Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Oldsmobile Alero submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE TURN SIGNALS FAILED TO FUNCTION AND SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE TOP PART OF THE STEERING COLUMN. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS AND HORN FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 174,000.
MY IGNITION SWITCH DOES NOT INVOKE THE ENGINE. IT HAS HAPPENED COUPLE OF TIMES WITH MY ALERO. LAST YEAR AS PER THE RECALL NOTICE GM DEALER CHANGED THE KEYS AND NOT THE ENTIRE IGNITION MODULE. HAVE SPENT OVER USD 350 IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS AND AGAIN TODAY THE OLDS ALERO IS STOP WORKING. THE IGNITION DOES NOT SEEM TO TURN ON.
GOT MY CAR TOLD TO SHOP IT WAS RUNNING WHEN GOT CAR WOULD NOT START UP THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND CAUSED THE DRIVER TO CRASH INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SALVAGE FACILITY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 10/24/14*CN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THERE WAS A NOISE HEARD FROM THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SUSPENSION AREA. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE LEFT ABNORMALLY. THE FAILURE ONLY RECURRED ONCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC THE FOLLOWING DAY, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIE ROD AND WHEEL BEARINGS WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED REPLACING. THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000. UPDATED 10/7/14*CN
CAR HAS REPEATEDLY SHUT OFF AT SPEED, SOMETIMES RESTARTING, TWICE NEEDING TO BE TOWED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER AND UPON MAKING A TURN, THE VEHICLE STALLED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRICAL IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,740. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE...UPDATED 08/11/14 *BF
TRAVELING DOWN AN INTERSTATE HWY. LOST STEERING. HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME. JACKED THE CAR UP AND FOUND THE NUT ON THE BOLT THAT HOLD THE RACK AND PINION TO THE FRAME HAS COME OFF AND BROKE THE BRACKET. *TR
PURCHASED 2003 ALERO ON OCT 8, 2009 ON OCT. 9TH CAR WOULD NOT START OR JUMP, ABS AND SECURITY LIGHT WAS ON, RADIO TURNED OFF. HAD IT TOWED BACK TO DEALER WHO LOOKED AT IT THE NEXT DAY AND THE CAR STARTED RIGHT UP AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM SO THEY DID NOT DO ANY WORK TO IT. ON OCT 15 WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ONTO THE INTERSTATE THE ABS LIGHT AND SECURITY LIGHT CAME ON AND THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT AND SHE COULD NOT CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THIS CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WITH INJURIES. THE DIAGNOSTIC REPORT WAS LIMITED DUE TO THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND THE ONLY CODE THEY COULD GET TO REGISTER WAS THAT THE ABS CODE WAS ON. WAS TOLD THAT THE DIAGNOSTIC DID NOT SHOW ANYTHING ELSE BUT DIAGNOSTICS WAS LIMITED ANYWAYS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE ANYMORE. *TR
2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO STEERING WHEEL HAD A LOT OF PLAY. UPON INSPECTION MECHANIC DETERMINED A BROKEN MOUNT ON THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY. *KB THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE BROKEN MOUNT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO A SHARP JOLT SUCH AS HITTING A CURB OR A POTHOLE. *JB
CAR SHARPLY PULLD TO LEFT AND THEN VEARED OFF ROAD AND STARTED FLIPPING DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. HIGHWAY PATROL AND OTHER WITNESSES SAW CAR WHILE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AND SAW TIEROD WAS COMPLETELY BROKEN, MENTIONING THAT THIS WAS WHAT CAUSED IT TO SHARPLY VEAR TO THE LEFT.
WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON I-95 IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA, THE INSIDE OF HER STEERING WHEEL, FELL INTO HER LAP. LUCKILY THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I HAD TO TAPE THE INSIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL BACK IN PLACE SO WE COULD RETURN HOME.*AK
THE VEHICLE DIES. WHILE CRUISING AT ANY SPEED, THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES & STEERING FAILED DUE TO THE ENGINE DYING. THERE IS NO SET PATTERN, IT MIGHT STALL 6 TIMES IN ONE DAY, THEN TWICE THE NEXT DAY. THEN GO 4 DAYS WITH NO OCURRENCE, THEN IT WILL STALL ONCE A DAY FOR 3 DAYS. THEN GO A WEEK WITH NO OCURRENCE, THEN STALL 4 TIMES A DAY FOR 5 DAYS, ETC., ETC. IN EVERY OCURRENCE, IT TAKES APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL START BACK UP. AT HIGH SPEEDS, IT IS EXTREMELY TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. WE'VE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER, UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY, THE REQUIRED 4 TIMES UNDER THE LEMON LAW PROCESS. THE DEALER CANNOT ASCERTAIN, NOR FIX THE PROBLEM. IT HAPPENED TO THE DEALER AT LEAST ONCE WHEN WE TOOK IT IN. I DOUBT THEY WILL ADMIT IT, HOWEVER, MY WIFE WAS WITNESS. THE CAR IS A 2003. EVEN THOUGH I BOUGHT IT IN JULY 2003, IT WAS CONSIDERED A USED CAR. GM HAS DENIED OUR CLAIM SINCE THE LEMON LAW DOES NOT APPLY TO USED CARS. THE CAR HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY PARKED SINCE NOVEMBER 2003. WE WERE FORCED TO BUY ANOTHER CAR. THE DEALER WOULD NOT TRADE. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A BADLUCK SITUATION FOR US. WE CANNOT AFFORD 2 CAR PAYMENTS / 2 INSURANCE PREMIUMS, NOR CAN WE AFFORD $300.00 PER HOUR TO SUE GM. I STOPPED MAKING PAYMENTS IN DECEMBER 2003. I HAVE KEPT THE FINANCE COMPANY ABREAST OF THE SITUATION. THEY HAVE NOT REPOSSED AS OF YET. THEY WANT ME TO TRY TO SELL IT. CAN YOU HELP ?*AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .