2003 Oldsmobile Alero Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 103 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2003 Oldsmobile Alero, 56% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 84,764 miles. The words owners use most often: “ignition switch” (20% of reports).
- 103electrical system complaints
- 84,764median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $820typical repair cost reported by owners
- 28%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Ignition switch: mentioned in 21 of 103 complaints (20%)
- Stalled without: mentioned in 7 of 103 complaints (7%)
- Key position minutes: mentioned in 6 of 103 complaints (6%)
- Turn signal: mentioned in 6 of 103 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical electrical system repair on the 2003 Oldsmobile Alero at $820, and half of them between $630 and $1,250.
Based on 10 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2005–2011), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 68 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 103 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 2 an injury.
Oldsmobile Alero electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Alero | 57 | 52% | 97,000 |
| 2003 Alero | 103 | 56% | 84,764 |
| 2002 Alero | 133 | 48% | 89,092 |
| 2001 Alero | 130 | 36% | 86,250 |
| 2000 Alero | 89 | 16% | 79,308 |
| 1999 Alero | 89 | 19% | 91,300 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Driving and everything quit but the engine nothing on the dash worked, door locks unlocked lost headlights, radio anything Electrical was gone
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.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Oldsmobile Aleros have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 103 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2003 Oldsmobile Alero (56% of the 184 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Oldsmobile Alero electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 84,764 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix electrical system problems on the 2003 Oldsmobile Alero?
Owners report a typical cost of $820 (half paid between $630 and $1,250), from 10 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2003 Oldsmobile Alero?
The most frequent phrase is “ignition switch”, in 21 of 103 complaints, followed by “stalled without” (7).
See all 2003 Oldsmobile Alero problems or electrical system problems across all Alero years.