Brake Disc Rotor Problems of Oldsmobile Alero - part 1

Service vehicle soon, trac off light, and abs light took to dealer, out of warranty, private repair shop, cost-$500, grinding noise before lights turned on, dinging,lights went on, it was sensor in left front wheel bearing. Also have replaced front rotors, alternator at 65,000 miles. Key fob doesn''t lock drivers door. Hood on car replaced in 2006 under warranty because of blistering 2002-water leak onto drivers floor, 5 times to dealer, replaced side door gasket, problem had to be solved by replacing windshield gasket. I'm afraid of all these complaints about turn signal failure and hazard light failure and the car just quitting. Trading in this piece of **** as soon as paid off.

See all problems of the 2001 Oldsmobile Alero 🔎.

Brakes pulsate very bad. I had front rotors replaced approx. 6,000 miles ago as well as pads and pulsation is back. Mechanic states this is a known issue with Aleros. . . *.

See all problems of the 2000 Oldsmobile Alero 🔎.

2003 olds Alero. At 35k miles, both front wheel bearings failed. Upon taking it to the dealership for work, we were told that the front rotors and brakes also needed replacing. The bearings were replaced under warranty, but we were billed $400+ for brakes and rotors. I filed a complaint with the bbb and olds (after multiple calls) reimbursed us for half of the brake work. I was later told be a mechanic at the dealership that wheel bearing, rotor and pad failures were an ongoing problem with the Alero and grand am. Apparently gm did not feel it was worth standing behind. Now we have added 15k miles since the repair, and the new factory replacement rotors are already warped and causing uneven braking and steering shimmy. Stay away from this vehicle.

See all problems of the 2003 Oldsmobile Alero 🔎.

Brake complaint: front and rear brake problems continue including abnormal accelerated wear, brake noises and rotor corrosion. Front and rear rotors have been replaced twice, turned on numerous occasions and the front and rear pads have been replaced several times in less than 32,000 miles. In total, more than $1,000 has been spent in out of pocket repairs plus warranty work to date. It is now necessary to have the brakes checked every 3,000-5,000 to insure that brake operation is safe and that the front and rear pads and rotors are in good working order. Corrosion of the rotors remains a problem and accelerates the wear of the pads.

See all problems of the 2002 Oldsmobile Alero 🔎.

I have a 2000 olds Alero and just had a complete brake job including replacement of front rotors because of "pulsation" feeling in brake pedal. . I was informed by the mechanic that my rotors needed replacing and that Alero's were notorious for fast-wearing rotors. I replaced them but now after only 4,000 miles the pulsation is back. Now the mechanic/dealer is telling me that it is a known Alero defect. . I don't feel I should have to keep paying for brake problems that are obviously a dealer issue. . .

1999 Oldsmobile Alero developed problems with the brake rotors.

See all problems of the 1999 Oldsmobile Alero 🔎.

Beginning in November 2004 the consumer began to have problems with the electrical system in the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero. When the vehicle was purchased the air bag light came on. The consumer was concerned that the air bag light will cause the air bags not to deploy in case of an accident. Also, she was concerned that the air bags would deploy when there was no accident. The vehicle has been to the repair shop 6 times due to brake problems. . When the vehicle had 20,000 miles it had to have the rotors turned and brake shoes replaced. The brakes were still making a humming noise. The dealership could not figure out why the vehicle was having problems with the air bag light or with the brakes. The cruise control, door panels, windows were inoperative. The transmission or front axle seal was leaking, the blinkers were blinking too fast, the windshield was leaking, the carpet lining was coming out of the trunk, the engine made a knocking noise, the back trim around the seats didn't fit properly, the ignition switch was replaced, the fuse box was replaced.

See all problems of the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero 🔎.

The brake light kept coming on. After having the brakes serviced the brake fluid remained low. Then ,the rotors and the brake line were replaced three times. Vehicle started to make noise, and currently the wheel bearings were defective.

