2002 Oldsmobile Alero

TL* -THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE PURCHASED A 2002 OLDSMOBILE ALERO AND THE HORN WOULD SOUND AT ANYTIME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD TO TAKE THE FUSE OUT OF THE HORN TO KEEP IT FROM SOUNDING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A DEFECTIVE HORN PAD AND THAT THE STEERING COLUMN AND AIRBAG WOULD ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED IF THE HORN PAD IS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. *JB THE HORN HAS BEEN REPLACED. UPDATED 02/22/07. *JB

THE DASH HAD BEGUN PULLING AWAY AND COMING UNGLUED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. I FOUND THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL YEAR. WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE DEALER THEY SAID IT WAS NOT PART OF A RECALL. BUT THEY WOULD SPLIT THE COST WITH ME -MY END WOULD BE $650. I COULD NOT AFFORD IT AND IT HAS CONTINUED TO RUMPLE AND BUBBLE UP. I AM THE ONLY OWNER. IT IS A DEFECT THAT NO ONE WANTS TO ADDRESS. ESPECIALLY, SINCE MY WARRANTY WILL BE UP WITH IN A MONTH OR TWO. I JUST GOT TIRED OF FIGHTING WITH THE DEALER TO DO SOMETHING. I HAVE GIVEN UP AND WILL NOT BE PURCHASING A GM CAR AGAIN. THANKS FOR NOTHING -MY LOYALTY IS GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE. *JB

I HAVE A 2 DOOR 2002 OLDS. ALERO THAT HAS MANY PROBLEMS. MY WINDOW REGULATORS HAVE BROKEN ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS,MY WINDOWS FALL INTO THE DOOR AND HAVE NO WORKING CAPABILITY. I WENT TO AN OLDS. DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CAUSED BY ANYTHING I DID. IT COSTS A LITTLE OVER 1000.00 TO FIX BOTH WINDOWS ON EVERY OCCASION THAT THEY BREAK. I HAVE PAID THIS AMOUNT ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND I FEEL THAT IT'S NOT RIGHT FOR ME TO BE PAYING ANYTHING AT ALL. I CAN'T AFFORD TO GET THEM FIXED AGAIN NOR DO I FEEL THAT I HAVE TO. I CONTINUALLY DRIVE AROUND IN THE FREEZING COLD WEATHER W/BROKEN WINDOWS THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE BROKEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. I WOULD REALLY LIKE SOMEONE TO RECALL THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE I HAVE RESEARCHED IT AND HAVE FOUND THAT I AM NOT THE FIRST ONE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF REPORTS ON JUST THIS PROBLEM NOT TO MENTION PLENTY OTHERS. *NM

THE SECURITY LIGHT STARTED COMING ON IN MY CAR IN 2004. MY CAR IS A 2002. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A GM DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG, SO I DID NOT PAY ATTENTION TO THE LIGHT UNTIL ONE DAY MY CAR REFUSED TO START. AS I HAD JUST REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE LIGHTS/RADIO WORKED, MY HUSBAND ASKED AROUND AND A FEW PEOPLE WHO HAVE OWNED OLDSMOBILE VEHICLES STATED THAT IF YOU LEAVE THE CAR IN THE "ON" POSITION FOR 10-12 MINUTES THAT IT WILL RESET THE SECURITY LIGHT AND THE CAR WILL START. IT WORKED AND I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A SECOND GM DEALERSHIP AND THEY QUOTED A DIAGNOSTIC RUN TO DETERMINE WHAT IS CAUSING MY CAR NOT TO START, BUT THEY TOO DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS CAUSING IT. THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE WAS IN OCTOBER 2006, BUT INSTEAD OF RESETTING FOR A FEW MONTHS, LIKE BEFORE, THE CAR REFUSED TO START THE VERY NEXT TIME I TRIED TO START IT. I DID RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL MODELS (1999-2002, AT LEAST) THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I CONTACTED GM TO NOTIFY THEM OF THIS OCCURRENCE AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS NOT ONLY OCCURRING TO MY CAR. I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK... YET? I NO LONGER HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT MY CAR IS RELIABLE. FOR THE TIME BEING, I USE THE METHOD, BUT NOW THAT I AM PREGNANT AND WINTER IS FAST APPROACHING (I LIVE IN MINNESOTA), I NO LONGER FIND THIS SOLUTION ACCEPTABLE. I DO NOT WANT TO JEOPARDIZE MY CHILD'S LIFE BY HAVING TO REMAIN IN NEGATIVE DEGREE WEATHER FOR TEN MINUTES IN ORDER FOR THE CAR TO "RESET ITSELF," SO I AM CURRENTLY RESEARCHING ALTERNATIVE CARS TO PURCHASE. *JB

THE STEERING WAS HARD AND HAD IT INSPECTED. THE RESULTS BEING A WORN OUT STEERING RACK THAT WAS LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID. THE ASE CERTIFIED MASTER MECHANIC STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN GM VEHICLES. CARS ARE ENGINEERED PRODUCTS - THE USER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO REPLACE SUCH PARTS ON A REGULAR BASIS BECAUSE, THE CUSTOMER BUYS CARS BASED ON THE RELIABILITY OF MECHANICAL AND HYDRAULICALLY ENGINEERED COMPONENTS. I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT IT IS A CONSTANT MENTAL STRESS FOR THE OWNER TO ACTUALLY 'EXPECT' KNOWN PROBLEMS THAT GM IS NOT READY TO ACKNOWLEDGE - THOUGH COMPARABLE JAPANESE AND GERMAN CARS RUN WITHOUT SUCH PROBLEMS IN THE SIMILAR COMPONENTS FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. *NM

LAST YEAR I HAD A RUBBING TYPE SOUND COMING FROM MY FRONT END, UPON TAKING IT TO TUFFY I LEARNED THAT I NEEDED A LEFT WHEEL BEARING. I REPLACED THE WHEEL BEARING AND 7 MONTHS LATER I HAD TO REPLACE THE RIGHT WHEEL BEARING. CURRENTLY I AM BEING TOLD THAT THE WHEEL BEARINGS STILL NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. MY ABS LIGHTS ARE ON AND THERE IS A POPPING SOUND WHEN MY CAR TURNS. I HAVE A NEW TIE ROD SO THAT RULES THE NOISE COMING FROM IT. THE BEARINGS ARE EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE AND I ONLY HAD THE CAR THREE YEARS AND I HAD TO REPLACE BEARINGS, THE MANIFOLD INTAKE, A TIE ROD, AND HOSES. *NM

FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS I HAVE BEEN NOTICING MY CAR TEMPERATURE HOT WHEN IT IS SUPPOSE TO BE COLD AND VICE VERSA. I CHECKED THE ANTI-FREEZE AND PLACED MORE IN THE CAR. IN THE PAST MONTH I NOTICE THAT THE CAR STARTED TO OVERHEAT AND I CHECKED THE ANTIFREEZE ONCE AGAIN. I THEN LEARNED THAT MY MANIFOLD INTAKE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND IT IS VERY COMMON FOR IT TO HAVE TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT IS PLASTIC. I PAID OVER $700.00 TO GET IT REPLACED AND IT IS A COMMON FACT THAT IT IS REPLACED OFTEN DUE TO THE MANUFACTURERS CHOICE TO USE PLASTIC FOR THE PART. *NM