There are 45 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2001 Oldsmobile Alero in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
STARTER TURNS BUT WILL NOT START
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. AFTER RESTARTING THE ENGINE THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS NORMAL. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE DEFECT HAD OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT BUT NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
I HAVE A 2001 OLD ALERO 6 MONTHS AGO MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT START I HAD IT TOWED TO A GM DEALER WHICH TOLD ME I NEEDED A FUEL PUMP SO I HAD IT FIXED WELL A FEW WEEKS LATER CAR WOULD START ONE DAY THEN NOTHING THE NEXT NOW IT WONT START AT ALL IT DIED WHILE I WAS DRIVING WITH MY 4 CHILDREN WE WERE STUCK FOR AN HOUR IN THE COLD I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC HE SAYS IT THE SECURITY SYSTEM WELL IT WILL COST ALMOST 1000 DOLLARS TO FIX SO IT WILL SIT THERE UNTIL GM DECIDES TO DO A RECALL I AM NOT THE FIRST TO COMPLAIN AND I KNOW I WONT BE THE LAST THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING DONE AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
I HAVE A 2001 OLDS ALERO I BOUGHT FOR MY DAUGHTER. IT HAS A PROBLEM WITH STARTING AND STALLING. BASED ON MY RESEARCH IT APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSKEY SECURITY SYSTEM. I HAVE HAD THE CAR TOWED MULTIPLE TIMES, HAD IT IN THE SHOP MULTIPLE TIMES WITHOUT RESOLUTION. IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM CARS OF THIS ERA. THERE IS NO SERVICE NOTICE AVAILABLE FROM GM ON HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THE CAR WILL JUST STOP SOMETIMES WHEN MY DAUGHTER IS DRIVING AND I FEAR IT COULD LEAD TO A CRASH OR INJURY. *KB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS A INCREASE IN ENGINE RPMS AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 188,000.
2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO IGNITION SWITCH. *MW THE CONSUMER STATED THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED IN NOVEMBER 2010, DUE TO THE VEHICLE STALLING WHEN PLACED IN REVERSE. ALSO, NONE OF THE GAUGES AND DASH LIGHTS WORKED, THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR AND HEAD GASKET WERE REPLACED. *JB
01 ALERO WILL TURN OVER BUT NOT START. FIRST INCIDENT WAS IN 2006 REPLACED FUEL PUMP AND FUEL FILTER. SOME DAYS IT WILL START OTHERS IT WILL NOT. IT ALSO HAS DIED WHILE DRIVING TWICE. ONCE ON THE HIGHWAY AND ONCE IN TOWN. I WAS DRIVING ACROSS THE STREET WITH MY SON AND THE CAR DIED LUCKILY I COASTED OUT OF THE LINE OF TRAFFIC. FOR THE PAST WEEK IT HAS ONLY STARTED ONCE OUT OF MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO START IT. IT SHOWS CAM SENSOR, CRANK SENSOR, PASSLOCK, CODES WHEN DIAGNOSTICS RAN. OTHER SITES HAVE HAD SAME ISSUE WITH NOTHING BEING A PERMANENT SOLUTION TO PROBLEM. CAR NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE HE WAS ADVISED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RESPONDING BECAUSE THE SECURITY SYSTEM WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THE VEHICLE WAS STOLEN. THE CONTACT ADVISED THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY AND WHEN DOING SO, THE SECURITY WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IN ADDITION, WHEN SITTING IDLE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, THE VEHICLE WOULD OCCASIONALLY STALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT YET BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 136,000.
MY GIRLFRIEND BOUGHT A 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO FROM A DEALER WITH A 30 DAY WARRANTY. THE CARS ANTIFREEZE MIXES WITH THE OIL (HEAD GASKET) . HE NEVER FIXED THIS AND DISSAPEARED ON US. THIS WAS IN MARCH 09. I WAS TOLD THAT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONTACT GM AND THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I'VE READ ONLINE THAT THIS CAR WAS RECALLED BECAUSE OF NUMEROUS PROBLEMS. PLEASE CONTACT ME KEMA, CORNELL THANKS. *TR
ENGINE:ENGINE COOLING COOLANT LEAKS WHEN CAR IS IDLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED WAS DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE FUEL FILTER, BATTERY, IGNITION SWITCH AND STARTER WERE REPLACED. THE COMPUTER WAS RESET BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSIS BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE CODE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 143,000.
