Used 2001 Oldsmobile Alero Coupe Consumer Reviews

College Car

I bought my Alero brand new (7 miles) and I've had a great experience with it. I haven't had any major mechanical problems with it and it's still running strong. It has adequate power along with good gas mileage. I'd recommend this car to anyone looking for a reliable car.

LOVE THIS CAR!!

I was a little worried when i saw this car in my drive way after my parents searched for something after i was in a car crash. I read a lot of reviews and found nothing but horrible reviews nightmare stories and a lot of $$ signs. so after driving it for a while something happened, the hub bar. went bad...but since i work at a dealership...i got the parts for mad cheap thank god. i replaced the shocks and im telling you the car runs like new. amazing. so then i cleaned the engine valve and the injecters...and it starts every time, no clicking...no problems at all. i love the car i love how it handles and its fast. great on gas. so hey a lil investigating goes a long way...only 500 spent. :)

Piece of Junk

Don't buy this car if your life depends on it. The computer system is garbage, mine has been repaired over four times and it is still broken. The security system is broken, and the car won't start. The windows leak, ruining the carpet (which won't be replaced) and after they are fixed, they fall off the track. The rotors warped after only 12,000 miles and only third party replacements make it stop. The intake manifold leaks coolant.

20,000 miles and better than I expected

Huge discount piqued my interest, but still didn't expect much. Couple of annoyances-water leakage in the cabin during rainstorm (fixed after one visit to the dealer), some minor rattles, and my traction control (or whatever it's called) went out on me unexpectedly (it reset by itself later). Manual transmission is a little notchy, and the other day it popped out of reverse. However, its a big car for the money with a lot of standard features, and the huge discounts (got mine for $14,5K, you can probably get it cheaper now) might make it worth the while. Granted, build quality isn't up to par with Toyota, however much improved over past american cars.

Owner Review

Car is fun to drive, seems solid and well put together. No problems, loaded with features not found in competition.

.....at least it's pretty inexpensive!

Going from always having driven Hondas...this was a rude awakening! The only GM product I would consider in the future would be a truck/suv. The Alero is zippy and pretty fun to drive, but not the highest performing vehicle by any means....I like the V6 and would have been very unhappy I feel with the 4-cyl. I just hope I can sell it after hearing the crash test results!!!

Maybe the last

My father works for GM, so I decided to go with this car, but even with an employee discount you will lose BIG on resale value. GM customer service is terrible. I have never seen someone give this kind of service after you spend $20K on there product, never, they act like you should prove problems with the car were not caused by you. I am looking to get rid of this car before my resale drops another 8 thousand dollars, thats what it did the first year we owned it.

UNDERRATED

Great car, very underrated can be very quick with a few performance mods.

Best Midsize Car

I purchased my Alero after heavy consideration and comparison. Over a year later I am 100% sure I made the right decision. The car’s handling, ergonomics and styling are excellent. This car has given me a newfound love of driving. Resale values are poor, but I will not be selling it anytime soon. The six-cylinder engine moves this car well, with plenty of acceleration. The seats are comfortable and supportive. The cloth seats are very nice but the leather is cheap feeling. To sum it up, if my Alero were totaled in an accident today, I would go out and buy another one.

Good Alero!

This is a great small car. I traded a compact SUV in on this and I do miss the added room in the SUV compared to this car. The room is adequate with the rear seats folded down. It has very good performance and seems tight and quiet. The ride is solid and handling is great with the 50 series, 16" GoodYear Eagles that came on it! I had two small problems; the outside, drivers side mirror and the inside rear view mirror came off. Both problems were taken care of on the spot and the dealer people were very courteous. No complaint with service! I feel this car is just as good as imports from Japan in the same price range!

Whats wrong with the Brakes?????

Let's face it. I've read all the reviews from others and there are serious brake problems with this car that must be manufacturing issues. I have had warped rotors 3 times within 70,000 miles and the first time was at only 19K. I think a recall is in order for the brakes. On a positive note, the interior of this car is awesome. I've never had a car with more comfortable seats. I'm somewhat disappointed with the gas mileage too.

So far a decent car, but the brakes

Have had this car since Sept. 01 benn a guud car exceept fo rthe ABS the light wil just come on at random and all the dealer says it is just a sensor that got a rock in it. th only other complaint I have with this car is do not buy it with a sunroof if you are over 5'9" because you will not fit in it as I have found out after my growing years.

Head Gasket

This has been a good vehicle overall, but have had some problems with brakes. I just had to put a head gasket in this motor with 50,000 miles on it, GM warranty did cover the repair cost.

fun but not reliable

Nice ride, very quick 6 cyl, got new rack and pinion, bad starting noise and hesitation, new power steering pump, new e-brake, new speakers and ignition parts many times. Very good sounding speakers. New alternator. New head gasket. No more american for me. Don't look in the future to see Aleros go 200k miles.

Bucket of Bolts

Whoever designed this car never drove it. It has poor quality, features that were poorly designed, and poor fuel economy for a 4-cylinder, manual transmission car. The engine has a fair amount of power, but the cockpit layout is not convenient. There is a sensor in the stereo that increases volume with speed, but there are no pockets in the doors for maps. It gets the exact same gas mileage that my '92 Grand Am with the 3.3L V6 and 3 speed auto transmission got. The interior feels cheap and pasticy (a hallmark of GM cars over the last 20 years). When the car was 40 months old (and the warranty expired) the emergency brake lever stopped working and the intermittent wipers went on the fritz.

Lemon

I have had nothing but problems with my Alero. In the last five years, I have had to replace my blinker, gas cap, entire clutch system, steering wheel pump, cruise control switch, and rear defroster. I also had a bolt break causing my front passenger wheel to fall of, luckily I was going slow enough that it didn't cause serious damage and I was not injured. And most recently I found out I have a leak in my cooling system.

Average

The Alero is fun to drive, but it gets horrible gas millage, it is horrible in the snow, and its speakers rattle with every hint of base in a song.

Trouble Car

Approx. 6 mos. after purchasing the vehicle, we had a minor rainstorm, and the driver side window wouldn't go up or down (power). Had the connection repaired. Next night, we had a MAJOR rainstorm, and the problem happened again. Shortly after, the radio stopped working due to a wire being disconnected by the dealer (their fault). After that was repaired, because of the location of the wire in the driver side, it became disconnected again. Then the starter started messing up...sometimes it takes up to 6 tries to turn the engine over. Now the coolant light comes on, chimes, and goes off. My car is currently considered a "Friday Night Special"

Good Car

My 2001 Olds Alero - Reposession

I bought a 2001 Olds Alero GLS in 2005. I've seen the complaints about Aleros and I have changed or repaired things. My repo had 87K miles when I bought it in 2005. Now 127K. I've replaced or repaired the following items: Motor performance computer, interior computer, remote keyless receiver, replaced fuel intake gaskets, replaced A/C compressor, plus I removed the AM/FM/CD radio and bought two extra ones off e-bay ($9.00 each). I cobbled best parts off two and put on the best one. Sold the others on e-bay for $45. That's about it. I did all of the work and bought all parts on e-bay or discount GM dealer on-line for at least 50% discount. 26-32 mpg. This car just keeps running. No oil use.

I like my car

Just passed 100,000 miles on my Alero. It has been a pretty reliable car over the past eight years. I love the exterior styling as well as the cockpit layout. The car has always been fun to drive. I have had to replace a few items over the past few years.(evaporator, brakes, fuel pump, fan control knob, rear defrost button) My next car will have better suspension, but I will miss this Alero.

Ok car

Purchased this car used and within the first week the sunroof brackets broke, body had rust cavities in it within the first year of owning and at about 85,000 miles both windows stopped working (2 door model). Not so impressed with the design under the hood... Still gets me from point a to point b. It has helped having the knowledge to do my own work. Would not recommend this as a first car with how much get up and go mine still has and how untrustworthy it is in snow.

Backaches galore

I've had my Alero for a little over 2 and a half years and it's time to get rid of it! Unfortunately, I'm going to loose a lot of money because resale is HORRIBLE, on these cars!