bought new.

I has had 3 sets of brake pads and rotors.
The driver air bag replaced due to horn blowing on its own.
1 wheel bearing replaced
AC Compressor (due to grinding noise)

My fiancee has a 2000 Alero V6 GLS 2 door. She has had the car 3 years. We met in May 05 and since then the following has happened.

1) Turn signals stopped working. (Fixed with new hazard switch).
2) Blower motor not working. (Fixed with a new blower assembly).
3) Passenger side seat lever that you lift up on to enable backseat passengers to get in and out broke leaving seat in the forward position. (A trip to the dealer fixed this. Supposedly the latch was not broken but needed to be put back in place they said).
4) Vinyl on dash is peeling up along where it meets the base of the windshield. (Dealer said they have seen some like this but told me there was not a warranty fix)
5) Driver side Power Window stopped working. (Fixed with new regulator at dealer)
6) Last week rearview mirror fell off. (I fixed this myself with a repair kit from the auto store)
7) Last weekend the keyless remote stopped working. (Bought and installed a new coin battery from the auto store)

I think that is it but might have left something out. Car had 3x,xxx miles on it when she purchased it and has 71,xxx now.

1. gas cover-stoped working
2. Intake gaskets-known problem
too many to list. ill be here all night long

2000 Alero less than 75,000 and following problems;
1.intake gasket failed
2.water pump failed
3.power steering pump failed
4.blinkers stopped working
5.fan controls no longer work
6.rear defrost no longer works
7.vinyl is peeling on dash
I think I have a lemon here.

2000 Alero less than 75,000 and following problems;
1.intake gasket failed
2.water pump failed
3.power steering pump failed
4.blinkers stopped working
5.fan controls no longer work
6.rear defrost no longer works
7.vinyl is peeling on dash
I think I have a lemon here.




We all have a lemon.....

i have a 2003 gl 2 door with the v6 and the only problem i have had was the dash peeling which wsa covered under factory warrenty. other than that it was my wifes bad driving the put it into a bridge and i had to replace one wheelbaring and suspention bracket. I do have the low coolant light come on when i crank the car but less than 1/4 mile down the road it goes off not to shure why it would go off if it is low so i dont know other than that the car is great.

2000 145000

My dash is peeling too
fuel pump
both window assemblies for electric windows
bad callipers
outer tie rods
blower motor
feels like its got a bad motor mount



but man i love the way it looks!!

I have a 2000 Alero, about 136,000 miles.. had it for since late July. Maybe not a great choice, but I was on a budget and I really didn't want some cheap piece of ** Taurus which handles like a pig.

So far I've encountered the following problems (or simply had to make repairs that were just a matter of time):

Gasket and tensioners for timing chain replaced (chain was ok).

Water pump for coolant replaced (leaked to all hell and was overheating.. and damn is that coolant toxic to everything!)

Washer fluid pump replaced (fluid flooded out of the car).

Three flat tires (one was a screw sabotage on the lot, two other times had multiple nails...which makes me suspicious that it might be vandalism).

At least I got good financing on the car so I can pay it off relatively quickly. I'm worried about having to pay for a car past the time I'm actually driving it!

Boy I hear you on the whole "paying for a car past driving it. I have about two years left to pay on my 2002 and its at about 53K miles. Although I know it can go for longer than 2 years, I don't want to run into ANY major repairs over those next two years...major meaning a stearing shaft, transmission, etc. I know I'll probably be getting the whole alternator thing soon, which is scaring the piss outta me since I'm a broke college student. I seriously wish that you didn't have to remove the engine mount to replace the alternator or else I would just do it myself.

- Jeremy

2001 Alero, original owner, 108k miles

- Needed new battery the day I purchased it (should've walked away then)
- Three more battery replacements since (covered under the warranty from the battery manufacturer...dealer still claims that there is no problem with the electrical system...)
- replaced turn signal assembly
- replaced blower resistor twice
- intake gasket blew and sucked entire contents of coolant tank into the engine (1,000 miles out of warranty of course)
- bearings in hub assembly keep blowing; replaced two already and have driven for 10k miles with another bad one currently
- per OBDII sensor, EGR valve sticks in the winter, fuel economy goes down to approx 16 mpg versus 19 mpg for mixed driving
- brakes suck


Overall, worst ownership experience I've ever had. Thank god it was fairly cheap and it's now paid off...

ok 1999 Alero with 156k on it

I have replaced wheel bearings several time at 260 a pop..

Front left Spring rusted in half

replaced Tie Rod

Intake

Head Gasket

Water Pump

Altenator

Window regulator (twice)

Need brakes yet again

1) Replaced brake pads and rotors, although, they have been fine ever since.

2) Broken front passenger strut spring.

3) Leaky windshield, that caught my fuse panel on fire and luckly only ruined my power locks, I shrink wrapped the fuse panel and sealed the heck outta the windshield.

4) Just replaced the front pass. strut bearing, gonna replace the drivers side this week as I can feel it tightening.

5) Gonna replace the fuel tank next week, as I have a leak somewhere.

6) Next task is to find the reason for this annoying clicking comin from the flasher behind the hazard light switch.

This so far is my list, LOL, It really annoys me not because of the maintenance, I love working on my Alero and my truck. But, I moved down to Rhode Island, and left all my tools in Ontario. So I never have what I need, and have to run out in the middle of a repair to get a 15/16 Deep socket, or a wrench I may be missing LOL.

Oh yeah.....i forgot front pass. wheel bearing, how could I forget the wheel bearing...............

........and my two low fan settings don't work, and my rear defrost stopped working................this is my last post. i swear :banghead:

1. Gas tank vacuum sensor replaced at 3000km under warranty. The gas tank was disassembled. The problem in vacuum pipe was detected and repaired. 2. All lamps were replaced uder warranty at 3500km (because the turn signals was stopped to work sometimes. )
3. Front brake pads : original brakes -- after 60000 km , non-original -- every 35000-40000km
4. Battery went out and was replaced at 50000km under warranty. After that the fuel sensor was replaced too.
5. Plugs went out and were replaced after 80000km
6. Tires replaced after 120 000 km
7. The blower motor resistor at 120000 km...
9. Component 6x9 speakers went out after 3 years and 2 months :) (150$ per speaker , just 2 months after warranty end)

I think , not so bad...

I have a 2002 Alero GL1 V6, 4 door, silver. Here go my problems:

-Warped dash...twice
-Warped passenger side door panel
-R/F wheel bearing
-New battery @ only 29K miles
-Two power steering pumps
-Bad axle seal
-Bad body control module

Those have all been done under warranty. I'm almost at 60K miles though, so the warranty is nearly up. The following are also on their way to being replaced, but the warranty won't cover it:

-Torn e-brake boot
-Fog lights that burn out left and right, one after another
-Driver's side side-view mirror, broke by road debris
-Leaking valve cover gasket...dealership swears it's not leaking, I say it is...oil is EVERYWHERE on the block and it's coming from the valve cover.

...and this summer, she's gettin' waxed! (I love waxing my car!)

- Jeremy

P.S. I still love my car.

xD

Looking over this thread, I'm glad I didn't get one. I rode in one once in 1998, thought it was great.
But oh man. Harsh.