Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Oldsmobile Alero owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Just a couple of days after the purchase of the vehicle the brakes were making a bad scrubbing noise, and I had no turn signal at all I noticed a clicking sound coming from the hazard warning light .during the clicking sound the turn signal would work at times and I would smell something like a burning smell. While the car was park and no one around it the lights would come on inside and out by their self and this causes my battery to go dead and I have to boost it off. I have contacted the car dealer that I purchased it from and they were very rude and hateful and told me it was my problem and that there is nothing they can do about it. That they sold it to me at a good deal and they could not help me.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Oldsmobile Alero. The contact stated that the turn signal failed to operate and the hazard lights operated independently. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 03V327000 (exterior lighting). The approximate failure mileage was 82,762.
Turn signal and hazard lights failure. It started with the turn signals, they would work sometimes and then eventually cut out completely. Hazards worked for a short time after turn signals went out, then both cut out completely. Flasher was replaced and fuses were tested and were not the problem.
Basically I own a Oldsmobile 2000 intrigue and an 2002 Alero. My wifes intrique hazard switch caused the turn signals to fail ramdomly. I took it in during warranty and they could not "reproduce" the failure. After warranty we took the car to the dealership for a state inspection and they told us that the hazard switch is defective and needs to be replaced to pass inspection. So I paid the $18 since this is a critical safety issue. Now my 2002 Alero is doing exactly the same thing. When I go to use my turn signals they dont work but if I push on the hazard switch in/out or wiggle it they start working. I believe GM had a recall on the hazard switch back around 1998?? I believe this is a serious safty issue. Obcviously driving down the road and preparing to initiate a turn and your signals dont work can easily cause a collision. …
Hazard and turn signals intermittently fail; same as the 2001...there was a recall for this issued on the 2001, but not the 2002? I lose my turn signals approximately 2-3 times per 10 mile trip. I have not been involved in an accident due to this malfunction...yet. No repairs seem to fix the problem. The incident date is the last time this problem occurred (I haven't driven the car for a few days), but it has actually been going on for over 2 years. Apparently this is a common problem with the Alero's reguardless of the model year. The vehicle also won't start when it rains, and shuts down while driving. The trunk opens by itself, and the door locks don't always work. Sometimes the stereo won't turn on, and most recently the driver's door window won't open. I replaced the wheel house assembly 3 times in two years. This car is an electrical nightmare! …
I have a 2002 olds Alero gls. The 2001 olds Alero has this recall: 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. My car has the exact same problem but is not included in the recall. GM was the wost help ever. They hung up on me. In the past two weeks they have quit working more times than I can reamber. I have also have a problem with my gage cluster. About 2-3 times a month it dosent opperate. No check engine lights ect or spedo RPM ect work there just "dead" until u restart the car. The olds bravada has a recall for it. What I dont understan is how an 01 Alero have recalls and a 03 have recalls but not an 02. I was on the interstate when my turn signals quit. …
When my 2002 Alero turned 37,500 the fuse to the tail and dash lights blew leaving me driving after dark with no tail and dash lights. So far the mechanics have not been able to trace down the short in the electrical system in order to fix the problem. They keep putting in new fuses and they just keep blowing. They have ordered a switch, and it is to go back into the shop again to have the switch replaced again, and to try once more to track down the electrical short that is causing the fuse to blow that takes out the tail and dash lights. I can't drive this 2002 Alero after dark even if I have just put in a new fuse because it will just blow again. If it doesn't blow while I am driving it, it will just be blown the next time I start it. It makes driving this 2002 Alero very unsafe to drive, especially after dark.
I just purchased a 2002 Oldsmobile Alero and everything worked fine I got it home and the blinkers started to only work sometimes I haven't even got to drive it because I'm afraid to get pulled over. I immediately got online and found that it could be the hazard switch which appears to have been recalled if I'm correct. It appears that because I'm over 150,000 miles I'm not covered but the problem didn't occur before that limit. I spoke the previous owner and they said it had just recently and was not like this when she purchased it at just over 150,000 miles and to just push the hazard light button a few times and it kicks in but that is not a permanent fix and if there was a recall and the problem doesn't occur until after the allotted miles I don't see what good it is.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Oldsmobile Alero. The contact was driving approximately between 45-50 MPH merging into another lane when she noticed that the turn signal failed to function. The failure occurred intermittently with both turn signal indicators. There were several occasions when the turn signal indicator functioned whenever engaging the hazard warning lights. The headlights, tail lights and turn signal bulbs were replaced; however, the failure continued. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection where the technician tested the complete signal indicator system fuse and informed the contact that it was not the cause of failure. The vehicle has not been repaired at this time. The failure and current mileages were 100,000.
We have been having trouble with our turn signals going out sporadically. We never know when they are going to not work. This is very dangerous but we were told tat only certain VIN#s had this recall. However this is happening to too many people who are having to pay out of pocket for this repair, it is ridiculous. We also like many others have had the problem with not being able to start our vehicles because of the ignition. We had to pay $700 to get it rekeyed, and we have a passenger window that has fell into the door, which still is not fixed. We should all be given the opportunity to get the signals fixed under recall not just some when its the same problem.
NHTSA investigations
Turn signal failures
In December 2004, GM issued a special policy for my 1999-2000 alero, grand am and malibu vehicles not covered under recall 03V327. The policy covered turn signal/hazard flasher failure for a period of 10 years or 150,000 miles (whichever occurred first) to provide a no cost replacement of the hazard switch.
Headlight complaints in other Alero years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2002 Oldsmobile Alero?
NHTSA has 78 complaints about the lights of the 2002 Oldsmobile Alero, 28% of the model year's 279 complaints. The component named most often is turn signal (23 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Oldsmobile Alero headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights recall for the 2002 Oldsmobile Alero, though it has 1 recall 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 2002 Oldsmobile Alero headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
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.