Your vehicle report
2001 Oldsmobile Alero
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 364
- Received Oct 2000 to Apr 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Ignition key sticks or will not turn40 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Turn signals work intermittently or fail33 complaints · 9.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine suddenly shuts off while driving16 complaints · 4.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #14V400000This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
- Recall #03V327000Certain passenger vehicles have hazard warning switches that may experience solder joint cracking caused by rapid temperature transitions and the soldering process. If solder joint cracking occurs and results in an open circuit, the turn signals/hazard lamps become intermittent or inoperative.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 20 crashes, 5 fires, 18 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2001 | 15 |
| 2002 | 37 |
| 2003 | 51 |
| 2004 | 49 |
| 2005 | 38 |
| 2006 | 25 |
| 2007 | 16 |
| 2008 | 14 |
| 2009 | 13 |
| 2010 | 11 |
| 2011 | 7 |
| 2012 | 8 |
| 2013 | 8 |
| 2014 | 33 |
| 2015 | 14 |
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 364 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 40 | 11% | – | NHTSA recall #14V400000 |
| Turn signals work intermittently or fail | 33 | 9.1% | – | NHTSA recall #03V327000 |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 16 | 4.4% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 13 | 3.6% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 13 | 3.6% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 13 | 3.6% | – | |
| Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant | 12 | 3.3% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 11 | 3.0% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 9 | 2.5% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 6 | 1.7% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 6 | 1.7% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 6 | 1.7% | – | |
| Wheel bearings fail prematurely | 6 | 1.7% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 6 | 1.7% | – | |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 5 | 1.4% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 5 | 1.4% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 5 | 1.4% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 5 | 1.4% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 5 | 1.4% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 4 | 1.1% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #14V400000July 3, 20145,877,718 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
NHTSA recall #03V327000August 28, 2003670,740 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: hazard flashing warning lights: switch
Certain passenger vehicles have hazard warning switches that may experience solder joint cracking caused by rapid temperature transitions and the soldering process. If solder joint cracking occurs and results in an open circuit, the turn signals/hazard lamps become intermittent or inoperative.
When the turn signals are inoperative, the driver cannot use them to signal intent to turn that could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the hazard warning switch. Owner notification began on february 5, 2004. Owners should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or Oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
NHTSA recall #03V250000July 15, 20031,707,825 vehicles affected
equipment: other: owners/service/other manual
Certain minivans, passenger and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage system." the owner's manual does not explain the meaning of the location symbols for the child restraint lower universal anchorage system.
This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Remedy
Owners will be provided with a supplement for their owner's manual. This supplement describes and shows the location symbols for the child restraint anchors that are located in the vehicle and on the child restraint or booster cushion. Owner notification began august 18, 2003. Owners should contact Buick at 1-866-608-8080, Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Gmc at 1-866-996-9463, Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or Oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
NHTSA recall #00V372000November 13, 2000216 vehicles affected
power train: manual transmission
Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles equipped with manual transaxles (rpo M86) fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 114, "theft protection." when a driver attempts to shift from 5TH gear to reverse, a shift inhibitor causes the transmission to be mechanically in 4TH gear even though the shift lever indicates reverse gear.
In this situation, the key Can be removed from the ignition while the transmission is in a forward gear, which is not permitted by the standard.
Remedy
Dealers will disable the 5TH/reverse inhibitor by removing a retaining pin and replace the shifter assembly.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2001 Oldsmobile Alero.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN