Used 1999 Oldsmobile Alero Consumer Reviews
Used Alero for sale
1...
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
My brake pedal kept going to the floor failing me!
Sherri Bett, 06/16/2005
updated 07/13/2022
1999 Oldsmobile Alero GL 4dr Sedan
69 of 69 people found this review helpful
My brake pedal went to the floor a lot, so many times and without warning and I almost got seriously hurt and died in 2000 with this thing. I truly thought someone was cutting my brake lines!! The mechanics kept fixing the brakes and a month later I'd be back at the shop due to my foot suddenly feeling no response as I pumped on my brake pedal then ending up on the floor as I stomped on it trying to regain control! The constant fear of not knowing if my brakes would work every time my foot touched them was truly torture. I checked under my Alero every week for puddles of brake fluid, so depressing. Every day I got in my Alero before I did anything I put my foot on my brake pedal and pumped several times to see if there were brakes. Driving on the interstate was almost impossible as I couldn't be sure if my brake pedal would work when I pressed on it at such a high rate of speed. One day I was going 75 mph and I saw road work ahead and stopped traffic!! I had to slam on my brake pedal quickly to stop and it didnt work!! I took my foot back off my brake pedal and slammed again and I held my breath! Then they worked and I managed to stop before wrecking. When I had to drive on the interstate I constantly would touch or press or pump my brake pedal every few miles just for my peace of mind. I still have issues driving to this day as I constantly find my foot either pushing on my brake pedal randomly or hovering over it, then tapping it for reassurance, not to mention I constantly feather pump my brake pedal when slowing down fearing that I still may not have brakes!!! So many times I was told I was low on or out of brake fluid. That's not normal! I truly thought someone was trying to kill me. It terrified me to think that someone was cutting my brake lines!! My brake line was my lifeline and someone had to be tampering with it!! New brake lines, calipers, so many brake fluid refills and a master cylinder was just too much to process. I had this horrific image in my mind of brake fluid shooting out of my brake lines every time I pumped on my brake pedal! People who rode with me were shocked at the fear i was experiencing. Driving along and then going to slow down and feeling your foot and brake pedal sinking towards the floor as I watched my foot pushing on air was terrifying!! If my foot didn't feel something the moment I touched my brake pedal I got scared. The moment I came to a stop light I began lightly pumping my brake pedal to see if there was a response. When I came upon a hill my heart would race as I took my foot off the gas and gently began to pump and apply my brake hoping my foot would feel something and be able to stop!! Driving down a hill I rarely if ever took my foot off my brake pedal. I just couldn't and wouldn't despite knowing it wasn't the thing to do. I was that scared every time I touched my brake pedal. I had to feel like I had some kind of control of my car. I either pumped it non stop, short quick pumps, tapped it or just rode it as I went to the bottom of the hill. I was too scared that if I took my foot off my brake pedal the brake would fail! The last time almost killed me. I still remember it so vividly. Leaving work, there's a stop light before this hill I had to turn down, I noticed the light was red, I began to lightly pump my brake pedal to stop. My brake pedal didn't respond to my foot immediately but then my foot felt my pedal working and I slowly and methodically pumped the car to a stop. So this happened. As I waited for the light to change I noticed my foot starting to slip off my brake pedal!! I thought at first it was my stockings sliding on the pedal as I drive barefoot a lot but as I tried to get a grip I felt my brake pedal sinking under my foot and I was not pressing it down!! My foot was all over my brake pedal trying to get a grip and then I put my foot under my brake pedal to try and keep it from going to the floor!! Then the light changed so I had to make a choice. I took my foot off and to my relief my brake pedal came up. This was my master cylinder which apparently had a bad seal I was told starting to fail!! My master cylinder had all my brake fluid!! The car didn't move so I just decided to go on and I turned down that steep hill. I'm sure I lightly pumped my brake pedal, I then took my foot back off, then a second after, I put my foot back on and waited a few seconds then pushed on my brake pedal confident my foot would feel something as I pushed, my foot kept pushing and pushing but I felt nothing!! My heart fell to my stomach! I literally gasped for air!! One of the steepest hills in Raleigh county and I could feel nothing but my foot getting closer to the floor and no braking was happening! The seconds felt like hours! My speedometer was going up! When my foot hit the floor I screamed NO!! I quickly released my brake pedal and began to gently pump again hoping I was having a nightmare, but no it went straight to the floor and my Alero was speeding up! As I watched my foot and brake pedal go to the floor I was horrified!! Nothing would happen and my foot and brake pedal was almost back on the floor!! I frantically kept pumping my brake pedal, I was stomping it through the floor but nothing would happen! I still have the image in my mind of my foot and brake pedal on the floor and my Alero gaining more speed and my brake pedal being so loose!! My life was flashing before my eyes and all I could see in my mind was my brake fluid shooting out of my brake lines and me having no fluid left!! I had just had brake fluid put in! Was my brake line cut again?? I feather pumped my brake pedal, I did several quick and firm pumps I slammed on it, I tried everything I could think of to make it work but nothing happened! I lightly pumped so many times, I had to. My foot was sliding on my brake pedal due to my stockings so I was having a lot of problems keeping my foot squarely on my brake pedal!! It's so terrifying to revisit this but this last time in particular truly shook me to my core. There’s not a single day that goes by that I don’t remember this! All I could think of and concentrate on at that time was my brake pedal, my brake line, it was my lifeline my only hope!! When my foot and brake pedal hit the floor that final time I then just tried to push it through the floor board!! My leg was sore from so much pumping and my foot could better stay on my brake pedal if it was on the floor!! I saw the guardrail coming I was literally standing on my brake pedal, pushing it as hard as I could and as far as I could when all of a sudden my foot felt my brake pedal come back and I skidded to a stop mere inches from the guardrail!!! Driving on my foot never left my brake pedal until i parked. That was it I was done. My master cylinder almost killed me! When I parked I pushed on my brake pedal again and it went straight to the floor I was finally out of brake fluid!! As I looked down at the floor and saw my foot and brake pedal on the floor again I knew that was it. Unfortunately getting rid of the car didn't get rid of the fear that I still have to this day when I drive. When I drive in the winter or on a hill my foot never leaves my brake pedal for more than few seconds. The experience with that Alero was that damaging. I couldn't take it anymore driving a car that the brakes failed so often! It changed my life. When I get in my car to this day the first thing I do is pump my brake! Worst car ever.
- Safety
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
One of my favorites
slenderman, 01/21/2013
1999 Oldsmobile Alero GX 2dr Coupe
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
This is my 80 mi. RT commuter. Bought as a GX coupe with 33k on the clock from a GM dealer, 4 Cyl. 2.4L LD9 engine, auto trans, manual windows, a/c. Sporty handling, good acceleration. Great Delco audio system. Since I've had it, replaced front wheel bearings, brake pads, brake rotors (these seem to warp easy), water pump, alternator. Be sure you keep the oil topped off on these; I switched to 10W-30 when the mileage was getting up there (it was starting to use a lot of 5W-30). Use a better quality oil filter on these also. Only electrical issue I've had involved the instrument cluster and the vent fan; it used to cut in and out randomly in wet weather. Now getting ready to put it to pasture; it's now got cancer behind the doors and 241,000 on it. (It still has the original spark plugs in it!)
Great car!
Mich72, 06/27/2006
1999 Oldsmobile Alero GLS 2dr Coupe
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I have owned my Alero since 1999. I have NEVER had any major problems with my car. I have taken it in regularly for the maintenance and oil changes. My warranty just expired last year and the only things that I have had to replace is the motor for the power window. I would highly reccomend this car to anyone. Too bad they do not make them anymore!
Owner
A, 07/27/2005
1999 Oldsmobile Alero GL 2dr Coupe
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
My 1999 Oldsmobile Alero has 102,000 miles and the motor is gone. I had to replace the wheel barings 2 times in the 4 years that I've had it. The power windows not very reliable and are very expensive to fix. Basicly, every 6 months there was something wrong with it. I fell in love with the car the first time I saw it. It's very fun to drive.
Do not buy this as a primary vehicle!!
Alero buyer beware, 11/03/2003
1999 Oldsmobile Alero GLS 2dr Coupe
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
within 5k miles from 48k, the serpentine belt squeals, still does- new one-($40), water pump went out ($110), alternator out ($210), wheel bearing ($320), intake manifold- distributor shaft oring, front main seal, leak oil,($1100) oem goodyear tires noisy($600+), aux power outlet broken ($110), rear defrost doesnt work ($105), driver seat wont flip foward for rear seat access($200) and more minor. changed the trans fluid - no dipstick. how are you supposed to check fluid?? Resale is also horrible = still paying payments (3 1/2 years left) as well as having to pay for major repairs. thats $2700 in repairs for a 3 1/2 yr old car.
1...