Approximately one year ago the fuel pump was replaced in my 2000 Oldsmobile Alero. This year I am replacing the fuel pump again. The cost of each replacement with labor is approximately $600. 00 if you run an internet search for problems with the Alero, you will find that two common problems exist for the Alero. One is brake problems (a serious safety issue) and the other being fuel pump problems. How long will it be (or has already happened) before someone is killed by a situation where the fuel pump fails while driving causing loss of engine power then applying the brakes to slow the car only to find the brakes are not working correctly, resulting in a potentially dangerous situation? gm should step up and accept responsibility for these defects.

Brakes are defective, they feel like they are not going to stop the vehicle. Manufacturer states they will not cover the cost of the defect. The pads and rotors cost $500. 00 to repair. The consumer was told by gm that he did not drive vehicle enough so rotors rusted.

Unusual wearing & pulsation of front brakes on car; replaced 3 times in 41,000 miles. 1) replaced rotors & pads at 7000 mi. At olds dealer-no charge. 2) 28,000 mi. Same problem; work done by estes chevy indianapolis. Gm service ctr. Paid 1/2. 3) at 41,000 miles, same problem. Took to car-x for opinion; est. Of $283. 00 to fix the pads & rotors; calipers ok. Took car to estes. They said a bad caliper caused brakes & rotors to wear & all needed to be replaced. They suggested owner "raced the car" - untrue. Estes gave estimate of $1000 & said to call gm svc. Ctr. Gm customer svc rep, maura said gm would pay 1/2 the cost. I told her that was not ok; they have brake problems with Aleros & have defective vehicles causing a product liability & safety concern. Maura refused to give us the old parts on the car if we had estes do repair work, saying gm wanted them. She said estes' estimate was $863, different than my quote. I asked maura to send e-mail or fax with gm offer & she told me she did not have access to a fax or email. She asked if I would give maintanence documentation. I told maura this had nothing to do with brakes, and I wanted to talk to her supervisor. She refused, saying she does not have a supervisor. I told her to call estes' service mgr; we did not want estes to fix it. I had researched brake problems on Aleros on web; there are sites devoted to this. We picked up the car from estes, took it to car-x to fix, & had them check the calipers. Cost was $284. 00 for rotors and pads; there was nothing wrong w/caliper; they will check the pads every 6 mos . They gave us our old parts to keep. They stated gm rotors were thin metal; brake pads were grinding into them. The value of the car is less than loan, because of poor quality of the car, so we are out thousands of dollars. Estes lied about the problem, overcharged, and gm refused to give us the parts off our own car. Gm & estes colluded in evaluating the car.

: the contact stated while depressing the brake pedal at 15mph, a grinding noise was coming from the front and rear brakes. The noise was compared to metal on metal sound. The vehicle was taken to the local dealership for inspection. The dealer determined the rotors and pads were worn and needed replaced. The rotors and pads were replaced seven times previously for the same problem. On average, the brakes and pads were replaced every 20,000 miles. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact the reason the rotors and pads were being replaced so often was, asbestos was no longer used in the materials when manufacturing the parts. This would lead to replacement of the parts more often which would be considered normal basic maintenance of the vehicle.

This car has had three sets of brakes put on it and now at 45780 miles is going to have to have another set. I know the previous owner well and know the history of this particular vehicle especially. The brakes are either of substandard design or used inferior quality materials in the manufacturing process. The rotors are junk. This is certainly not safe in a sudden emergency stopping situation.

Was involved in a frontal collision on 3/5/03 and the air bags failed to deploy in my 2001 Oldsmobile Alero. I was traveling 40-45 mph southbound on scottsdale rd when another car turned left in front of me. The impact bent the impact bars, moved my compressor to the other side of the vehicle, hood, bumper, fender damage, the preliminary estimate without doing a tear down is at $5000. 00. I have suffered neck, shoulder and leg injuries. I contacted gm and they said a certified gm rep will go look at the car and take pictures and will contact me on the 29th. I received a call from a man who did not identify himself at the dealer ship and said he was a private investigator for gm and down loaded the info off the computer in the car and the air bag should not have gone off, and told me I need to have them start repairing the vehicle immediately. Yet in the owners manual it states the air bag will deploy in a near frontal or frontal impact and that they can only access this computer in the car with the owners consent which I did not give. I have had numerous problems with this car from electrical engine work, the fuel sensor showing me I had gas when I don't, scratched rotors, and the hazards and blinkers working and not working which still has not been fixed by the dealership. Even the police offers did not want to get in the vehicle to move because the air bag did not go off and they where concerned that it did not.

