2004 Oldsmobile Alero

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Fewer warning signs than most model years

Owner complaints for the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero are lower than the model-year median of 279.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →

109Owner complaints

Model-year median: 279

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

2004 Oldsmobile Alero

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 109 owner complaints · 1 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

Electrical System: 57 reports
Exterior Lighting: 21 reports
Air Bags: 13 reports
Engine: 13 reports
Power Train: 6 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

14V400000 — Electrical System:ignition

Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year

Compare all Alero years →

Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

0–25K

25–50K

50–75K

75–100K

100–150K

150K+

78 reports with mileage · 31 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 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Exterior Lighting. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports2 fire reports7 injury reports

Visibility complaints

5 reports

Clear category filter

Mileage unknown · Apr 26, 2011

Visibility

Read full complaint

I HAVE A 2004 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW WAS PAUSING WHILE BEING PUT DOWN. THEN IT STARTED SHAKING WHEN IT WAS GOING UP. ONE DAY WHEN I TRIED TO PUT IT DOWN THE WINDOW ITSELF DIDN'T MOVE. AS I WAS DRIVING THE WINDOW PROCEEDED TO LITERALLY FALL INSIDE THE DOOR. TO GET IT BACK UP I HAD TO PULL UP ON THE GLASS ITSELF AND PUSH THE WINDOW CONTROL TO GET IT UP. I TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PIECE THAT HOLDS THE GLASS HAD BROKEN OFF. THEY TRIED TO GLUE IT WITH A KIND OF GLASS GLUE. IT HELD FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND THEN FELL AGAIN. I HAVE NOT PUT THE WINDOW DOWN SINCE THEN,ABOUT SIX MONTHS. NOW THE PASSENGER WINDOW IS DOING THE SAME THING. MY GRANDMOTHER ALSO HAS ON OLDSMOBILE AND HER DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW HAS DONE THE SAME THING AS MINE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10397970

125,000 miles · May 27, 2010

StructureVisibility

TRIM AROUND THE WINDSHIELD OF A 2004 OLDSMOBILE ALERO POPPED OUT OF PLACE, AND I TRIED TO PUT IT BACK IN PLACE. EVERYTIME I GOT UP TO A FAST SPEED, IT WOULD COME BACK OUT AND START FLAPPING AND HITTING THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW. FINALLY, IT CAME COMPLETELY OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10332522

41,000 miles · Sep 9, 2008

Visibility

LEFT FRONT WINDSHIELD MOLDING CAME OFF WHILE DRIVING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10241602

58,734 miles · Sep 4, 2007

Visibility

RIGHT WINDSHIELD WIPER BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM IT'S DRIVE MECHANISM. WIPER JUST LAYED AT BASE OF WINDSHIELD. THIS HAPPENED DURING A SNOWSTORM, I'M GLAD IT WAS NOT THE DRIVERS SIDE. *TR UPDATED 12/12/07 *BF

NHTSA ODI #10201806

20,000 miles · Sep 6, 2005

Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingExterior Lighting

Read full complaint

DT: BEGINNING IN NOVEMBER 2004 THE CONSUMER BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THE 2004 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT WILL CAUSE THE AIR BAGS NOT TO DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. ALSO, SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAGS WOULD DEPLOY WHEN THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP 6 TIMES DUE TO BRAKE PROBLEMS.. WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD 20,000 MILES IT HAD TO HAVE THE ROTORS TURNED AND BRAKE SHOES REPLACED. THE BRAKES WERE STILL MAKING A HUMMING NOISE. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHY THE VEHICLE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT OR WITH THE BRAKES.*AK THE CRUISE CONTROL, DOOR PANELS, WINDOWS WERE INOPERATIVE. THE TRANSMISSION OR FRONT AXLE SEAL WAS LEAKING, THE BLINKERS WERE BLINKING TOO FAST, THE WINDSHIELD WAS LEAKING, THE CARPET LINING WAS COMING OUT OF THE TRUNK, THE ENGINE MADE A KNOCKING NOISE, THE BACK TRIM AROUND THE SEATS DIDN'T FIT PROPERLY, THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED, THE FUSE BOX WAS REPLACED. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10135455

Recall campaigns

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.

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

Defect investigations

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.