2002 Oldsmobile Alero Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Alero years
- About as many complaints as other years 4th of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 279 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Oldsmobile Alero. That ranks 4th out of 7 Alero model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (133 complaints, 48%), typically at around 89,092 miles. Complaints mention 11 crashes, 8 fires, 9 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 279owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 11complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 133 | 48% | 89,092 | “ignition switch” (14%) | $780 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 78 | 28% | 71,165 | “turn signals” (47%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 28 | 10% | 62,600 | — | — |
| Visibility | 15 | 5% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 14 | 5% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 13 | 5% | 106,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 13 | 5% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 11 | 4% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 10 | 4% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 9 | 3% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 3% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 9 | 3% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 7 | 3% | 86,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 6 | 2% | 104,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 2% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 2% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 2% | 16,800 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 1% | 132,999 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 1% | 32,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 1% | 40,680 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 1% | 130,400 | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 1% | 113,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 1% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 40,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Oldsmobile Alero recalls (1)
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.
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 (PE05055) — opened Sep 27, 2005, closed Jan 13, 2006.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
2002 oldsmobile alero was driving on interstate and very low on fuel when i exited the interstate at the street light it turned green and as i was accelerating my car stalled out and since then ive pur 2 gallons of fuel in it and now it cranks but wont start up and now it back fires when trying to…
1. Security turns on while driving, making the vehicle to spin but not drive normally on road or highway when driving 2. Horn malfunctioning, stops working when security turns on while driving 3. Seatbelt warning and airbag light flashing when security turns on while driving, seatbelt becomes…
Kept cutting off won't stay crunk long ignition is jammed loud screeching noises from the springs alternator might be the reason electrical issues fuel pump I had to leave my car at a friend's place I'm not working due to the COVID pandemic not able to afford repairs I really need my transportation…
2002 olds alero,present mileage@5/17/20-187,037. Where do i start? Okay,the trunk has started to arbitrarily decide to pop open...apparently during rain/thunderstorms...i wonder if this has anything to do with the door locks recently deciding to not lock the passenger side when using switch on…
"takata recall" i own a 2002 oldsmobile alero and my blinkers only work maybe 2 time a month when i use my turning signals in either direction i just hear a buzzing sound sometimes it is only in one direction and sometimes there is no sound and no blinker at all. Now my gas gauge says empty and i…
Other Oldsmobile Alero years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 Alero | 109 | 1 |
| 2003 Alero | 184 | 2 |
| 2002 | 279 | 1 |
| 2001 Alero | 364 | 4 |
| 2000 Alero | 557 | 4 |
| 1999 Alero | 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 2002 Oldsmobile Alero?
Owners most often report electrical system, exterior lighting, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 133 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Oldsmobile Alero?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 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 2002 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.