2003 Oldsmobile Alero Engine Problems

1200 MILES AFTER J02 RECALL CAR RUNS SLUGGISH GOING UP CANYON. STOP CAR AND ENGINE IS MISFIRING. TURN AROUND AND COAST DOWNHILL IN NEUTRAL UNTIL CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON THEN STOP AND PARK CAR FOR SEVERAL HOURS. CALLED DEALER AND ASKED WHAT I SHOULD DO. COAST OUT OF THE CANYON WITH THE ENGINE OFF. TURN ENGINE ON AFTER SEVERAL MILES AND NO MORE PROBLEMS. DRIVE HOME CAREFULLY. NEXT DAY THROWS SEVERAL CODES AND RUNNING SLUGGISH. SEVERAL DAYS LATER CODES ARE GONE RIGHT BEFORE IT GOES TO DEALER. THEY CAN'T DIAGNOSE IF CAR HAS NO ACTIVE CODES OR SYMPTOMS. ABOUT A WEEK LATER TURN CAR ON AND CAR IS MAKING A KNOCKING SOUND AND HAS SEVERAL PENDING CODES. CAREFULLY DRIVE HOME. CODES DIDN'T SAVE. FINALLY ABLE TO TAKE TO DEALER AROUND JUNE 25TH WHILE CAR IS MAKING THE KNOCKING NOISE BUT NO CODES AND THEY THINK IT'S A LIFTER BUT NOT SURE. I LEFT THE CAR AND THEY SAY THEY CAN'T REPLICATE THE ISSUE. LITERALLY THE SAME DAY I PICK THE CAR UP IT IS KNOCKING AND CONSISTENTLY DOES SO FOR THE NEXT WEEK AS SOON AS THE ENGINE WARMS UP. JULY 5 ENGINE SOUNDS LIKE IT'S BEING HIT BY A HAMMER AND THROWS P0011 CAM TIMING ADVANCED. OIL PRESSURE IS 5PSI AT IDLE AND 40PSI AT 5000RPM. HAVE CAR TOWED TO DEALER BECAUSE IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T MAKE THE DRIVE AND THEY SAY IT IS PISTON SLAP WITHOUT EVEN OPENING THE ENGINE THEY DETERMINE IT IS NOT CAUSED BY THE RECALL. AT THIS POINT THE ENGINE IS SITTING IN MY GARAGE WITH THE TIMING COVER, OIL PAN AND ONE VALVE COVER OFF AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT. I CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THEM TO FIX SOMETHING THAT IS HAPPENING TO DOZENS OF PEOPLE AFTER THE RECALL. I'M GOING TO TRY TO GET THE DEALER TO ACTUALLY TEAR IT DOWN TO DIAGNOSE IT.. CODES THROWN SO FAR ARE P0011 P219A P0301 P000A P0420 KNOCKING SEEMS TO BE WHEN OIL WARMS UP AND OIL PRESSURE DROPS TO ABOUT 30PSI AND BELOW.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INCREASED AND WHITE SMOKE OR MIST EMITTED FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK WAS CRACKED AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO A RADIATOR SPECIALIST, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE BLOCK AND THE ENGINE MANIFOLD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 215,015. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. ....UPDATED 07/05/16 *BF

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING FOUR TIMES ON THE INTERSTATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER WAITING A WHILE BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FUEL INJECTOR PUMP AND CYLINDER WERE REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 96,000.

2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE STALLED TWICE ON THE ROAD WHILE TRYING TO MAKE LEFT TURN. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE SECOND TIME THE VEHICLE STALLED, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM ON BOTH OCCASIONS. UPDATED 04/15/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT POWERED OFF THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE IGNITION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,332.

OLDSMOBILE ALERO DIED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. *TR

I USED MY HORN TO LET SOMEONE KNOW THAT THEY WERE IN MY LANE, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY HORN WAS STUCK. THE WINDOW CLIPS ON MY CAR BROKE OFF, AS I HAVE READ OF THESE SAME COMPLAINTS OF OTHER 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO OWNERS. I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SERIOUS DEFECTS OF THESE TWO PARTS, AND GM WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS. DUE TO THAT FACT, I AM UNABLE TO PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE MY CAR HAS TO HAVE A WORKING HORN AND MY WINDOW MUST BE ABLE TO MOVE UP AND DOWN. ALSO A THIRD COMPLAINT, THERE IS NOW COOLANT THAT IS STARTING TO LEAK INTO MY OIL, WHICH FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND COULD CAUSE A FIRE!! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR A TIRE ROTATION AND WAS INFORMED THAT COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTO THE OIL. THE INTAKE GASKET AND SEALS IN THE VEHICLE WERE REPLACED. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER, WHO ISSUED A CASE NUMBER. THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,184 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 58,000.

