Faults:

Faulty turn signals and hazard lights not working at all at times.

Dashboard cover completely shrinking up and pulling away from dash.

Fuel system completely undependable, beginning with tank to injectors. I have had numerous close calls to wrecks due to this.

Cruise control not working.

General Comments:

This car has been extremely undependable and at times, dangerously sporadic, in its ability to travel from point a to point b.

Faults:

Around 33,000 miles a resistor in the fan controls went out, causing some of the fan speeds to be non-functioning. However, the car was still under warranty so it cost me nothing to have it replaced.

General Comments:

Right now I am just less than 60,000 miles and never had another issue (knock on wood). The car runs great. Just keep up with the regular maintenance tasks. It seemed like the biggest complaint with this car is with some plastic cracking and window motors going out. To me those are minor problems. I would take those over engine and transmission problems any day. Overall, a very nice car.

Faults:

The wheel hub assemblies failed; I have to replace the 4th one now.

The wheel-speed sensor failed x 2 (but are in wheel hub so this may be included in the first paragraph.

The fuel-sending sensor in the gas tank needs to be replaced; it failed.

I had to replace the front brakes first at 17,000 miles, including rotors and have had to replace the rotors a second time.

The hazard light switch shorted early on; it was replaced by the dealer once already and now needs to be replaced again.

The ventilation fan does not work until the dial is beyond halfway on; there is no such thing as "low" speed.

General Comments:

I loved this car for the way it handles, its pep, its fuel economy, and nice leather interior; the very comfortable adjustable driver's seat is great.

I hate the fact that I spend twice as much a month for a car payment as I would have ordinarily and STILL have to replace parts.

I thought I was making an investment in a good (top of the line model) auto and could forget about repairs for at least the length of the auto loan. Not true.

I have already spent more in repairs on this Alero I bought new than on a modest Ford Tempo that I bought with 43,000 on it and drove for another 100,000.

Faults:

First the cruise control stopped working at about 30000 miles only only 3000 miles after I purchased it. Luckily it was still under warranty.

Around 45000 miles the vinyl on the dash board began coming loose, as it was no longer sticking to the dash.

We noticed a knocking sound near the front passenger tire, which was later discovered to be a bad shock at 50000 miles.

The driver's side window with no warning stopped working all together at about 56000 miles.

To top it off at about 57000 miles and time to trade in the first and second settings of the blower for the climate control stopped working. In summer months this means either freeze with air conditioner blower on level 3 or 4 or sweat with it not on at all.

General Comments:

We my wife and I originally purchased the car we wanted a four door family sedan, but didn't want to settle for the vanilla, Taurus, Camry, or Accord. We decided to stick with a domestic car, and went with the Olds Alero.

This car was nicely loaded including lumbar, power seats, leather wrapped steering wheel, etc. It also had a fun to drive sporty feel to it, yet accommodating for a family.

Everything was good until the first incident, from there it was all down hill, and I have lost confidence in domestic cars.

General Motors boasted that this car and several of it's cousin's would drive 100,000 miles before the first scheduled tune-up. Giving buyers the false idea that besides oil changes their car wouldn't see a mechanic shop until the first tune up. Here is proof that this is wrong.

Several GM products like the Olds Alero can be bought at much cheaper price than other similar cars, well this is why. A word of advice spend a little extra money, you get what you pay for. Only in the case of the Olds Alero you will pay for it eventually over and over again as it returns to the shop over and over.

Oldsmobile Rest In Peace, it can't come sooner.