2003 Oldsmobile Alero Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Alero years
- Fewer complaints than other years 5th of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 184 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Oldsmobile Alero. That ranks 5th out of 7 Alero model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (103 complaints, 56%), typically at around 84,764 miles. Complaints mention 18 crashes, 1 fire, 15 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 184owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 18complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 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 | 103 | 56% | 84,764 | “ignition switch” (20%) | $820 |
| Air Bags | 24 | 13% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 17 | 9% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 15 | 8% | 82,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 14 | 8% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 13 | 7% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 12 | 7% | 66,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 11 | 6% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 11 | 6% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 10 | 5% | 47,250 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 4% | 84,527 | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 4% | 91,149 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 4% | 106,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 4% | 42,750 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 3% | 78,963 | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 3% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 2% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 2% | 57,704 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 1% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 237,907 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 34,500 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | 97,700 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Oldsmobile Alero recalls (2)
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.
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 124, 'accelerator control systems.' in hot ambient conditions, the accelerator pedal arm may stick at the attachment to the bracket and not return to the engine idle position when the operator lifts his foot from the accelerator pedal.
Risk: Failure to return to idle could result in a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the accelerator pedal arm and replace the accelerator and brake pedal assembly with a new assembly, if necessary. The recall began on december 20, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owned a 2003 Oldsmobile Alero. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH and crossing an intersection, a speeding police vehicle crashed into the driver's side of the vehicle and the front driver's side wheel was bent. The air bags failed to deploy and the contact hit her…
Driving and everything quit but the engine nothing on the dash worked, door locks unlocked lost headlights, radio anything Electrical was gone
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…
Car has been having acceleration issues her and there has had a fuel leak for awhile now and now all of a sudden the car will not start..
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 oldsmobile alero. While the key was in the ignition, the engine failed to engage without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
Other Oldsmobile Alero years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 Alero | 109 | 1 |
| 2003 | 184 | 2 |
| 2002 Alero | 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 2003 Oldsmobile Alero?
Owners most often report electrical system, air bags, engine problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 103 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Oldsmobile Alero?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 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 2003 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.