FaultScore

Worst years for a Oldsmobile Alero

Owners have filed 2,939 complaints about the Oldsmobile Alero with NHTSA across model years 1998 to 2004. More of them are about the electrical system than anything else.

Avoid

2000 Oldsmobile Alero

810 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly lights.

Cleanest on record

2002 Oldsmobile Alero

407 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Oldsmobile Alero year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2004 C 175 14 3 97,000 Electrical System
2003 C 294 27 3 80,000 Electrical System
2002 B 407 14 9 71,165 Electrical System
2001 C 549 28 7 65,000 Electrical System
2000 C 810 23 9 65,000 Lights
1999 C 702 20 12 63,580 Brakes
1998 2 0 0 Engine & Cooling

What breaks on a Oldsmobile Alero

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Electrical System 630 21.4%

Worst in 2002

Lights 427 14.5%

Worst in 2000

Brakes 412 14.0%

Worst in 2000

Engine & Cooling 335 11.4%

Worst in 2000

Worst in 1999

Worst in 2001

Suspension 112 3.8%

Worst in 1999

Airbags 103 3.5%

Worst in 2000

Steering 100 3.4%

Worst in 1999

Worst in 1999

Worst in 1999

Worst in 2000

Worst in 2002

Worst in 2001

Exactly what failed on a Oldsmobile Alero

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Rotor 121 17.2%
Switch 101 14.4%
Turn Signal 95 13.5%
Power Window Devices AND Controls 92 13.1%
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 70 10.0%
Disc 58 8.3%
Engine 48 6.8%
Control Module 44 6.3%
Switch 38 5.4%
Switch 35 5.0%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Oldsmobile Alero, by the month it reached NHTSA.

May 1999 peak 77 Aug 2026

Oldsmobile Alero problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Oldsmobile Alero

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.