Oldsmobile Alero Reliability
2,936 NHTSA complaints (1998–2004). Complaint rate: 15452.6 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 1999–2000 Oldsmobile Alero. The 2004 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Oldsmobile Alero Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 407 | 4.2% |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 121 | 0.8% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 103 | 1.0% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS:SWITCH | 101 | 0.0% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 97 | 0.0% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL | 94 | 0.0% |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 92 | 0.0% |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 70 | 7.1% |
| AIR BAGS | 66 | 50.0% |
| ENGINE | 64 | 3.1% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 1998View→ |
| 1999AVOID | — | 702 | 20 | 12 | View 1999View→ |
| 2000AVOID | — | 810 | 23 | 9 | View 2000View→ |
| 2001 | — | 549 | 28 | 7 | View 2001View→ |
| 2002 | — | 406 | 14 | 9 | View 2002View→ |
| 2003 | — | 294 | 27 | 3 | View 2003View→ |
| 2004GOOD | — | 173 | 14 | 3 | View 2004View→ |
See also: Oldsmobile Aleroaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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