MY LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD IS LEAKING JUST AS IS POPULAR ON THESE TYPES OF ENGINES. ALSO MY TURN SIGNAL IS WORKING OFF AND ON. I HAVE SENT LETTERS TO GM WITH NO RESPONSE OR SUCCESS. *TR

OUR 2003 OLDS ALERO GL 4-DR WITH 3.4L V-6 AND 75,000 MILES HAD A BLOWN INTAKE GASKET. WE WERE HAVING TO ADD COOLANT TO THE CAR ONCE EVERY 2 MONTHS, BUT THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT AND FIGURED WE HAD SOME KIND OF A LEAK IN THE RESERVOIR. IT BEGAN TO MAKE A RATTLING NOISE, WHICH WAS WHEN WE TOOK IT TO OUR CAR DEALER. WE WERE TOLD THAT COOLANT HAS BEEN LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE ,AND WILL NOW HAVE TO SPEND $1300 TO REPLACE THE GASKET. THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE THAT THIS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. *AK

2003 ALERO IGNITION SHORTED CAUSING CONSUMER NOT BE ABLE TO START VEHICLE, ALSO FOUND A LEAK IN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. *TS THE PASSLOCK SENSOR IN THE IGNITION CYLINDER SHORTED AND AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE INTAKE GASKETS AND OIL DRIVE O-RING LEAKED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, ROCKER COVER GASKETS AND OIL PUMP DRIVESHAFT COVER SEAL. THE AIR BAG COVER WARPED. THE TOP OF THE DASH WAS WRINKLED AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL PAN WAS PEELING FROM IT'S BACKING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ASSEMBLY AND TRANSFERRED ALL COMPONENTS. *NM

I WAS NEVER TOLD ABOUT THIS RECALL AT ALL. I WAS ON MY COMPUTER AND FOUND OUT ABOUT THE INFORMATION. MY SON AND I ARE CO-OWNER OF THIS CAR, AND WE HAVE NEVER BEEN TOLD ABOUT ANY RECALLS FOR THE CAR. I USE MY CAR TO TAKE MY GRANDCHILDREN TO SCHOOL AND I WOULD LIKE THE PROBLEM FIX. PLEASE HELP ME

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 750 MILES. ATAINED SPEED OF 65MPH FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN ACTED AS IF IT SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL, I MANUALLY DOWNSHIFTED TO 3RD GEAR AT 45MPH AND PROCEEDED TO NEXT SAFEST PLACE TO STOP. AFTER STOPPED I SHIFTED TO D AND THEN TOOK OFF AND IT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. I STOPPED AGAIN AND WAITED A FEW SECOND THEN TOOK OFF AND IT BEGAIN TO SHIFT NORMALLY AGAIN. I WENT DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER, THEY DID A DIANOGSTIC TEST AND IT SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. PROBLEM HAS NOT HAPPENED SINCE. AT ABOUT 24,000 MILES I NOTICED A POOL OF ANTIFREEZE ON MY GARAGE FLOOR AND EVIDENCE OF IT LEAKING ONTO MY FRONT RIGHT DRIVE SHAFT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY FILLED MY ANTIFREEZE LEVEL BACK UP AND DID A TEST AND SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND A LEAK, THEY SAID IT MIGHT OF CAME OUT OF THE DRAIN HOLE WHERE IT WOULD NORMALLY LEAK WHEN THE BEARING IN THE WATER PUMP GOES OUT.... HAVE NOT NOTICED ANY MORE LEAKS, SOMETIMES SMELL BURNT ANTIFREEZE. ALSO AT ABOUT 25,000 MILES THE NUMBERS AND LETTERS ON THE BUTTONS ON THE RADIO WERE BECOMING WORE OFF, WHICH SEEMS WAY TOO EARLY FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.*AK