6th Aug 2009, 17:39

Purchased our 2000 Alero on 07/08 and it had 99,000 miles. Paid almost $3,000 for the car and have put almost $4,000.00 into the car in 5 months! (we have only had the car 12 months) We replaced the engine, oil tank, computer, catalytic converter resonator, brakes, tires, and something to do with the coolant. Her dashboard is a mess, parts falling out under the passenger side and on and on and on!

Today my daughter was driving to work and the car died on her. It is a miracle that she was not hurt! I should have known there was going to be another problem! The fact that the car started and she drove out of the driveway was a good indication that trouble was just around the corner! I called GM today... or what is left of GM and they said "oh well" and they will do NOTHING! I am so angry! I am a single Mom and my daughter needs her car to drive to and from college in 3 weeks. Her car will try to start but will not turn over. It rattles and will not accelerate. When it does, it dies! The computer... locked the car, had to take it to a dealer and have the "anti theft" computer replaced and re-programed with the car VIN.

Now her car is back in the "shop" and they still cannot find out why it dies while driving!

I need help... or answers! Please! judyt419@aol.com

10th Dec 2009, 14:32

I just purchased a 2000 Olds Alero, and I am shocked at the problems I have had in the first 2 days of driving it!!!

The car was owned, driven and serviced by my uncle who did everything but worship this car. When he passed, I got into it at 55k miles... Well the day after I picked it up, I tried to start it in my driveway and the thing must have locked me out of the security system, cause the battery was fully charged and everything came on, It just wouldn't turn over... (and YES it was fully in park, I am somewhat good with cars), so finally it decides to accept the key and I'm on my merry little way to work. So I roll down the window to have a smoke, and what do you know, the window falls down into the door... *&@$ what did I get myself into, I bought the window regulator and motor at O'wrongly's for 120 bucks and put it in in about and hour and a half...

So I was under the impression I was done with the kinks... Ha-ha boy was I wrong. The service engine soon light pops on and I'm praying that everything will check out, I already re-capped the gas cap.. didn't work.. what now... By the way, the wipers don't work, I mean it is about 12 degrees out, but I can't get the wipers to spray and the fluid is disappearing, ugh... this car looks like it's going to be a money trap...

4th Jun 2010, 17:15

2000 Alero. Driver side window is being wedged up by a door stopper since it fell into the door.

Driver's side view mirror falling apart.

Rear defogger out.

No more "service engine soon" light since I muscle down on gas cap after fueling.

I love my Oldy. She talks to me with that lovely "tic-a-ticatica-atic-tic-a-tic-a" constantly. She's saying "I love you too."

18th Jul 2010, 13:14

I bought my 2000 Alero in 2001 with 15,000 miles on it. Ten years later, I'm now at 104,500 miles and I talk to my little car like many other owners say they do! I tell it when I'm going to change the oil, I praise it for getting me everywhere safely, and I apologize when I have to push it too hard.

This has been the best, safest and most dependable car I've ever owned. It's just been in the past few months that I've had a serious, intermittent problem with the brakes getting very soft --- very frightening. I take it in to my mechanic and he cannot recreate it, so I must continue to try and find out what is wrong, and fix it. But other than this problem at 104,000 miles, I will say nothing but wonderful things about my little car! I'll just keep repairing it, because I love it and it has treated me very well. I hope I can get another 100,000 at least!

21st Jul 2010, 09:40

I bought my 2000 Alero (V6) about a year ago, and it had 95,000 miles at time of purchase. I've had some problems, but not as bad as a lot of the issues that have been described here.

I bought it from a coworker, and he had had problems with the windows, and only 2 of those worked when I bought it. I did replace the intake gasket right after I bought it, since it was leaking and my co worker had previously had that replaced too. My mechanic said that was a common issue with these cars, but the gasket he put in was the best and it should hold.

Right after that, I began to have an issue with the RPMs getting high, sometimes very high, after I've been driving it a while. This happens usually on a road trip of more than a couple of hours, but it has also done the RPM thing on a short trip to work. I can stop, turn off the engine, and after a few minutes I can restart and the RPMs are normal, until sometime down the road it starts up again. Two different shops have both cleaned the throttle body and replaced a valve in the throttle (sorry, I don't remember the valves name).

Due to a separate problem, they also replaced the entire coolant overflow tank since the threads for the cap were stripped and would not seal off, causing the engine to overheat. I haven't had it overheat anymore, but after a few months I can constantly smell antifreeze and have to refill the coolant from time to time. No one can find where this is leaking out.

Well, the high RPM issue still happens, but seems to be less frequent. I've returned it to the shop while the RPMs were running away, and they can't find out why. Anyone have any idea or suggestions?

Just recently I've had issues of it not wanting to start. At first it would happen just one or 2 times, but lately it may take 10 to 20 attempts to start. It turns over strong, just will not fire up. I've bought a new fuel filter, hoping that is the issue, but have had trouble putting it in since the connection that the auto shop/parts house told me was there, and what is actually on the car, are different. The tool they sold me definitely is wrong. A Chilton's book agrees with the auto parts shop, and has directions on how to disconnect a connector that is not there using the tool I was sold that will not fit. After reading everything here, I feel the fuel filter is probably not the problem, it's probably the fuel pump. Any ideas from those of you out there who are more auto savvy than I? Reply to mapman97@hotmail.com

I love the way this car drives and handles, and other than the intake gasket, I haven't spent a huge amount of money on it, YET. I'd love to fix the RPM issue and find out where the coolant goes so I can continue to drive it. After reading the comments here though, I now fear my problems are just starting.