2003 Oldsmobile Alero Suspension Problems

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

NHTSA ID

10616721

Incident

Jun 24, 2014

Mileage

78,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE THE STEERING MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTREME DIFFICULTY IN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT BOTH CONTROL ARMS WERE FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE DEFECT RECURRED. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY STALL WHILE DRIVING BUT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE DEFECT. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF CONSTANT ILLUMINATION OF THE WARNING LIGHT. ADDITIONALLY, THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

NHTSA ID

10579641

Incident

Jul 3, 2007

Mileage

93,000 mi

PURCHASED VEHICLE AUGUST 2003 AT 29,000 MILES. FRONT LEFT WHEEL BEARING BAD JUST INSIDE WARRANTY TIME - UNDER 36,000 MILES. SHORTLY AFTER, FRONT RIGHT WHEEL BEARING WENT BAD - NOT IN WARRANTY. NOW AT 129,000 MILES, FRONT LEFT WHEEL BEARING IS BAD AGAIN. NOT USING OEM EQUIPMENT THIS TIME AS IT ISN'T COST EFFECTIVE TO PAY FOR OEM EQUIPMENT - WHEN IT OBVIOUSLY LACKS QUALITY. I'M ASSUMING MY FRONT RIGHT WHEEL BEARING WILL GO BAD SOON - BETTER START SAVING FOR THAT REPAIR! NEXT ISSUE - HORN BLOWS WITHOUT PROVOCATION AND WILL NOT STOP - 3:00 IN THE MORNING. NEXT ISSUE: FUEL ISSUE, WHERE YOU HAVE TO TURN THE KEY TO THE ON POSITION FOR 10 MINUTES THEN CAR WILL START. DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME BUT USUALLY WHEN YOU DO NOT HAVE THE EXTRA 10 MINUTES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10244931

Incident

Oct 3, 2008

Mileage

129,000 mi

90,000 MILES ON CAR, NEED TO REPLACE BEARINGS FOR A SECOND TIME! THE SYSTEM IS SET UP SO THAT WHEN THE BEARINGS FAIL THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ALSO FAILS. I HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS ON ICE/WATER WHEN MY SYSTEM SUDDENLY FAILS. THIS CAR SHOULD GO MUCH LONGER ON NEW BEARINGS - THIS WILL BE MY 3RD SET. *TR

NHTSA ID

10232256

Incident

Jun 1, 2008

Mileage

40,000 mi

2003 OLDS ALERO. AT 35K MILES, BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED. UPON TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR WORK, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE FRONT ROTORS AND BRAKES ALSO NEEDED REPLACING. THE BEARINGS WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT WE WERE BILLED $400+ FOR BRAKES AND ROTORS. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE BBB AND OLDS (AFTER MULTIPLE CALLS) REIMBURSED US FOR HALF OF THE BRAKE WORK. I WAS LATER TOLD BE A MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT WHEEL BEARING, ROTOR AND PAD FAILURES WERE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE ALERO AND GRAND AM. APPARENTLY GM DID NOT FEEL IT WAS WORTH STANDING BEHIND. NOW WE HAVE ADDED 15K MILES SINCE THE REPAIR, AND THE NEW FACTORY REPLACEMENT ROTORS ARE ALREADY WARPED AND CAUSING UNEVEN BRAKING AND STEERING SHIMMY. STAY AWAY FROM THIS VEHICLE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10177016

Incident

Jan 4, 2006

Mileage

51,000 mi

AT ABOUT 43,000 MILES MY 2003 OLDS ALERO BEGAN EXPERIENCING GRINDING OR HUMMING NOISES FROM THE FRONT END THAT GOT LOUDER WITH ACCELERATION. AFTER INSPECTING THE FRONT BAKES AND DETERMINING THE BRAKES MAY NEED REPLACING I VISITED MY LOCAL CAR DEALERSHIP. AFTER A TEST DRIVE I WAS TOLD THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS WERE DAMAGED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT IMMEDIATELY. THE ENTIRE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF NEARLY $300. *JB