Consumer took vehicle to the dealership to be inspected, and mechanic determined that the rotors wore out prematurely. Consumer stated that the rotors were replaced five times within 70,000 miles.

Brake pads, rotors, and front brakes were replaced. Consumer recently learned the front brakes needed to be replaced again. (nar).

Front rotors have been replaced twice and re-turned twice. All were highest quality napa rotors available with ceramic pads. Burned through ceramic pads as well! clearly a design flaw as braking system is undersized for weight of car.

Problem with brakes,had to have new front brakes and front rotors put on car, still have dragging problem underneath car. Now car having problems in starting and low tire pressure lights comes on even when tire pressure has been checked and corrected.

When brakes are applied the entire vehicle shakes or pulsates. Replaced pads. Minimal change. Found report advising common problem and rotors and hubs must also be replaced.

The front brakes were worn out at 41,944 miles for the first time. The rotors were turned & the pads replaced. The brake repair lasted only 12,296 miles ( this was 296 miles out of warranty) when I was told the rotors were warped again & the pads needed to be replaced. Of course this is "normal wear" that the extended warranty does not cover. I had to pay out of pocket twice for the entire repair. After finding the TSB reports, I feel the rotors should have been replaced. Since reading the numerous complaints covering the past several years on the brakes of this vehicle, I fear the brakes may fail with out any type of warning. What will it take & how long will it be before the NHTSA forces gm to issue a recall on the brakes?!.

Bad vibration at highway speeds. Had wheels aligned,tires balanced, tie rods ,both front axles, both front bearings, front disc brakes(rotors and pads), both front struts replaced. Vibration at times gets bad enough to lose control. None of the above solutions fixed the problem.

Breaks on our 2000 Oldsmobile Alero have been checked/fixed 3 times in 39000 miles. In Aug 2002 new front rotors and pads were replaced at 31810 miles. In July 2003 at 39448 miles front inside pads were over 50 % worn and the rotors needed turning. Back brakes also needed repare. This last instance only had 7638 miles on the 'new' rotors and pads. This is a known issue and one that the customer must swallow huge repair bills every 8,000-10,000 miles, well out of the normal range. Nhtsa must do something to force gm to correct the issue before a lose of life happens and to assist customers with huge cost in break repairs.

Rotors bad, brakes bad, wheels leak air, windows leak air in, windshied shakes, engine runs high temps and knocks, paint is starting to rust. Cd player is always shuting off. Dealer has not done a thing to help and my car is under warranty for a few more months. I need help soon.

The brakes on the olds Alero have a design flaw in the brakes. The rotors tend to overheat under normal driving use. It wears the pads down faster than they should, warps the rotors so that they have to be turned every single time you replace the pads. . . And I do mean have to be. The rotors will quickly lose thickness, and the thinner they are after each turn the quicker they will warp under normal use. Contacting general motors has accomplished nothing. . . Despite the fact that under the 2000 model they had a technical service bulletin (front disc brake pulsation (new rotor run-out specification and correction method) #00-05-23-002a) issued for the car. To my knowledge general motors hasn't altered the design of the car since it's inception with exception of cosmetic changes. They refuse to admit there's a design flaw in the brakes that forces the consumer to either pay outrageous prices each and every time they need brake pads. . . Or discard the manufacturers warranty and purchase aftermarket brake solutions to eliminate the issue entirely.

2000 Oldsmobile Alero - upon replacing the front brake pads my mechanic informed me I needed to replace the rotors. Not because they were scored by the brake pads (I still had lining on the pads), but because they were deteriorated because of being made with inferior (soft) metal. He mentioned he saw this before on other vehicles (jeeps) which required a recall.

I bought my car with 14 miles on it. In the first year, I had to have the molding on the doors replaced because they leaked. The drivers side window fell into the door. I've been told that it is my regulator that needs to be replaced. I also found a broken clip just sitting inside my door. You can't buy just a regulator or clips so I will need to buy those parts plus the motor which will cost at least $280. My rotors also needed to be shaved down because they were warped and my brakes needed to be replaced and now, only 5 months later, they need to be totally replaced because they are warped again and my brakes will have to be replaced as well. This is the worst car I've ever owned! my first and last experience I will ever have with gm!! I realize things happen to cars, but I would expect Oldsmobile to acknowledge these re-occurring problems and be held accountable to fix them.

