Problems · by component

1999 Oldsmobile Alero power train problems

30 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1999 Oldsmobile Alero cite power train, 6% of all 466 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
30
6% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the power train

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I HAVE HAD AN 99' OLDSMOBILE ALERO FOR 7 YEARS. IT HAS HAD ALMOST EVERY PROBLEM LISTED ON THIS WEBSITE. IT HAS HAD AN OVER HEATING PROBLEM EVERY YEAR SINCE I GOT IT AND I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS IN REPAIRS FOR THE COOLING SYSTEM, FUEL PUMP, POOR INTERIOR MANUFACTURER, AC/HEATER BLOWER MOTOR SETTINGS FAILURE, FUEL GAUGE FAILURE, TRANSMISSION LEAKAGE, POOR SPRINGS/STRUTS, GEAR SLIPPING, HARD STARTING, WATER LEAKING IN FROM RAIN UNDER GLOVE COMPARTMENT, OFF ALIGNMENT (SET THREE TIMES IN YEAR), POOR GAS MILEAGE, OVERHEATING OR RUNNING ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURE AND SUDDEN OVERHEATING WITHOUT NOTICE OF GAUGE LIGHTS OR SOUNDS. HAS HAD FRONT RIGHT CALIPER FAILURE LOCKING BRAKE PADS DOWN AGAINST ROTOR CAUSING BURNOUT OF PADS,ROTOR WARPING, CALIPER CYLINDER DAMAGE. HAS HAD POWER STEERING PUMP LEAKAGE. THIS CAR IS A LEMON AND GM SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH SELLING UNSAFE, WORTHLESS VEHICLES. THE ONLY REASON I STILL HAVE MINE RUNNING IS BECAUSE I HAVE PUT A LOT OF PERSONAL AS WELL AS PAID LABOR INTO ITS UPKEEP OVER THE YEARS DUE TO THAT I CANT AFFORD ANOTHER CAR. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 26, 2007Steering, Suspension, Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, gasoline, Power train, Electrical systemODI 10180772
“1999 OLDS ALERO GLS, BOUGHT THE CAR IN MAY,2004 WITH 23,000 MILES ON IT. FROM DAY 1 I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH IT MOSTLY BRAKES, CAR HAS EXTENDED WARRANTY ON IT. THE ROTORS GRIND, PULSATE, SQUEAK, THE CALIPERS MAKE CRACKING NOISES SOMETIMES BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM OR SAYS IT WILL NOT DO IT FOR THE MECHANIC, WHEN I DROP IT OFF I ALLOWED THE SERVICE MANAGER TO HEAR IT HE ALSO VERIFIED THE SOUND, ONLY TO GET THE CAR BACK BEING TOLD IT WON'T DO IT. THE ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 4X THE BRAKES 3X THE CALIPERS 2X, I STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM. CD PLAYER WILL NOT WORK TOLD BY DEALERSHIP IT IS THE HUMIDITY DOING IT WHICH I LIVE IN PHILADELPHIA AND IT IS WINTER THERE IS NO HUMIDITY. TOLD DEALERSHIP ABOUT A SQUEEZING NOISE UNDER HOOD GOT CAR BACK AND TOLD THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT, I GET HOME AND POP THE HOOD AND FIND A GREASE LIKE RESIDUE ON THE SERPENTINE BELT, I LATER FIND THE WATER PUMP LEAKING. CAR LOSES POWER AND A METAL BANGING NOISE OCCURS FROM UNDER THE HOOD UNDER ACCELERATION, DEALERSHIP SAYS CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. I GO BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TELL THEM ABOUT THE BRAKES AND WATER PUMP, THE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 13, 2006Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Power train, EquipmentODI 10150154
“OCCASIONALLY, VEHICLE WILL NOT START AFTER SITTING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR...VEHICLE WILL TRY TO START...TACHOMETER WILL FLUCTUATE, BUT THE ENGINE ENDS UP STALLING. IN ORDER TO START THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION KEY HAS TO BE HELD IN THE START POSITION LONGER THAN USUAL...ABOUT 5 SECONDS. TOOK TO VARIOUS DEALER SERVICE DEPT. SEVERAL TIMES, BUT NOTHING WRONG COULD BE FOUND BY THEM. VEHICLE IS NOW OUT OF MANUFACTURE'S WARRANTY...CONTACTED MANUFACTURE FOR ASSISTANCE, BUT NONE GIVEN.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 9, 2005Power trainODI 10120239
“1999 OLDSMOBILE ALERO (OUT OF WARRANTY) BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION "SLIPPING" OCCASIONALLY DURING THE SUMMER. I WAS TOLD NO PROBLEM COULD BE FOUND. WHILE DRIVING HOME LAST EVENING, THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL AS THE "TRAC OFF" LIGHT AND IT WAS VERY HARD TO GET THE CAR TO GO MORE THAN 30 MPH ON A 50 MPH HIGHWAY VERY NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. BY THE GRACE OF GOD, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN, BUT NOW I AM TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION MAY "POSSIBLY BE BAD" OR IT "COULD BE SEVERAL OTHER THINGS." IN EITHER CASE, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE FOUND THE ERROR BEFORE. ADDITIONALLY, THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 65,000 MILES ON IT AND THOUGH IT WAS SLUGGISH FROM THE TIME I BOUGHT IT AND WOULD OCCASIONALLY LURCH FORWARD WHEN PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP, IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE SUMMER THAT IT BECAME A FREQUENT AS OPPOSED TO A RARE OCCURRENCE. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THERE IS SOME FLAW IN THE TRANSMISSION. OF NOTE ALSO IS THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW ONLY ROLLS DOWN ON OCCASION AND SOMETIMES WILL NOT GO BACK UP, THE FAN ONLY WORKS ON THE HIGHEST 2 SETTINGS AND THE ENTIRE WIPER BLADE ASSEMBLY (SOME SORT OF SENSOR) HAD TO BE REPLACED 1 MONTH OUT OF…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 4, 2004Engine and engine cooling, Power train, VisibilityODI 10098258
“THE POWER WINDOW MOTOR HAS BURNED OUT TWICE. THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AUTOMATICALLY PUT ITSELF IN REVERSE, ROLLED BACK HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. ALSO, THE IGNITION SWITCH. UPON PUTTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION THE CONSUMER HAS TO SPRAY IT WITH 40/40 WD BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL START. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 14, 2004Power train, Electrical systemODI 10092139
“PROBLEMS WITH 1999 OLDSMOBILE ALERO TRANSMISSION.*MR RECENTLY THE CONSUMER'S CAR BEGAN TO MAKE A VERY LOUD NOISE FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS CHECKED BY THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT A PIN BROKE IN THE OVERDRIVE GEARSHIFT AND SENT PARTS INTO THE PLANETARY GEAR. *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 28, 2004Power trainODI 10087653

Showing 6 of 30 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.