ENGINE TURNS OVER BUT WONT START UNTIL CRANKED ON FOR A MINUTE OR MORE. HAZARD RELAY CLICKS REPEATEDLY. *TR
4/18/05: LOWER INTAKE LEAKING BADLY, REPLACED LOWER INTAKE GASKETS & CLEANED ALL PARTS UNDER WARRANTY. COOLANT IN OIL. 6/24/06: ADVISED THAT COOLANT LEAKING INTO OIL AGAIN. ADVISED OF NEED TO REPLACE UPPER INTAKE AND VALVE COVER GASKETS. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED COOLANT IS LEAKING OUT AT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.
MY ENGINE COOLANT, ON MY 2001 OLDS ALERO, HAS BEEN GOING DOWN FOR THE LAST 18 MONTHS. I HAVE REFILLED THE COOLANT CONTAINER 3 TIMES. WHEN I CHECKED IT AGAIN ABOUT 1 WEEK AGO THERE WAS GEL LIKE SUBSTANCE IN THE COOLANT. I CHECKED WITH SEVERAL MECHANICS, ALL OF WHOM SAID MY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS ARE LEAKING AND OIL IS GETTING INTO THE ENGINE COOLANT, THAT I NEED TO HAVE THE GASKETS REPLACED AND THE ENGINE FLUSHED WHICH WOULD COST ME $900. I THEN FOUND OUT GENERALS MOTORS HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS BECAUSE THEY REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE PART IN NEW CARS BEGINNING IN 2004. CANADA HAS A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT AGAINST GENERAL MOTORS FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM. SO FAR GM HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT FIXING MY CAR. *NM
SINCE FEB. MY CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIRS 4 TIMES. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN SEPT. 05 AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WHEN THE WINDOW WOULD NOT ROLL DOWN AND THE TEMP. GAUGE WENT ON HOT (AND THE CAR WAS NOT). I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER AND THEY OF COURSE FOUND NOTHING WRONG SINCE THE COMPUTER THEY USE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEMS WASN'T REGISTERING ANYTHING. NOT QUITE A MONTH HAD PASSED WHEN I STARTED TO HAVE DIFFICULTY STARTING THE CAR, A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING IN A.M. TRAFFIC ON THE FWY. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AGAIN, THEY STATED IT WAS CPC COMPUTER HAD TO BE REPROGRAMMED AND THE IGNITER HAD TO BE REPLACED. ON THE WAY HOME AFTER PICKING UP THE CAR, IT STALLED AGAIN, AND WOULD NOT RESTART. AGAIN THE NEXT DAY IT WAS TAKEN IN AND THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. A FEW WEEKS PASS AND THE SAME PROBLEMS START TO OCCUR, THIS TIME WHEN IT WAS THERE, NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM, THIS TIME AGAIN DRIVING ON THE FWY. THE CAR STALLED, I MADE IT TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, THE CAR AGAIN AS USUAL WOULD NOT RESTART, NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS I MAY NOT BE AS LUCKY. MY CAR IS AT THE DEALER CURRENTLY AND THEY CANNOT SEEM TO FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG. IN READING OTHER NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS THIS OBVIOUSLY IS A PROBLEM. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO KILLED BEFORE GMC DOES SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? *JB
MY 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY STALLING SINCE APRIL 2006. I HAVE HAD MY CAR DIAGNOSED BY 3 MECHANICS ALL OF WHICH CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG VIA THEIR DIAGNOSTIC MACHINES. BEFORE TAKING IT TO GM. GM HOOKED THE CAR UP TO THEIR DIAGNOSTICS MACHINE AND DROVE IT FOR 20 MILES OVERNIGHT AND SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE CAR IS GOING TO STALL. UNFORTUNATELY I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY FOR THESE REASONS, IT COULD STALL AND I COULD BE KILLED BY SOMEONE GOING FAST AND RUNNING INTO THE BACK OF ME. I ONLY DRIVE THE CAR LOCALLY IN THE CITY IN WHICH I LIVE. *NM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE MECHANIC APPROXIMATELY TEN DIFFERENT TIMES. THE FUEL PUMP WAS ALSO REPLACED BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000. UPDATED 8/23/12 *CN UPDATED 09/06/2012 *JS
DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET DISCOVERED ON 4/8/05. COOLANT LEAK TO THE OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE. *AK
OUR 2001 ALERO HAD THE LOWER MANIFOLD GASKET FAIL AT 64000 MILES, THE GASKET WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $562.00. THE SHOP TELLS ME THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. THERE WERE THREE 3400'S IN THE SHOP THE SAME DAY MINE WAS REPAIRED.
Showing 1–20 of 45 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Sep 8, 2026