1999 Oldsmobile Alero Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Alero years
- More complaints than other years 2nd of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 462 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Oldsmobile Alero. That ranks 2nd out of 7 Alero model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (111 complaints, 24%), typically at around 65,000 miles. Complaints mention 14 crashes, 11 fires, 14 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 462owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 14complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 Oldsmobile Alero problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 111 | 24% | 65,000 | “applying brakes” (14%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 89 | 19% | 91,300 | “ignition switch” (11%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 85 | 18% | 63,000 | “intake manifold” (27%) | $1,300 |
| Visibility problems | 56 | 12% | 63,360 | “side window” (21%) | — |
| Suspension | 46 | 10% | 73,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 43 | 9% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 34 | 7% | 55,545 | — | — |
| Steering | 30 | 6% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 29 | 6% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 25 | 5% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 14 | 3% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 14 | 3% | 58,588 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 11 | 2% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 10 | 2% | 24,059 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 10 | 2% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 9 | 2% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 8 | 2% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 5 | 1% | 93,500 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 5 | 1% | 10 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 5 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 1% | 170,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 84,990 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 Oldsmobile Alero recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:ignition
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
Structure:body
Problem: Vehicle description: these vehicles do not comply with the occupant protection requirements of fmvss no. 201, "occupant protection in interior impact." the console cover on these vehicles does not stay closed when a specified vertical load is applied.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the console cover could open and the cover or items stored under it could injure an occupant.
Fix: Dealers will replace the console latch mechanism.
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The steering wheel can come loose from the steering shaft because the steering wheel retaining nut could have been improperly tightened.
Risk: This condition could cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the steering wheel retaining nut for correct tightness and tighten if necessary.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Turn signal failures (RQ04005) — opened Jun 18, 2004, closed Nov 30, 2004.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 oldsmobile alero. While driving at 20 mph, the service warning light indicator illuminated. The contact had noticed the power steering was no longer effective and difficult to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The vehicle was…
When i got accident november 3 2004 and airbag not come blow yet. I got injury head and broke leg on right.
Front drivers side coil spring broke causing it to rub against the tire causing the tire to blow out while driving! This happened on a country road while driving at 40 mph! *tr
Takata recall i just purchased this car but it has recalls i would like to get fixed
1999 oldsmobile alero. Consumer writes in regards to ignition switch replacement and seeks reimbursement for ignition switch recall repairs. *smd the consumer stated there were no other keys on the key chain. However, the key would often fall out of the ignition switch while driving down the road…
Other Oldsmobile Alero years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 Alero | 109 | 1 |
| 2003 Alero | 184 | 2 |
| 2002 Alero | 279 | 1 |
| 2001 Alero | 364 | 4 |
| 2000 Alero | 557 | 4 |
| 1999 | 462 | 3 |
| 1998 Alero | 2 | 0 |
See all Oldsmobile Alero problems by year, every Oldsmobile model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Oldsmobile models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Oldsmobile Alero?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, electrical system, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 111 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Oldsmobile Alero?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 Oldsmobile Alero a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Alero model years, the 1999 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.