RoadVitals

1998 Oldsmobile Alero

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Dec 14, 2004
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Oldsmobile Alero, most frequently naming the engine and tires & wheels categories. 6 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine150.0%
  • Tires & wheels150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Engine
Filed Dec 14, 2004

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT PROBLEM WAS PERTAINED TO INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILURE. THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK

NHTSA ID
10103725
Incident
Nov 10, 2004
Mileage
3,457 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Aug 23, 2001

CONSUME RWAS TRAVELING ABOUT 60 MPH ON HIGHWAY. AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING REAR PASSENGER TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM WHEEL. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF ROAD. GENERAL AMERI TIRES, 400SL #T2257515. *AK

NHTSA ID
895095

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

PIP4723F

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE; SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester  and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update.

16NA260

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

THIS TECHNICAL BULLETIN PROVIDES A PROCEDURE TO REPROGRAM THE MEDIA DISC PLAYER WITH THE LATEST CALIBRATIONS TO CORRECT A CONDITION OF THE REAR ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM NOT OPERATING AS INTENDED IN COLDER AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AREAS DUE TO CALIBRATION CONCERNS.

Recalls

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Vehicle Recalls

130089009

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)

Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules

839607

VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

COMMENTS ON SWITCHING BETWEEN LOCAL STATIONS OR CROSS TALK IN METROPOLITAN AREAS WITH SEVERAL STRONG AM STATIONS. *YC

3253

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE IN EITHER DIRECTION. TRANSMISSION MAY SHOW OVER FULL. P90 4T40E 4T45E NO MOVEMENT DRIVE OR REVERSE. CONVERTER MAY BE EMPTY OF FLUID. *TT

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Oldsmobile Alero by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2011000
20041092050.8
20031843050.9
20022782151.7
20013645358.7
20005575557.8
19994624153.1
1998Viewing200

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.