It has been impressive
Front brakes and water pump.
I am the second owner, and I'm not sure how the original owner treated the car, but I have done regular maintenance, and the car has been great.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 30th May, 2013
Good car
Replaced front rotors.
Bought new tires at 100,000 km.
I've been very happy with the Alero. It has plenty of power. It's the GLS model, and has every option except satellite radio.
Very smooth ride, and much quieter than most cars I've driven. The radio sounds great, even when the sunroof is open.
Like I say, I'm very happy with Oldsmobile. I've had Olds in the past, and they have always been good cars.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 26th February, 2013
It's too bad Olds has gone. I would like to have seen what a 2013 Alero would have looked like. For what the Alero costs, it looks pretty good compared to cars that cost twice as much.
I don't understand why GM would stop making Oldsmobile. Maybe the Olds are too good and GM can't make any money on repairs. I've had a few, and never any serious problems. Not like some other brands I won't mention.
Oldsmobile stopped making cars due to Pontiac. The Grand Am used some of the features the Alero has.
This is the most dependable and reliable car I've ever owned!
2 wheel bearings replaced (one around 16,000 miles and one around 100,000 miles).
Passenger air bag cover came loose at one corner around 175,000 miles.
Minor transmission leak around 150,000 miles (approximately $50 to repair).
Oil leak and gaskets replaced at 192,000 miles (about $650 to repair).
My 2004 Oldsmobile Alero has been the most reliable car I've ever owned. I purchased this car mainly because of its price, but have gotten really attached! I have done all of the routine maintenance in a timely fashion, and have not been disappointed in the results. As you can see by the few issues described above, most occurred well beyond what many would even expect the life of the car to be.
The car has almost 214,000 miles, and still drives and handles incredibly well. Cosmetically, the car has also held up very well -- the air bag cover is the only issue I've had in that arena. All of the car's controls and features still work very well. The exterior still looks great, with only a few minor dings from lots of road time.
I too am sorry that this car is no longer available. I now use it as a second car for commuting, but still drive it for about half of my road time. I am shooting for 300,000 miles (and beyond)!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 4th August, 2012
Second to none
I'm the second owner. The Alero has been excellent. It is very fast for a 6 cylinder car. The stereo is great.
The only problem so far is I had to change the rotors.
The way it drives now, I can't see any problems; it should go at least 200,000k without any repairs.
The GLS model has very option except heated seats.
I've driven many cars, and the Oldsmobile is as good as any. It's too bad GM stopped making them.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 14th March, 2012
Not a good idea
What hasn't gone wrong with this car?!? It seems that every time that I turn around, there is something else that needs to be fixed.
Brakes needed to be replaced at 20,000 miles (this car eats through brakes like nothing I have ever seen before - and I am not rough on the car or brakes at all!)
Strut mounts needed to be replaced at 23,000 miles. I started to hear a crunching noise when my car would hit a bump, and I took it into the dealer (thank goodness I had bought the extended warranty with the car). They replaced a few other things before they were able to determine that the strut mounts were causing the problem. Of course when you have those replaced, an alignment is needed as well.
Caliper seized at 25,000 miles. The passenger side caliper seized, and unfortunately didn't produce any symptoms. I drove around all summer without knowing that anything was wrong - there was no shaking of the wheel, pulling, or anything. I simply had taken it in to have the oil changed, and I decided to have the tires rotated (thankfully!) when they discovered this problem (and I had just put on new brakes 5,000 miles prior). The pad was completely gone and it had worn out all of my other brakes too! It would have cost me $4,000, but I had the extended warranty, so thankfully I didn't have to pay for it, besides the time and frustration).
The gas pedal tends to stick in the cold weather, which is annoying because I know that I'm just using up more of my brakes to stop the car.
I'm just waiting for something else to go wrong with this car. Can anyone say lemon?!?!
This car is sluggish and doesn't accelerate well until you have the pedal down on the floor.
The seats are comfortable after I added lumbar supports.
The radio, CD player, and instrument panel have never given me any issues.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 2nd August, 2010
27th Feb 2013, 20:45
"Like I say, I'm very happy with Oldsmobile. I've had Olds in the past, and they have always been good cars."
- Tell that to THE GREAT GENIUSES at General Motors who did a hatchet job on Olds!!!