Problems · by component

2001 Oldsmobile Alero exterior lighting problems

69 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Oldsmobile Alero cite exterior lighting, 19% of all 371 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
69
19% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the exterior lighting

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TURN SIGNAL INTERMITTENT AND SAFETY FLASHERS INOPERATIVE AT SAME TIME. DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S IN MOTION, STATIONARY, ON CITY STREET, HIGHWAY, ETC., HAPPENS APPROX. 5 MINUTES AFTER BEING USED. I TOOK MY CAR TO A LOCAL STATION AND THEY COULDN'T REPAIR IT DUE TO INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AT FIRST. TOOK TO DIFFERENT SERVICE REPAIR AND THEY KNEW IMMEDIATELY OF THE RECALL AND SAID IT NEEDED A 4 WAY FLASHER SWITCH ASSEMBLY, AND TO TAKE IT TO MY LOCAL GM DEALER FOR REPAIR AND WHEN I DID, THEY DECLINED IT..!! RECALL: NHTSA CAMPAIGN #14V400000. IMMEDIATELY AFTER I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP, PROSTROLLO AUTO MALL, MADISON, SD..I HAD THIS PROBLEM...IT CAME WITH THE CAR, SHOULDN'T THIS HAVE BEEN FIXED BY THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE THE SALE..?”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 2, 2017Exterior lightingODI 10982965
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY STOPPED WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V327000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 13, 2016Electrical system, Exterior lightingODI 10935091
“WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS GM RECALL 03043 FOR 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO MODELS, BUT ARE TOLD OUR VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. WHY? WE HAVE A 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. TURN SIGNALS ARE INTERMITTENTLY INOPERATIVE. DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS. IF YOU MESS WITH THE HAZARDS, TURNING ON AND OFF, YOU MAYBE MIGHT GET YOUR TURN SIGNALS TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THIS IS WHAT THE RECALL IS DIRECTLY ABOUT, BUT WHEN OUR VIN IS ENTERED INTO RECALL DATA BASE, IT SAYS NO RECALLS FOR THIS VIN. DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO US. VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WITHOUT TURN SIGNALS. PLEASE ADVISE. [XXX] *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 3, 2016Exterior lightingODI 10924109
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE TURN SIGNALS FAILED TO ACTIVATE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V327000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 270,000. ....UPDATED 01/23/15 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR DRIVING 60 MPH, THE TURN SIGNALS WOULD NOT OPERATE. IT WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM BUT WHEN IT HAPPENED, PRESSING THE HAZARD BUTTON CAUSED THE TURNED SIGNALS TO WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, BUT THE TURN SIGNALS WORKED AT THE TIME. UPDATED 02/18/15.*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 16, 2014Exterior lightingODI 10664684
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LAMPS MALFUNCTIONED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V327000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,285.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 10, 2014Exterior lightingODI 10653810
“THE FIRST TIME IT STOPPED WORKING, I THOUGHT MAYBE I HAD JUST A BURNED OUT SIGNAL LAMP, BUT THEN IT STARTED WORKING AGAIN. IT WAS PRETTY RANDOM AT FIRST, BUT NOW IT WILL NOT WORK AT ALL, OR IT WILL START WORKING BLINK TWICE AND THEN JUST STOP. IT MAY BE "DEAD" FOR A LONG WHILE AND THEN JUST START BACK UP. USUALLY IT JUST DOESN'T WORK AT ALL ANYMORE. I HAVE DRIVEN DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH IT TURNED ON AND IT WILL BE 5-10 MINUTES LATER AND IT WILL START BLINKING AGAIN. I SEE THERE IS/WAS A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM, FOR MODEL YEARS 2000-2001 AND I HAVE A 2001, BUT THEY CLAIM MY VEHICLE IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. THE RECALL IS 03V327000, OR GM RECALL 03043A. THE A WAS BECAUSE THEY EXPANDED IT TO INCLUDE THESE TWO MODEL YEARS FROM AN ORIGINAL RECALL. I TALKED TO OLDSMOBILE DIRECTLY AND THEY SAY IT IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. THAT WAS IN A CALL, AND I SENT GM AN E-MAIL DETAILING THIS PROBLEM, BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING BACK FROM THEM EITHER. I WOULD THINK WITH ALL THE OTHER RECALLS THEY HAVE GOING ON, THEY SHOULD JUST ACCEPT THIS ONE AND NOT MAKE A BIG ISSUE OUT OF IT. MORE NEGATIVE PRESS. AS I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE POTENTIAL ISSUES/RECALLS I DID SEE A FEW…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 1, 2014Electrical system, Exterior lightingODI 10640549

Showing 6 of 69 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 6, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Exterior lighting: switch

Free remedy

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES HAVE HAZARD WARNING SWITCHES THAT MAY EXPERIENCE SOLDER JOINT CRACKING CAUSED BY RAPID TEMPERATURE TRANSITIONS AND THE SOLDERING PROCESS. IF SOLDER JOINT CRACKING OCCURS AND RESULTS IN AN OPEN CIRCUIT, THE TURN SIGNALS/HAZARD LAMPS BECOME INTERMITTENT OR INOPERATIVE.

Exterior lightingReported Aug 28, 2003NHTSA 03V327000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 6, 2026

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