IllustrationTHE CAR WILL NOT START AFTER WARMED UP . AND WHEN SITTING AFTER STARTED IT ACTS LIKE IT WANTS TO DIE . *TR
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Alero years →Counts vary with age, sales 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
60–25K
1125–50K
1050–75K
1575–100K
24100–150K
12150K+
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
What owners actually said
109 reportsKEY WILL NOT TURN TO TURN THE CAR ON. AFTER MANY MULTIPLE TIMES TURNING THE KEY IT MAY ENGAGE AND START MY CAR. THE PROBLEM WITH TRYING TO START THE CAR IS CONTINUING TO GET WORSE. IT NOW TAKES SEVERAL MINUTES OF TRYING TO GET IT TO START. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL BUT HAS NOT BEEN SENT OUT YET. THE DEALER CAN'T FIX IT BECAUS…
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KEY WILL NOT TURN TO TURN THE CAR ON. AFTER MANY MULTIPLE TIMES TURNING THE KEY IT MAY ENGAGE AND START MY CAR. THE PROBLEM WITH TRYING TO START THE CAR IS CONTINUING TO GET WORSE. IT NOW TAKES SEVERAL MINUTES OF TRYING TO GET IT TO START. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL BUT HAS NOT BEEN SENT OUT YET. THE DEALER CAN'T FIX IT BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED AND HAVE NO PARTS. I AM STRANDED. COST TO FIX IT ON MY OWN, EVEN THOUGH THE PART HAS HAD MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS AND IS APPARENTLY DEFECTIVE WILL BE OVER $300. THAT'S RIDICULOUS. GET THE RECALL SENT OUT SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO DRIVE SAFELY OR IN MY CASE DRIVE. *TR
2004 OLDSMOBILE ALERO IGNITION SWITCH WON'T START SOMETIMES ONHAD THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED AND STILL HAVING THE PROBLEM SOME TIMES IF YOU KEEP TURNING THE KEY ON AND OFF IT WILL START OR YOU WILL HAVE TO GO UNDER THE HOOD AND CRANK IT BY THE STARTER. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START OR WOULD STALL IMMEDIATELY AFTER BEING STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SENSOR IN THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACING. THE MILEAGE AT THE TIME OF FAILURE WAS 102,0…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START OR WOULD STALL IMMEDIATELY AFTER BEING STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SENSOR IN THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACING. THE MILEAGE AT THE TIME OF FAILURE WAS 102,000.
THE CAR IS DIFFICULT TO START. THE IGNITION KEY MUST ALWAYS BE JIGGLED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THE IGNITION SWITCH TO TURN ON THE ENGINE. *TR
THE CAR IS DIFFICULT TO START. THE IGNITION KEY MUST ALWAYS BE JIGGLED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THE IGNITION SWITCH TO TURN ON THE ENGINE. THE PROBLEM STARTED BACK IN 2008 AND CONTINUES TO GET WORSE. EVENTUALLY I WILL BE UNABLE TO START THE ENGINE. I HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH MY 1992 OLDS EXCEPT THE ENGINE FINALLY WOULD NOT TUR…
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THE CAR IS DIFFICULT TO START. THE IGNITION KEY MUST ALWAYS BE JIGGLED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THE IGNITION SWITCH TO TURN ON THE ENGINE. THE PROBLEM STARTED BACK IN 2008 AND CONTINUES TO GET WORSE. EVENTUALLY I WILL BE UNABLE TO START THE ENGINE. I HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH MY 1992 OLDS EXCEPT THE ENGINE FINALLY WOULD NOT TURN-OFF. I HAD TO DROP IT OFF AT A LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP RUNNING, AND THEY REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH FOR $150. *TR
THE WANT OFF ON A COLD NIGHT AND WOULD NOT STOP. PULLED THE RELAY WHEN IT GOT WARM PUT IT BACK IN. WORKED FOR A FEW DAY IT MY HORN AND IT GOT STUCK AGAIN. *JS
FAILURE HAPPEN AGAIN. THE VEHICLE AS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACE. THE CAM SENSOR AND CRANK SENSOR MODULATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER THE FAILURE HAPPEN AGAIN. THE DEALER THEN STATED THAT COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE FAILURE WAS TAKEN TO THE D…
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FAILURE HAPPEN AGAIN. THE VEHICLE AS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACE. THE CAM SENSOR AND CRANK SENSOR MODULATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER THE FAILURE HAPPEN AGAIN. THE DEALER THEN STATED THAT COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE FAILURE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THE FUEL PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE REOCURED SHORTLY AFTER. THE DEALER FUEL PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPAIRED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER. THE DEALER THEN STATED THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE DID NOT REOCURED . THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,650. AZ
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG HOUSING FAILED, EXPOSING THE AIR BAG. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
Official recalls
114V400000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.