There are 20 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 2001 Oldsmobile Alero in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO, MY HUSBAND AND I NOTICED THAT THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW WASN'T ROLLING UP AND WE HEARD IT SNAP. WE WERE ABLE TO PULL THE WINDOW UP AND HAD IT THERE FOR ABOUT 7 MONTHS UNTIL THE WINDOW CLIPS BROKE AND THE WHOLE WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR. WE BOUGHT A NEW WINDOW AND A NEW WINDOW REGULATOR BUT NOW IT'S DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS CAR? THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE WHEN LIVING IN MINNESOTA. IT'S ALMOST WINTER TIME AND WE DON'T HAVE A WORKING WINDOW OR AT LEAST ONE THAT STAYS SHUT AT ALL TIMES. SHOULD OLDSMOBILE HAVE TO RECALL ALL WINDOWS AND REPLACE THEM FOR FREE? PLASTIC CLIPS? HOW WOULD YOU EVER THINK THEY WOULD HOLD UP? I'M VERY UPSET BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY AND THESE WINDOW ISSUES ARE COSTING US A LOT OF MONEY. *TR
2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO, APPROX 105,000 MILES. AROUND THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY I WENT OUTSIDE TO WARM UP MY CAR BEFORE WORK AND NOTICED THE HEATER BLOWER WASN'T WORKING. HAVE ALREADY HAD THIS REPLACED SO THOUGHT I KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. ALSO NOTICED AN ELECTRICAL SMELL IN THE CAR, AS IF AN ELECTRICAL MOTOR WAS HOT, SO ASSUMED THE BLOWER MOTOR OVERHEATED AND WENT OUT. LATER THAT DAY CHECKED THE FUSE FOR THE BLOWER MOTOR- IT WAS BAD, I CHANGED IT AND THE HEATER WORKED. HOWEVER, STILL NOTICED THE ELECTRICAL SMELL AND FINALLY ASSOCIATED IT WITH THE REAR DEFOGGER. AROUND MARCH 07 THE DEFOGGER QUIT WORKING. NOTICED TODAY ON MY CAR STATS THAT A COMPLAINT WAS FILED IN FEBRUARY WITH A FAIL DATE OF 01/17/08 WHERE THE REAR DEFOGGER FAILED AND THE CAR ACTUALLY CAUGHT FIRE. MY CAR DID NOT CATCH FIRE, BUT IT IS THE SAME YEAR AND APPROXIMATE MILEAGE AS THE ONE THAT DID. I'M SURE THESE AREN'T THE ONLY TWO. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND IF YOU NOTICE AN ELECTRICAL SMELL, GET IT CHECKED OUT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS WARMING UP, IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE REAR SEAT WAS DAMAGED AND THE REAR WINDOW WAS DESTROYED. THERE WAS ALSO SMOKE DAMAGE. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,000.
DRIVER WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR WHEN THE HOLDING CLIPS INSIDE THE DOOR BROKE OFF THE LIFT MECHANISM. *TR
DRIVER'S SIDE CAR WINDOW ROLLED DOWN BUT WOULDN'T GO BACK UP. CAR IS 2001 OLDS ALERO 2 DR. WAS HAVING PROBLEMS PRIOR TO INCIDENT WITH THE WINDOW ROLLING ALL THE WAY DOWN INSTEAD OF JUST PART OF THE WAY. THE REGULATOR IS STILL MAKING A SOUND SO THE MOTOR IS STILL OPERABLE FOR THE MOMENT BUT THE WINDOW IS OFF THE TRACK OR THE PLASTIC PIECES THAT HOLD THE WINDOW ARE BROKE. WHAT HAPPENED TOSSING METAL. IT WOULD SAVE HEADACHES FOR EVERYONE. *JB
AROUND JULY 15, 2005 MY 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW FELL OUT OF THE CHANNEL AND INTO THE DOOR. (THE WINDOW WAS BEING ROLLED UP AND MADE A LOUD NOISE. WHEN TRYING TO ROLL DOWN WINDOW AGAIN IT FELL INTO THE DOOR.) I HAD THE WINDOW REGULATOR REPLACED BY A LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE CENTER ON JULY 15, 2005 FOR A TOTAL OF $231.15 PARTS AND LABOR. ON JANUARY 30, 2006 THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW WAS ROLLED DOWN AND WHEN ROLLING IT BACK UP A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD AS IT REACHED THE TOP OF THE DOOR FRAME. WHEN PRESSING THE BUTTON TO ROLL THE WINDOW BACK DOWN THE WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR. TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE CENTER AND WAS QUOTED OVER $400 FOR PARTS AND LABOR FOR A NEW MOTOR/REGULATOR AND NEW GLASS SINCE THE ARMS OF THE REGULATOR WERE BROKE AND STILL STUCK TO THE GLASS. I HAVE NOT HAD THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW FIXED YET SINCE I AM TRYING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO BOTH WINDOWS IN LESS THAN A YEAR. *NM
I HAVE A 2001 OLDMOBILE ALERO WITH AUTOMATIC WINDOWS. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 3 OF THE 4 WINDOWS DUE TO THE MOTOR GOING OUT CAUSING THE WINDOW TO NOT ROLL UP OR DOWN. I AM WAITING FOR THE 4TH WINDOW TO BREAK.
