22nd Aug 2011, 16:06
My grandpa bought my first car. It's a 2000 Alero. I love this car, but it's been nothing but problems since the day I drove it off the used car lot. In a little over a year, I have replaced the entire steering column, as it was rotted out and preventing me from turning left (very scary in the dead of winter in Illinois).
I've also had to replace the fuel pump and filter twice.
A few months after I got it, the car wouldn't start randomly. I had to get a new key and lock system.
I got an all new transmission when my car started dying while I was driving it. Since then the problem has continued. I've cleaned the throttle body, I've replaced the fuel filter and transmission filter, and it still continues with this problem.
I'm trying to get through college and work as much as possible. I do not have the financial ability to afford a new car. If anyone has a solution, please contact me at pickles322@rocketmail.com
11th Dec 2011, 21:25
My son pushed my hazard light into my dash! Is it hard to fix? If so, how much would it cost to have it fixed. My car needs an inspection sticker by the end of this month, and I need my hazards to pass the inspection.
3rd Apr 2014, 14:31
In the summer of 1999, my then girlfriend and I took a vacation in northern California, touring through San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, wine country etc. From rental agency, I got an Oldsmobile Alero, a nearly brand new car, not sure what model, but I'm surely it was a 4-cylinder. The car ran great, but one evening on very fast thruway near Silicon Valley, going ~55mph center lane in busy traffic, the car frankly turned off.
There was no dash or engine lights, the headlights turned off, it was as if as someone else noted, someone pulled the plug on the car, but difference being, we were moving among traffic; no hydraulics assisting the powering steering, nor brakes!!!
While coasting, quickly, I moved the gear shifter into "N" and hit the Hazard button on the dash. Even the hazard lights didn't work. With the car coasting but in Neutral, re-switching the ignition key to Off and On did nothing.
Still, coasting the center lane, we waited for a gap in the slower lane, and steered hard to cut the slow lane and onto half a shoulder, onto un-pathed sidewalk as far from fast moving, evening traffic as possible before finally stepping on the hard brakes.
Finally stopped, the gear shifter was returned to the Park position, and again, retoggling the ignition key was unsuccessful. We set the park brake, turned off the radio and air conditioning (as it was warm out), even turned off the head lights, and tried to start the car again -- nothing. The whole time, even the dash lights wouldn't come on.
I checked under the hood to see if the battery was still connected, and there was nothing wrong there.
I'm uncertain if just waiting, as we looked through the rental agreement for a Service Contact number (in hindsight, not being aware if the key was removed/re-inserted) but the car dash finally came on after "giving it another try", rotating the key to the On position. Finally, the dash came on like normal. Then, rotating the key to start, the car started. Headlights came on, and fearful of some electrical issue, we drove the 45 minutes remaining to our destination with no radio, no A/C.
Needless to say, the car was returned to the airport rental agency the following morning for a replacement car (of course, an import). Complaining of the dangerous situation of the previous night, the desk clerk non-emotionally declined any knowledge of such previous occurrences (with the latest April-2014 news, my guess is even car rental agencies knew).
Now it's 2014, and on Capitol Hill, GM is stating they've known of this matter (I feel it's not an ignition problem springing to the Off position) (likely a computer issue) for more than a decade.
What my girlfriend and I experienced in 2000, that summer evening in that new Olds Alero, is described similarly to what others have recently purportedly experienced, as they attempted avoiding a dangerous situation, unfortunately with some resulting in injury or worse.
Damn it!
31st Jul 2010, 17:37
With your high RPM, I've had a similar problem. I took it in and they replace what I believe it's called, the throttle centering position sensor, and it solved that problem. Good luck.