2000 Oldsmobile Alero Suspension Problems

I PURCHASED A 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO IN JUNE OF 2002, SINCE THE PURCHASE I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT MECHANICAL ISSUES. THE FIRST BEING BRAKES/ROTORS BEING REPLACED TWICE A YEAR, THEN MY HEAD GASKET WENT, TIRES WEAR TOO QUICKLY, AND NOW MY SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, ABS LIGHT, NO TRACTION LIGHT (WHICH DOES NOT WORK), CHANGE OIL LIGHT IS ON, AND NOW I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY WHEEL BEARINGS, AND CV JOINTS, THE CAR ACTUALLY MAKES GRINDING NOISES WHEN TURNING TO THE LEFT AND OFTEN SOUNDS AND FEELS AS IF I HAVE A FLAT TIRE. I HAVE HAD ALL OF THESE REPAIRS DONE AND THE CAR WAS FINE FOR 1 WEEK AND NOW ALL OF THE PROBLEMS ARE BACK EXCEPT FOR THE HEAD GASKET. DID I MENTION I ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED AS WELL, I FEEL THAT FOR THE PRICE I PAID AND THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE, THERE ARE MANY OTHERS THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME DIFFICULTY AS ME, WHEN I READ OTHERS PROBLEMS, I FEEL LIKE I AM READING ABOUT MY CAR. THIS WAS MY FIRST CAR I HAD EVER PURCHASED AND FEEL THAT MINE AND MY FAMILY'S SAFETY IS AT RISK BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND I AM ABOUT OUT OF MONEY REPLACING PARTS. PLEASE LOOK INTO ANYONE WHO OWNS A OLDSMOBILE ALERO AND GIVE ME SOME ADVICE. THANK YOU. *NM

NHTSA ID

10160672

Incident

Sep 14, 2002

FRONT TIRE AREA WAS MAKING LOTS OF NOISE. TOOK IT TO DEALER FOR SERVICE TO CHECK IT OUT - THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE POWER STEERING PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE BRAKES. I DID NOT BELIEVE THIS WAS THE PROBLEM. TOOK THE CAR TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP TO CHECK THAT. HE HEARD THE NOISE AND THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE WHEEL BEARINGS. WE TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND HE FOUND THAT IT WAS THE WHEEL BEARINGS AND SAID THAT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED - THAT THEY USUALLY LAST OVER 100,000 MILES (I ONLY HAD AROUND 60,000 MILES ON THE CAR). THE OTHER PROBLEM IS THAT THE HEATER/AIR CONDITIONING FAN SWITCH DOES NOT WORK ON THE FIRST TWO SPEEDS - ONLY ON THE MIDDLE AND HIGHER SPEEDS. I WORK WITH A MAN WHO HAS THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE SAME MAKE/MODEL/YEAR AS MY CAR. *NM

NHTSA ID

10142355

Incident

May 10, 2003

Mileage

60,000 mi

THE BRAKE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. AFTER HAVING THE BRAKES SERVICED THE BRAKE FLUID REMAINED LOW. THEN ,THE ROTORS AND THE BRAKE LINE WERE REPLACED THREE TIMES. VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE NOISE, AND CURRENTLY THE WHEEL BEARINGS WERE DEFECTIVE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10094968

Incident

Oct 4, 2004

Mileage

82,000 mi

REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS TO VEHICLE FOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.*MR THE CONSUMER STATED THE LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE AND SUBSEQUENTLY OTHER PARTS ON THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE REPALCED DUE TO THE COIL SPRING FAILURE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10081792

Incident

Jun 1, 2004

THE FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE;THE BRAKES AND ROTORS SEEM TO NEED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE 50000 MILES. *AK

NHTSA ID

10078587

Incident

Jun 9, 2004

Mileage

60,000 mi

THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES WHILE DRIVING AT 60-75 MPH, ON RELATIVELY SMOOTH ROADS. THE VIBRATION CAN SOMETIMES BE FELT THROUGH THE FLOOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, AND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS. THE SEVERITY AND LOCATION (STEERING WHEEL/SEATS/FLOOR) OF THE SHAKING VARIES WITH DIFFERENT ROADS, BUT NEVER GOES AWAY COMPLETELY, EVEN ON NEWLY RESURFACED HIGHWAYS. ON SURFACE STREETS (50 MPH AND LESS), THE SHAKING IS NOT NOTICEABLE. THIS HAS MOST LIKELY LEAD TO A LOT OF THE MINOR SQUEAKS AND RATTLES IN THE INTERIOR THAT MAKE THE CAR SOUND AND FEEL OLDER THAN IT IS. I REPLACED THE ORIGINAL TIRES AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES, AND RECENTLY HAD THE NEW TIRES ROTATED AND BALANCED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. I HAVE NOT YET TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO REPAIR THIS, SINCE I AM STILL RECOVERING FROM $1700 WORTH OF REPAIRS I HAD DONE TO FIX THE HEAD GASKET LEAK AND REPLACE UPPER STRUT MOUNTS. THIS COULD BE A VERY NICE CAR, IF IT WASNT FOR THE NUMBER OF LARGE (AND EXPENSIVE) REPAIRS NEEDED SO EARLY IN THE CARS LIFE.