I bought my Oldsmobile Alero new in July of 2000. Within a few months after purchase I started taking it back to the dealer due to a grinding noise that would happen when I was driving at slower speeds or turning. The dealer couldn't find anything wrong, but suggested I may need new brakes. I was not satisfied with this response since the car was less than one year old and I don't drive any more than the average driver. I then started taking it to a closer dealer (this one was a gm dealer and not specifically Oldsmobile). After several visits they told me my brake pads were worn down and needed replaced. By this point it was 2002 and my car had about 20,000 miles on it. I still wasn't sure I agreed with it, but I let them replace my brakes. Still heard the noise. I can't even count how many times my car has been to the two dealerships for the same grinding noise. The last time I had it in was in may of 2003. They finally told me about a bulletin regarding tire size and told me this was causing the noise. This bulletin came out a year prior to this service visit and they had looked at my car numerous times. Now I'm having trouble with the rotors and from what I've read a lot of other people are too. When I apply the brakes, it feels like the car is jerking to a stop. I think Oldsmobile or gm needs to own up to the defect and replace the rotors for those of us who are unlucky enough to own one of their Aleros.

Warped rotors caused noise in the rear of the vehicle when the brakes were applied.

Consumer states at 13000 miles, the steering wheel began to "shimmy" when driving. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer who turned the rotors. At 23000, the shimmying began again as well as grinding noise when applying the brakes. The dealer turned the rotors and replaced the pads. At 36000 miles the brakes began pulsating when driving. The dealer stated the rotors were warped.

My 2000 Oldsmobile Alero has had serious problems with it since purchasing it in June of 2002. To date, I have had to replace my waterpump, intake manifold gasket, tires, brakes and rotors consistently (three or more times ayear) . The most recent problem is my gas gauge will indicate that I have 1/4 tank and to my surprise the car will not start unless more fuel is added. The engine also sounds rough, I have both service engine lights on, along with my low tire pressure, anti lock brake light on and I have new tires, replaced a gas cap, and the lights went off, but then come back on. I am also positive that my car will not pass inspection. The cosmetic defects are that of the dash board starting to peel and come loose. I have read up on that gm responded to a problem with all 2000 Oldsmobile Aleros about the gas problem and I contacted the dealer dorschel and spoke with service manager lou, gm agreed to add a different filter so that the gas was draining back into the tank, it was also mentioned in the article that dealers could be fined thousands of dollars daily if not complied with, but because it was not an actual recall, the dealer denied my request to fix. After reading the multiple complaints about these vehicles, I am shocked that they have not been recalled, the should be as they are not safe cars in my opinion. I am challenging you to take a ride in my car with your family and see if you feel safe, because not only am I out 13,000 that I paid for the car, but also if I have to estimate probably another 6,000 in repairs. That is ridiculous. I expect a written response from your office within 30 days of what you intend to do to investigate these problems. Not only read my letter, but you should google in 2000 Oldsmobile Aleros and see the disgust of performance people are complaining of.

There is bouncing when brakes are applied, then it begins to make noise, the rotors are constantly being bent and shims have been inserted repeatedly. The brakes have to be replaced every time the oil is changed at 3000 miles. Now, the problem has continued, and this is the 7th time it has happened even with the extended warranty Oldsmobile will not pay for the work, they have turned the rotors repeatedly,now they must be replaced. ****dims 11 ivoq entry posted after 12/12/01 cut-over to artemis****769335.

Conatct states: since purchase the car experienced rotor erosion, wear, and ultimately deterioration. Grinding noise when ever brake pressure is applied. Rotors have been repaired twice, dealer resurfaced the rotors. Recently had car inspected, and was discovered that the brake pads were broken due to debris and wear of the rotors.

This car was a lemon replacement/and doing the same thing/rotors are warping.

Rotors have been replaced six times since date of purchase. Contacted dealer.

Brakes have been replaced twice within the last 12,000 miles. Currently, at 30,000 miles rotors must be replaced.