NHTSA ID

10158097

Incident

May 20, 2006

Mileage

43,500 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED DRIVER HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE RPM'S INCREASED WHEN BRAKING AT 37-40 MPH. *NM

NHTSA ID

10115896

Incident

Oct 2, 2004

DT: THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL BEARING FAILED. THERE WERE ONLY 37,811 MILES ON THE CAR WHEN IT FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS FOR ABOUT A WEEK. THE OWNER NOTICED PROBLEMS WHILE DRIVING. THE PROBLEM WAS EVIDENT AS SOON AS VEHICLE PICKED UP SPEED VEHICLE WAS MAKING A NOISE, A HUMMING SOUND. OWNER HAD THE WHEEL BEARING REPLACED. GENERAL MOTORS DID REIMBURSE THE OWNER FOR THE REPAIRS. OWNER HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH GM AND HIS LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THE OWNER WAS AWARE OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE SAME VEHICLE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10125609

Incident

May 21, 2005

Mileage

38,711 mi

LAST SUMMER MY FAMILY AND I LOADED INTO MY 2003 OLDS ALERO GL FOR A TRIP. THE PASSENGER SEAT WOULD CLICK BUT NOT LOCK IN PLACE. THE FIRST TIME I TRIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE SEAT SLID FORWARD WITH MY WIFE IN IT. I'VE BEEN TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP 3 OR 4 TIMES AND THIS STILL HAPPENS. NOW THAT MY WARRANTY IS EXPIRED I DON'T LET ANYONE SIT IN THAT SEAT OR I USE MY WIFE'S CAR WHEN CARRYING PASSENGERS TO AVOID THE REPAIR COSTS.*AK A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW FELL OFF TRACK AND AND BROKE THE MOUNTING BRACKET ON THE GLASS, THE REPAIR BILL WAS ALMOST $400. ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO THE WINDOW HAS STARTED SQUEAKING AND RATTLING. I HAVE STOPPED USING IT UNTIL I CAN GET IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT DID THE REPAIRS. A WEEK AND A HALF BACK I NOTICED A RATTLING NOISE IN MY FRONT SUSPENSION AND A WEEK AGO I HAD TO SPEND ALMOST $450 TO REPLACE MY BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS AND HAVE MY SUSPENSION INSPECTED. NOTHING WRONG WAS FOUND WITH THE SUSPENSION, BUT THE NOISE IS STILL THERE. I'VE TAKEN THE CAR TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND MEINEKE 3 TIMES TOTAL OVER THE LAST YEAR COMPLAINING OF GRINDING AND REDUCED STOPPING POWER. BOTH TOLD ME THAT VISIBLY THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY BRAKES AND I HAD 15-20,000 MILES OF WEAR LEFT, THAT WAS LESS THAN 6,000 MILES AGO. NEW ISSUE. 3 DAYS AGO MY WINDSHIELD WASHER STOPPED WORKING. WHEN I TRIED TO OPERATE THE WASHER FLUID SHOT OUT OF THE TOP OF THE RESEVOIR AND SOAKED THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

NHTSA ID

10114163

Incident

Jun 10, 2004

Mileage

34,500 mi

FRONT END SUSPENSION FAILED. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALER TO BE SERVICED, BUT THEY WOULD NOT HELP HIM. HE CONTACTED OLDSMOBILE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY REFERRED HIM TO A RICHARDSON OLDSMOBILE DEALERSHIP. WHEN HE AGAIN TOOK THIS VEHICLE TO GET IT SERVICED, THEY DID NOT FIX IT BECAUSE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING BACK WINDOW MAD E A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE. IT SEEMED LIKE THE WINDOW WAS NOT SECURE AND WAS ABOUT TO FALL OFF.*AK

NHTSA ID

10101712

Incident

Nov 26, 2004