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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.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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/wiper complaints

1 reports
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105,200 miles · Sep 20, 2014
Exterior LightingVisibility/wiper

THE TURN SIGNALS ON MY 2004 ALERO GOES IN AND OUT ALL OF THE TIME. THE HAZARDS WILL WORK BUT NO TURN SIGNALS. IT IS VERY HAZARDOUS BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN'T SEE THAT I'M TURNING OR CHANGING LANES. I ALSO GOT PULLED OVER FOR NOT USING MY BLINKER BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T WORK. ALSO MY HORN HASN'T WORKED FOR A LONG TIME. THAT IS ALSO A SAFET…

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THE TURN SIGNALS ON MY 2004 ALERO GOES IN AND OUT ALL OF THE TIME. THE HAZARDS WILL WORK BUT NO TURN SIGNALS. IT IS VERY HAZARDOUS BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN'T SEE THAT I'M TURNING OR CHANGING LANES. I ALSO GOT PULLED OVER FOR NOT USING MY BLINKER BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T WORK. ALSO MY HORN HASN'T WORKED FOR A LONG TIME. THAT IS ALSO A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10637775

Official recalls

1

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 ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.