NHTSA ID

10072508

Incident

Jan 1, 2004

Mileage

36,000 mi

I AM ON MY THIRD PAIR OF BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. THE LAST TIME THIS WAS CORRECTED WAS IN NOV. 2002. THE INITIAL SET THAT CAME ON THE CAR WAS SUPPOSEDLY "BAD" AND REPLACED NOV. 2000. I GOT THE CAR IN AUG. 2000. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO DEALER OCT. 2002 AS WELL. NEVER COULD IDENTIFY PROBLEM. GRINDING LIGHT AND NOISES UNDER HOOD THAT WERE FINALLY IDENTIFIED AS THE BRAKES TAKEN IN AGAIN IN JAN. 01. THE "OTHER" CONSISTS OF A NEW ALTERNATOR IN NOV. 2002 AS WELL AS NEW TIRES IN JULY 2002. I HAD TO PURCHASE TWO WHILE GM GAVE ME 2. LOCKS WERE MESSED UP AGAIN APRIL 02. FAULTY WINDOW REGULATOR IN SEPT. 01. I HAVE DOCUMENTATION OF ALL OF THE INVOICES/PRINTOUTS FROM THE DEALER AS WELL AS MY MAINTENANCE PAPERS.

NHTSA ID

10069953

Incident

Nov 15, 2000

I HAVE A 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CAR HAS BEEN A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM SINCE I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT. THE SUSPENSION HAS FAILED, THE FUEL INJECTOR AND ALTERNATOR HAVE BEEN REPLACED, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS ALL THE TIME, AND PROBLEMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ON AN ALMOST MONTHLY BASIS. I CONTACTED OLDSMOBILE AND THEY COULD CARE LESS, REFERRING ME TO THE "DEALER" WHO HAS BEEN REPAIRING THIS VEHICLE REPEATEDLY. I SEE WHY OLDSMOBILE IS GOING OUT OF BUSINESS. THEY'RE PRODUCTS ARE INFERIOR, AND BORDER ON DANGEROUS. I'M JUST HOPING THIS CAR DOES NOT MALFUNCTION SERIOUSLY WHILE I'M ON THE HIGHWAY. THE INCIDENT DATE BELOW IS THE APPROXIMATE MOST RECENT REPAIR DATE. THE DATES OF VARIOUS INCIDENTS ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO LIST. *LA

NHTSA ID

10043433

Incident

Oct 14, 2003

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AND NO WARNING THE CONTROL ARM SNAP CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO LOSE STEERING CONTROL. DEALER NOTIFIED TS

NHTSA ID

8021660

Incident

Oct 19, 2002

VEHICLE MADE NOISE IN FRONT END AT LOW SPEEDS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED THEY WERE AWARE OF PROBLEM. REFUSED TO TELL CONSUMER THE DEFECT.*AK

NHTSA ID

8012539

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AND GETTING UP TO FIFTY MPH THE VEHICLE SHAKES VERY HARD, SOMETIMES THE LOW TRACTION LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE ON THE DASH UPON HITTING A POT HOLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB

NHTSA ID

8008974

WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING HEARD A LOUD TICKING NOISE COMING FROM STEERING WHEEL. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

8003223

WHEN TURNING, VEHICLE MAKES A NOISE IN FRONT END. SOMETIMES IT FEELS AND SOUNDS LIKE RUBBER RUBBING TOGETHER. CONTACTED DEALER WHO STATED THIS IS NORMAL FOR VEHICLE TO DO THIS. HAD TO REPLACE FRONT END. AK CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE INTO SEVERAL DIFFERENT SERVICE REPAIR SHOPS AND THEY HAVE TRIED SEVERAL FIXES BUT TO NO AVAIL. CONSUMER HAS BEEN INFORMED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE RIMS. *JG

NHTSA ID

8001372

WHILE DRIVING THE ENGIEN LIGHT CAME ON, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR INSPECTION AND VEHICLE WAS RESET , HOWEVER THE FOLLOWING WEEK THE LIGHT APPEARED AGAIN AND WAS RESET FOR THE SECOND TIME, THIS CONTINUED UNTIL FINALLY, THE SWITCH ASSEMBLY, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS REPLACED, ONE MONTH LATER THE LIGHT APPEARED AGAIN AND THIS TIME THE BODY MODULE WAS REPLACED WHICH WAS ON SEPT 7,2000 VEHICLE REMAINED IN THE SHOP SEVERAL WEEKS, WEEKS LATER THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, VEHICLE WAS CHECKED FOR CODES AND THE CHANNEL PLATE/GASKET.*JB

NHTSA ID

562121

CAR CONSISTENTLY WOBBLES WHILE DRIVING. DEALER REPLACED STRUTS, ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

NHTSA ID

743131

Incident

Mar 21, 2001

WHILE DRIVING 35MPH, FRONT RIGHT WHEEL SNAPPED OFF VEHICLE, CAUSING DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL AND HIT A BRIDGE. GM SAID IT WAS NOT A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

876505

Incident

Jul 15, 2000

CAR VIBRATIES WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 55MPH OR GREATER. DEALER SAYS IT'S ROAD NOISE WHEN RETURNED A 4TH TIME

NHTSA ID

733710

Incident

Sep 30, 2000