Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Oldsmobile Alero owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Dt: 1999 Oldsmobile Alero - consumer's car was involved in an accident and the hub assembly that holds the rear passenger struts sheared off. While driving at 65 MPH the rear wheel broke off and the car turned sideways and went off the highway. There was no impact, but the car did flip side ways. The accident caused the front suspension to break. The vehicle has not been looked at by a mechanic. The consumer contacted the manufacturer and was told there was no recall on this vehicle for this part. A police report was taken. There was one injury.
I was not given any warning to the events that lead up to the problem with my car. Upon returning home at 11 p.m. May15, 2004 from my parents home, I turned into my driveway, the car immediately started filling with smoke and I smelled rubber burning. I immediately stopped the car and turned off the engine. I checked the car over inside and out and found nothing amiss, only the smell. I retreated to the confines of my home and after a period of 10 minutes, I heard what appeared to be a gun shot noise then a hissing sound. I stepped outside and noticed the hissing sound was coming from my cars right front tire, which had gone flat. Deciding I would check the situation the next morning then returned to the house. The next morning, I looked to find in fact the right front tire was flat. …
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. …
On 5/27/05, the front spring broke and punctured tire, causing a blow out. There was no warning on dash to indicate there was a problem. There was a clanking in the front end as the driver approached a stop sign, then tire was punctured. There were normal driving and weather conditions on the day of the incident. The vehicle had experienced front wheel bearing issues. The front passenger side tire was punctured as a result of the spring breakage. The driver noticed a worn pattern on the tire where the spring had been rubbing. The speed at the time of the failure was 5 MPH. The vehicle was regularly serviced. Upon the last inspection there where no reports of a defect in the vehicle. The front coil spring surrounding the strut broke and the sharp steel edge from the brake gouged the tire wearing a groove in it and after a short time caused it to fail. …
This car has many problems but the worst of them is the problem with the front drivers side spring that broke in half while the car was moving. I was able to control the car before hitting any other drivers. The car doesn't even have 70K on it and the spring should last much longer than that. The struts are also shot and the mounting plates also need to be replaced. The car also vibrates and pulss to the left if you have to apply the brakes while driving over 50mph. Sometimes the power windows also quit working for no reason. Also when you first take off in the car in the morning there is a loud gringing noise coming from the front brakes. I had the brakes checked several times and nobody can find anything wrong with them. Since having this car I have had a lot of problems with it. The car is only 4 1/2 years old. …
My car was sitting in the parking lot, as I was pulling out of the stall, I heard a bang. After looking at the car, I could see that the right front end was sitting on the tire. I had to have the car towed to a dealer, who told me that the right front coil spring had just broke. Luckily, I was not driving at the time. It could have been potentially fatal had the spring broke while I was driving. I noticed that this same spring has broken on several allergy and 26 grand ams, based on other complaints filed. I have the part, if further investigation is needed. This sounds like a manufacturer's defect. GM could be exposed to strict product liability because this defect is unreasonably dangerous. I contacted GM, filed a complaint with them, and am waiting for them to call me back. I left 2 additional messages, and no one is returning my calls. …
1 I was leaving work parking lot and heard a clunk noise and got out of my car to see if I had hit something and checked my tires and everything appeared alright so I proceeded to pull out again and heard a clunk and then pssssssssss. Got out of my car again and my front passenger tire was deflated. 2 when pulling tire off to change it we couldn't get the tire off because the coil spring shot through the tire. Finally got tire off and changed it. 3 took car to steve shannon tire and auto center and had it repaired. Checked with GM dealership to see if there was a recall (before having shannon's fix it) but there was not. Told them what happened and they said they never heard of it. Parts replaced : 2 struts, coil spring set, 2 strut mounts, 1 tire. I do have the tire and coil spring. I reported this to GM and told them I would be filing a complaint with NHTSA.
Pulling out of my parking space at work on 5/4/07 and heard a loud pop, stopped vehicle and checked but could not find anything wrong. Proceeded to drive home (about 1/2 mile) and smoke was coming from right front tire area. Pulled up to my home and there was a sound like a gun shot and my right front tire went flat. Triple "a" tow truck found that my right front strut spring had broken in a weak spot and obliterated my tire. Car was towed to buckeye collision and I am waiting on a estimate of damage/repair cost. I don't know if buckeye collision is a certified repair place for GM but I would like GM to pay for this and make it right. I now worry about the left strut and cannot afford this kind of major repair. Please post this message and contact GM and any other reporting agencies. This could lead to a death of an innocent person if driving fast on highway.
I have a 99 oldmobile Alero. I was driving it out of my driveway at a slow speed. Near the end of my driveway I heard a loud crack. I manuvered my car into the street and there was a loud crunching dragging sound. I stopped my car and checked underneath and saw nothing. I moved my car back into the driveway and parked and checked under the hood and walked around again. I noticed my passenger side tire was flat to the ground. I took off the tire and noticed a large groove and split in the tire. Upon further investigation I noticed the spring on the passenger side had broken and punctured my tire. I feel very fortunate that I was so close to home and traveling at slow speed when this happened. My car is now in the shop waiting for a cost estimate and service. It doesn't appear that there has been a recall on this part.
I was driving my car less than one mile from my home. I made a left turn at a light, and upon completion of the turn, I heard a loud bang and my right front passenger tire was on it's rim. Thinking that I hit something, I immediately pulled over. The road was clear. When I jacked up my car and attempted to remove the tire to put on the spare, I realized that the front suspension spring had broken and the jagged edge of the spring had pierced my tire. Since I was driving at the time, in seconds it sheared my tire all the way around, causing steering to be difficult. I reported the problem to general motors, but they refused to offer assistance or towing fees. Unfortunately I was stuck paying for the repairs at a dealership and a tow that was due to a mechanical failure causing a near-accident.
Suspension complaints in other Alero years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1999 Oldsmobile Alero?
NHTSA has 46 complaints about the suspension of the 1999 Oldsmobile Alero, 10% of the model year's 462 complaints. The component named most often is front › springs › coil springs (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Oldsmobile Alero suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 1999 Oldsmobile Alero, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1999 Oldsmobile Alero suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.