Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2002 Oldsmobile Alero, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system133
- Exterior lighting78
- Engine and engine cooling28
- Visibility15
- Service brakes, hydraulic14
- Unknown or other13
- Engine13
- Steering11
- Suspension10
- Structure9
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 9 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 8 2002 Alero vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 8 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2002 Oldsmobile Alero failed the safety check 2.35% of the time — 17% more often than the average 2002 passenger car (2.00%). Median odometer at inspection: 108,707 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 10.0–10.7 L/100 km (about 22–24 mpg US), CO₂ 230–246 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alero · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.5 | 8.2 | 10.0 |
| Alero · Compact · Regular gasoline | 12.5 | 8.3 | 10.6 |
| Alero · Compact · Regular gasoline | 12.6 | 8.5 | 10.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 2002 Oldsmobile Alero.
| 2014284 3 Jul 2014 | Electrical On certain vehicles, a defect in the ignition switch could allow the switch to move out of the "run" position if the key ring is carrying added weight or the ve… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Oldsmobile told its dealers about the 2002 Oldsmobile Alero: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 637316 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE IS INOPERATIVE ON CERTAIN VEHICLES. *TT |
| 637261 | SOME VEHICLES BUILT WITH THE 2.2 LITER OR 3.4 LITER ENGINE MAY HAVE A CUSTOMER COMPLAINT ABOUT INTERMITTENT DRIVABILITY ISSUES, WHICH MAY ALSO INCLUDE A SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT AND OR MORE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MOUDLE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES OR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES. *TT |
| 637253 | INFORMATION REGARDING THE BRAKE ALIGN KIT. *TT |
| 637229 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE MOLDING ALONG THE REAR TRUNK COMPARTMENT OPENING AT THE STRIKER IS LOOSE AND / OR BROKEN. *TT |
| 637216 | INFORMATION REGARDING THE JUNE EDITION OF EMERGING ISSUES FOR VARIOUS MODELS. *TT |
| 637197 | CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT ONE OR MORE DOOR GLASSES ARE SCRATCHED. *TT |
| 637181 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE BLOWER MOTOR IS INOPERATIVE. *TT |
| 636694 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE REAR DECK LID WILL NOT STAY OPEN. *TT |
| 636684 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ABOUT A METAL BUMPING OR BANGING TYPE NOISE OVER BUMPS UNDER THE FRONT SUSPENSION AREA OF THE VEHICLE. *TT |
| 636679 | ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON REPEAT BRAKE PULSATION AFTER AN INITIAL BRAKE REPAIR. *TT |
| 636677 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ABOUT A SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT. *TT |
| 636675 | CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ABOUT POOR RADIO RECEPTION. *TT |
| 636570 | CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE RADIO COMES ON WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH OFF AFTER INSTALLATION OF AN ELECTRONIC AFTER FLOW FAN MODULE. *TT |
| 635008 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON (SES) INDICATOR IS ILLUMINATED AND THAT WHILE THE LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED, TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ARE EXTREMELY HARSH. *TT |
| 634931 | SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0716 AND / OR P0717, P0730, P0753, P0758, P1860, P1887 OR OTHER MISCELLANEOUS TRANSMISSION TROUBLE CODES SET. *TT |
| 634884 | INFORMATION REGARDING NEW PAG OIL RELEASED FOR CERTAIN VEHICLES INCLUDING ALL 2003 PASSENGER CARS AND TRUCKS. *TT |
| 634881 | CONCERNS WITH SCRAPING/SCRUNCHING NOISE FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE DURING LOW SPEED TURNING AND BRAKING. *TT |
| 634845 | SERVICE MANUAL UPDATE REGARDING REVISED BRAKE SPECIFICATIONS. *TT |
| 634827 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE DOOR GLASS IS OUT OF CHANNEL. *TT |
| 634780 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS ON. WITH STORED CODES P0112, P0113, P1111 OR P1112. *TT |
| 634708 | SUBJECT REGARDING REVISED LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD INSTALLATION. *TT |
| 634680 | INTERMITTENT STALL, SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATION AND LOOSE GROUND G103. *TT |
| 634676 | INFORMATION ON NEW STYLE WATER DEFLECTOR. *TT |
| 634661 | SOME OWNERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE MOLDING ALONG THE REAR (TRUNK) COMPARTMENT OPENING AT THE STRIKER IS LOOSE OR BROKEN. *TT |
| 634653 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ON A DASH RATTLE / ITCHING TYPE NOISE FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL / GLOVE BOX AREA WHILE DRIVING. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
TURN SIGNAL FAILURES
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation