Oldsmobile Alero Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 1,955 consumer complaints across the 6 model years of the Oldsmobile Alero (1999–2004) that have at least 5 complaints. 2000 has the most, with 557. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (601 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Alero model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 109 | 92,781 | 1 | 374 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2003 | 184 | 80,000 | 2 | 356 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2002 | 279 | 74,000 | 1 | 309 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2001 | 364 | 64,825 | 4 | 255 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 557 | 65,000 | 4 | 228 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 462 | 63,580 | 3 | 37 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system601 29%
- Exterior lighting356 17%
- Brakes354 17%
- Engine cooling256 12%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)173 8.3%
- Fuel system140 6.7%
- Suspension107 5.1%
- Air bags101 4.8%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2004: “Takata recall I was having trouble startting my car so I went to auto dealership and bought a key which cost $38.. It worked great for maybe a month. Then I took my car to car wash and turned the ignation switch off and got out of car. When I was ready to go, the car would not start. Had to hire a wreaker to haul it to the house. The car still won't start.”
NHTSA complaint #10980495, filed 2017-04, 120,000 miles2000: “Takata recall, followup and concern. Today is I want to greet every one a happy 4 of july. Celebrating that we want people of united states are safe and no one get injured due company and manufacturer branch of services neglecting to do the order of NHTSA recall and some owners complained about the vehicle problem that treaths to the safetiness and lives of others. …”
NHTSA complaint #11002985, filed 2017-07, 15 miles2001: “Air coming into the intake manifold and my low trac light comes on every time I have to do a turnaround or back around in a slow position from a start posistion. So im not getting my gas mileages worth nor can I do a uturn in a fast acceleration. It will get slower thats dangerous if upcoming traffic starts to proceed making it liable for an accident. Im scared for my life. Im in california in los angeles.”
NHTSA complaint #11180134, filed 2019-02, 5 milesOther Oldsmobile models
1,594 complaintsOldsmobile Intrigue
1,138 complaintsOldsmobile Bravada
960 complaintsOldsmobile Silhouette
950 complaintsOldsmobile 88
918 complaintsOldsmobile Aurora
779 complaintsOldsmobile Achieva
413 complaintsOldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
293 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology