Brake complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I have exhaust coming into the car through the vent when thermostat is in use, my back seats are not in the clip and flip up with no problem and I have a 8 year old son who sits back there, my break pedal will lock and I cannot apply pressure, my dash lights just stopped working I believe the ECM is bad, my headlights go from bright to dim, car does not seem to keep acceleration power very well
My son was driving down a road when the engine stopped running. He had no brakes or power steering causing him to leave the roadway and crash into a fence. The crash didn't deploy the airbag, but caused sever damage to the car, resulting in it being totaled. It was towed to a junk yard where it was sold as scrap. Fortunately my son was only slightly injured, and did not require medical attention. I contacted GM after receiving their recall notice in September, 2014. I spoke with a representative there asking just for the replacement cost of the car since the recall notice described exactly what happened when the car crashed. The representative declined the claim stating they could not inspect the car. The claim # is [redacted]. I feel this is unfair as at the time of the crash we were not aware of this recall notice and felt no obligation at the time to report it to GM. …
Purchased 2003 Alero on oct 8, 2009 on oct. 9th car would not start or jump, ABS and security light was on, radio turned off. Had it towed back to dealer who looked at it the next day and the car started right up and they could not duplicate the problem so they did not do any work to it. On oct 15 while my daughter was driving the vehicle onto the interstate the ABS light and security light came on and the steering wheel turned sharply to the left and she could not control the vehicle. This caused an accident with injuries. The diagnostic report was limited due to the extent of damage to the vehicle and the only code they could get to register was that the ABS code was on. Was told that the diagnostic did not show anything else but diagnostics was limited anyways because the vehicle was not drivable anymore.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Oldsmobile Alero. While driving approximately 15 MPH, the brake pedal failed to respond when it was depressed. As a result, the vehicle crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 14V400000 (electrical system); however, the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 125,000.
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.
My tensor pulley is going out and my safety sensors like anti lock, trac off and now service engine soon keep coming on had it in shop and found nothing wrong. Now its making loud noises.it happens when im stopped and moving
Was involved in a frontal collision on 3/5/03 and the air bags failed to deploy in my 2001 Oldsmobile Alero. I was traveling 40-45 MPH southbound on scottsdale rd when another car turned left in front of me. The impact bent the impact bars, moved my compressor to the other side of the vehicle, hood, bumper, fender damage, the preliminary estimate without doing a tear down is at $5000.00. I have suffered neck, shoulder and leg injuries. I contacted GM and they said a certified GM rep will go look at the car and take pictures and will contact me on the 29th. I received a call from a man who did not identify himself at the dealer ship and said he was a private investigator for GM and down loaded the info off the computer in the car and the air bag should not have gone off, and told me I need to have them start repairing the vehicle immediately. …
Backing vehicle from parking spot, when applying brakes, there was a clunk. Upon driving away and applying brakes normally, braking action was noticeably less. After a closer inspection, found the left front wheel brake pad material had corroded causing separation from its backing plate. These pads are after market pads from advanced auto, had only been on the car for about 12,000 miles, and approximately 23 months. There was considerable pad remaining, but corrosion had set in, causing the pad to separate from the backing plate. The rotors are approx 5 years old, and "corroded" beyond what I call being safe to use. There is no noticeable wear to the rotors, only severe corrosion in the cooling areas. After markets parts should be required to meet durability requirements, not just physical fit and operation.
Frequently asked questions
Which Oldsmobile Alero years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2000 (136), 1999 (121), 2001 (53), 2002 (20) and 2003 (14) model years. Brake complaints make up 24% of all complaints for the 2000.
Is there a recall for Oldsmobile Alero brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for any Oldsmobile Alero model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Oldsmobile Alero brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles; 51% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the foundation components › disc › rotor (121 mentions), followed by the antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (70).
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.