Problems · by component
2001 Oldsmobile Alero service brakes, hydraulic problems
48 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Oldsmobile Alero cite service brakes, hydraulic, 13% of all 371 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
48
13% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the service brakes, hydraulic
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“SEVERAL FAILURES OF EITHER FRONT BRAKES OR REAR BRAKES REQUIRING COMPLETE REPLACEMENT. FAILURE HAPPENS AFTER LESS THAN 20,000 ON EACH SET OF BRAKES. THERE HAS BEEN AT LEAST 3 WHEEL HUB REPLACEMENTS ON DRIVER SIDE AS WELL AS 2 WHEEL HUB REPLACEMENTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. BOTH DRIVERS WINDOW AND PASSENGER WINDOW MOTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE.... UPDATED 04/11/13 *BF”
“EXCESSIVE FRONT BRAKE WEAR. FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS. I PURCHASE (2) 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALEROS AND WITHIN THE FIRST 24,000 MILES THERE STATED TO BE BRAKE PROBLEMS. IT SOUNDED AS IF THE FRONT WHEELS WERE ALWAYS GRINDING. CARS WERE TAKEN IN TO DEALERSHIP AND WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. MY WIFE AND I DRIVE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BUT IDENTICAL PROBLEM OCCURRED IN EACH VEHICLE. WE'VE HAD TO REPLACE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS EVERY 12,000 - 18,000 MILES. FINALLY WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO A NON- DEALER, TO GET THE CRUISE CONTROL, TRACTION CONTROL REPAIRED, THEY REPLACED THE FRONT BEARINGS AND REPAIRED THE OTHER PROBLEMS. SINCE THEN, NO MORE GRINDING NOISE AND THE BRAKES DON'T SEEM TO BE WEARING OUT AS RAPIDLY. BOTH VEHICLES HAD THE V-6 OPTION, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO THAT OR NOT. *TR”
“I HAVE A 2001 OLDS ALERO....FOR TWO YEARS I HAVE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE SENSOR ON MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE. THE SENSOR CAUSED MY ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM TO FAIL. AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS TO GET FIXED IT SEEMS THAT MY BEARING WAS BAD. ON THE DAY THAT I GOT MY CAR FIXED 5 CARS BETWEEN 2 DEALERS WERE GETTING THE SAME PROBLEM FIXED. THEY WERE ALL GM CARS.. *TR”
“I GOT CAR ON 2/28/07 NEW BRAKES ROTORS AND TIRES WERE PUT ON CAR. NOW I HAVE A LOUD SQUEAL AND GRINDING IN THE STEERING WHEEL, AND BRAKE PEDAL AN THE WARNING SIGNAL SAYS SERVICE VEHICLE SOON TRACTION OFF AND ANTILOCK BRAKE. I TOOK IT TO GET CHECKED, BUT THE MECHANIC CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK”
“SERVICE VEHICLE SOON, TRAC OFF LIGHT, AND ABS LIGHT TOOK TO DEALER, OUT OF WARRANTY, PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, COST-$500, GRINDING NOISE BEFORE LIGHTS TURNED ON, DINGING,LIGHTS WENT ON, IT WAS SENSOR IN LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING. ALSO HAVE REPLACED FRONT ROTORS, ALTERNATOR AT 65,000 MILES. KEY FOB DOESN''T LOCK DRIVERS DOOR. HOOD ON CAR REPLACED IN 2006 UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE OF BLISTERING 2002-WATER LEAK ONTO DRIVERS FLOOR, 5 TIMES TO DEALER, REPLACED SIDE DOOR GASKET, PROBLEM HAD TO BE SOLVED BY REPLACING WINDSHIELD GASKET. I'M AFRAID OF ALL THESE COMPLAINTS ABOUT TURN SIGNAL FAILURE AND HAZARD LIGHT FAILURE AND THE CAR JUST QUITTING. TRADING IN THIS PIECE OF **** AS SOON AS PAID OFF. *JB”
“THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING / ANTI- LOCK BRAKE UNIT HAS GONE BAD TWICE IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING / ANTI- LOCK BRAKE UNIT HAS GONE BAD ONCE IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. WHEN THE UNIT STARTS TO FAIL THE BRAKES DO NOT WORK OR PULSE MOMENTARILY AND THEN THEY WORK AGAIN. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS OF REAR ENDING SOMEONE AT A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT WHEN I DEPRESS THE BRAKE AND THERE IS NO SLOW DOWN FOR UP TO 2-3 SECONDS UNTIL THE ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM IS SHUT OFF BUY THE CARS COMPUTER. WHEN I REPORTED THIS TO THE OLDSMOBILE DEALER IN PAINTED POST, NEW YORK THEY NOTIFIED ME THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE OLDS ALERO'S. I HAVE REPLACED THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING / ANTI LOCK BRAKE UNIT TWICE. THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING / ANTI-LOCK BRAKE UNIT CURRENTLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *JB”
Showing 6 of 48 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 6, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.