I HAVE A 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO AND BACK IN 2003, WHILE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, MY PASSANGER SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR CEASED TO WORK. IT WAS REPLACED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THIS WINTER, HOWEVER, AFTER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED, THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED TO WORK AND MY WINDOW IS STUCK AND UNABLE TO GO DOWN. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST AN EXCESS OF $400 TO FIX THIS PART, WHICH IT APPEARS, WAS DEFECTIVE IN THE FIRST PLACE. I BELIEVE THAT THE INABILITY TO RETRACT MY WINDOW IS A SAFETY CONCERN. IF I WERE TRAPPED IN MY CAR FOLLOWING AN ACCIDENT AND THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN AND THE WINDOW WOULD NOT OPEN, THE CAR COULD GO UP IN FLAMES OR I COULD DROWN, ETC...BEFORE HELP WOULD ARRIVE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS MALFUNCTION THAT SHOULD BE FIXED BY THE GENERAL MOTORS.
DRIVER'S SIDE POWER WINDOW FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE WINDOW WAS UNABLE TO COME DOWN. DEALER STATES THAT THE WINDOW REGULATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
WINDOWS REGULATOR & POWER WINDOW MOTORS BOTH SIDES BECOME INOPERABLE,HIGH COST OF REPAIR. ALSO THE WHOLE WIRING SYSTEM. WIRES LOOSE,GET PINCHED BY GEARSHIFT. NOW THE RADIOS VOLUME TURNS UP WITH HIGHER RPM OR DOWN AT LOW RPM.WHEN BACK WINDOW DEFROSTER IS ON RADIO CRACKLES OR COMPLETELY TURNS OFF.SAME HAPPENS AT TIMES WHEN PUTTING GEAR INTO PARK. THERE IS REALY NO INCIDENT DATE, THIS IS A ONGOING PROBLEM FOR THE PAST 6-8 MONTH.*AK
IN THE SPRING OF 2003 MY WINDOW, DRIVERS SIDE SLID INTO THE DOOR JAM. MY BOYFRIEND TOOK THE DOOR OFF AND WE REALIZED THAT THE WINDOW REGULATOR WAS BENT AND THE PLASTIC PIECES THAT ATTACH TO THE WINDOW TO HOLD IT UP WERE BROKEN. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT WOULD COST $500.00 TO FIX IT. $300.00 FOR THE PART AND THE REST IN LABOR. I LOOKED INTO GETTING A USED PART, SO I BEGAN CALLING JUNK YARDS. A FEW HAD NO REGULATORS, HOWEVER AT FITZGERALDS IN LINCOLN DE I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS THE 4 OR 5TH PERSON TO CALL IN REGARDS TO A REGULATOR FOR AN ALERO. HE STATED THAT HE COULD ORDER THE PART WHOLESALE AND IT WOULD COST $120.00. I ALSO BEGAN A SEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND A MECHANIC IN NY THAT WOULD FIX MY REGULATOR OR GIVE ME A REPAIRED ONE FOR AROUND $80.00, SO I SENT IT TO HIM. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PARTS THAT HE GAVE WITH THE REGULATOR WERE NOT RIGHT AND WHEN TRYING TO INSTALL THE REGULATOR THE PLASTIC PIECES BROKE AGAIN. THE MECHANIC IN NY SEND ADDITIONAL PIECES AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE WINDOW WORKING PROPERLY, AFTER USING SOME ADHESIVE TO GET THE WINDOW TO STAY ATTACHED TO THE REGULATOR. THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO GET THE WINDOW COMPLETELY FIXED TOOK MONTHS. WE FINALLY GOT THE WINDOW WORKING AROUND OCTOBER OF 2003. NOW IT IS DECEMBER 2004 AND AGAIN THE WINDOW IS STARTING TO SLIP. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS SOMEHOW A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE POWER WINDOW. COULD YOU PLEASE LOOK INTO WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS INDEED A RECALL. THANK YOU.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AND WITH NO WARNING ELECTRIC SIDE VIEW MIRROR WILL HEAVILY VIBRATE,MAKING IT HARD FOR CONSUMER TO SEE CLEARLY THROUGH THE MIRROR.*AK
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER'S STOPPED ROTATING NORMALLY AND BEGAN "JUMPING" AROUND ERRATICALLY AS IF SOMEONE WAS BEATING THEM DIRECTLY ONTO WINDSHIELD. CONSUMER TURN VEHICLE OFF/ON AND WIPERS CONTINUED TO FUNCTION ERRATICALLY UNTIL THE WIPER MOTOR BURNED OUT. NOW WIPERS ARE COMPLETELY INOPERATIVE. TS
WHILE CLEANING SNOW OFF FRONT WINSHIELD NOTICED A 3 INCH CRACK FROM BOTH SIDES. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THAT WARRANTY EXPIRED, AND NOTHING CAN BE DONE. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS MATTER.*AK
DASHBOARD HAS A REFLECTION IN WINDSHIELD THAT AFFECTS CONSUMERS DRIVNG ABILITY. DEALER SUGGESTED THAT CONSUMER PUT A RUG ON DASHBOARD TO KEEP REFLECTION AWAY.*AK
DASHBOARD VISIBLE ON WINDSHIELD WHILE TRAVELING. *AK
NO HEAT TO PASSENGER SIDE OF CAR DURING WINTER MONTHS. DEALER NOTIFIED AND HEATER ASSEMBLY POORLY DESIGNED. UNABLE TO FIX PROBLEM. DT
CUSTOMER SEVICE AT OLDS ADVISED, I WAS TOLD THERE IS NO FIX. NO SAFETY DEFEC TLISTED. *AK
THE REAR DEFROSTER DID NOT WORK.*JB
WHILE ROLLING UP THE WINDOWS CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE AND SUDDENLY THE PASSENGER, DRIVER, AND REAR WINDOW DROPPED DOWN INTO THE FRAME OF THE WINDOWS, CAUSING ALL THE WINDOWS TO BREAK. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE CAUSE HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK
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