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2003 Oldsmobile Alero

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2003 Oldsmobile Alero do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 279.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

128 reports with mileage · 56 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 103 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

18 crash reports1 fire reports9 injury reports

Tires complaints

5 reports
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97,700 miles · Oct 15, 2016
Tires

CONTINUATION OF A PRIOR COMPLAINT (10908068). ON 9/20/16, PRIOR DEFECTIVE STARFIRE RS-C 2.0 ULTIMATE TOURING TIRE REPLACED WITH ANOTHER SIMILAR STARFIRE TIRE (U30H LDJ) AT PEP BOYS. PAID $42.41 (TIRE HANDLING CHARGE, WHEEL BALANCE, ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY, AND VALVE STEM). ON 10/13/16 NOTICED NEW TIRE WAS FLAT/LOW, TIRE PRESSUE WA…

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CONTINUATION OF A PRIOR COMPLAINT (10908068). ON 9/20/16, PRIOR DEFECTIVE STARFIRE RS-C 2.0 ULTIMATE TOURING TIRE REPLACED WITH ANOTHER SIMILAR STARFIRE TIRE (U30H LDJ) AT PEP BOYS. PAID $42.41 (TIRE HANDLING CHARGE, WHEEL BALANCE, ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY, AND VALVE STEM). ON 10/13/16 NOTICED NEW TIRE WAS FLAT/LOW, TIRE PRESSUE WAS DOWN TO 18LBS; INFLATED TO 34LBS. ON 10/14 TIRE WAS FLAT AGAIN DOWN TO 19LBS. USED FIX-A-FLAT TYPE PRODUCT AND INFLATED TO 34LBS, APPEARS TO BE HOLDING. SCHEDULING APPT WITH PEP BOYS TO CHECK TIRE AND POSSIBLY RESEAL. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO THIS TIRE BRAND? IS THERE A DEFECT?

NHTSA ODI #10916245

96,940 miles · Sep 19, 2016
Tires

WHILE DRIVING ON I-295 NORTH NEAR HAMILTON TWP, NJ AT AROUND 6:45PM AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 65 MPH, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT COMPLETELY. THERE WAS A 2-INCH SQUARE HOLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE. CONDITIONS WERE NORMAL AND THE DRIVING SURFACE WAS DRY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO PEP BOYS, BEVERLY NJ WHERE I PURCHASED ALL FOUR STARFI…

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WHILE DRIVING ON I-295 NORTH NEAR HAMILTON TWP, NJ AT AROUND 6:45PM AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 65 MPH, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT COMPLETELY. THERE WAS A 2-INCH SQUARE HOLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE. CONDITIONS WERE NORMAL AND THE DRIVING SURFACE WAS DRY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO PEP BOYS, BEVERLY NJ WHERE I PURCHASED ALL FOUR STARFIRE TIRES (RS-C 2.0 225/50/R16) ON 12/27/2015. EACH TIRE HAS THE ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY.

NHTSA ODI #10908068

30,000 miles · Jun 25, 2008
Electrical SystemTires

BOUGHT CAR IN 2006, HAVE HAD PROBLEMS THE ENTIRE TIME I'VE OWNED VEHICLE. CAR DOES NOT CRANK, MUST WAIT 10 MINUTES AND TRY TO RESTART. SOMETIMES CAR DOES NOT START STILL, MAKES ME WAIT ANOTHER 10 MIN. HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH SYSTEM KILLING THE BATTERY WHILE WAITING - ESPECIALLY IN WINTER, EVEN WITH ALL EXTRAS (INCLUDING HEAT)…

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BOUGHT CAR IN 2006, HAVE HAD PROBLEMS THE ENTIRE TIME I'VE OWNED VEHICLE. CAR DOES NOT CRANK, MUST WAIT 10 MINUTES AND TRY TO RESTART. SOMETIMES CAR DOES NOT START STILL, MAKES ME WAIT ANOTHER 10 MIN. HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH SYSTEM KILLING THE BATTERY WHILE WAITING - ESPECIALLY IN WINTER, EVEN WITH ALL EXTRAS (INCLUDING HEAT) TURNED OFF. NOT SAFE TO HAVE FEMALE IN PARKING LOT WHEN CAR DOES NOT START! THIS HAPPENS TWO OR THREE TIMES SOME DAYS, THEN WILL NOT REAPPEAR FOR A WEEK OR TWO, BUT THEFT LIGHT STAYS ON DASH CONSTANTLY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10232253

70,000 miles · Dec 31, 2007
Tires

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE VEHICLE HAS GOODYEAR AMERICAN EAGLE, SIZE P225/50R16 (NA) TIRES. THE SIDEWALLS OF THE TIRES ARE CRACKING. BETWEEN THE SIDE AND UPPER TREAD OF THE TIRES, THE CRACKS ARE EXTENDING AND CAUSING MASSIVE TREAD SEPARATION. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE PLACE OF PURCHASE (WAL-MART) AND THE…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE VEHICLE HAS GOODYEAR AMERICAN EAGLE, SIZE P225/50R16 (NA) TIRES. THE SIDEWALLS OF THE TIRES ARE CRACKING. BETWEEN THE SIDE AND UPPER TREAD OF THE TIRES, THE CRACKS ARE EXTENDING AND CAUSING MASSIVE TREAD SEPARATION. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE PLACE OF PURCHASE (WAL-MART) AND THEY STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEFECT AND/OR RETURNS FOR DEFECTS. WAL-MART REFERRED HIM TO GOODYEAR; HOWEVER, THEY WERE CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000 AND THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. UPDATED 03-04-08 *BF

NHTSA ODI #10213307

40,000 miles · Dec 27, 2007
Tires

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE FOUR COOPER MASTERCRAFT AVENGER ZHP TIRES TREAD ON ONE OF THE TIRES FAILED. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10MPH, THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT ONE OF THE TIRES WERE FLAT. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY WHICH TIRE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ADD AIR TO THE TIRE AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. …

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE FOUR COOPER MASTERCRAFT AVENGER ZHP TIRES TREAD ON ONE OF THE TIRES FAILED. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10MPH, THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT ONE OF THE TIRES WERE FLAT. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY WHICH TIRE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ADD AIR TO THE TIRE AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE TIRE RETAILER REPLACED THE TIRE WITH A TEMPORARY TIRE . NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 06T004000 WAS RELATED TO THE TIRE FAILURE; HOWEVER, HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE DATES ON HIS TIRE ARE NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. THE MILEAGE ON THE TIRE IS 3,000 AND THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED THREE MONTHS AGO. TIRE SIZE IS 235/35/19 . THE DOT NUMBER IS NOT AVAILABLE. ALTHOUGH ONE OF THE TIRES HAVE FAILED, THE CONTACT HAS OBSERVED THAT ALL OF THE TIRES ARE BEGINNING TO FAIL. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES ON THE VEHICLE WERE 40,000. UPDATED 03/05/08. *LJ

NHTSA ODI #10213869

Official recalls

2

14V400000 · Electrical System:ignition

Jul 3, 2014

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.

04V528000 · Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal

Nov 1, 2004

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 124, 'ACCELERATOR CONTROL SYSTEMS.' IN HOT AMBIENT CONDITIONS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARM MAY STICK AT THE ATTACHMENT TO THE BRACKET AND NOT RETURN TO THE ENGINE IDLE POSITION WHEN THE OPERATOR LIFTS HIS FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: FAILURE TO RETURN TO IDLE COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARM AND REPLACE THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY WITH A NEW ASSEMBLY, IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 20, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.