Transmission complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
[redacted]: after a day of light driving after being stationary for about an hour and a half in colorado springs co (cool weather) upon starting the vehicle the temp needle went from cool to almost overheated in the under 30 mins it took to go from one store parking lot to the next nearby one. The vehicle became fully overheated & sparks / 1' flames emerged from the sides of the front hood. Upon being shut off the flames receded, after approx 30mins sitting the hood was lifted & fluids checked (all were at appropriate levels). The vehicle was started again & ran idle for 20 mins & the sparks / flames reappeared again so the vehicle was shut down & a ride called. Upon being picked up the next day the vehicle ran fine again for the most part with only slight overheating - it was taken for an engine wash / under hood at an appropriate facility to remove any flammable / combustible residue. …
Noticed the windshield was leaking which cause to leak on equipment under inside and out dashboard witch caused erosion and defects to other operating equipment lead to car stalling while driving,some operations of will work, some won't. It has a mind of it's own,the security system on car does not work. I do not feel safe since I was driving down road on highway 55mph. And the car completely turn off, I turned ignition switch to turn car back on it was very scary moment. I didn't know what to do. But I wish I can afford to fix the car problems that has caused me a lot of misery financially emotionally feel safe with GM sealing front window properly on Alero I wouldn't have these problems in the first place! So not properly sealing and wiring diagram needs to be examined in my opinion all I want is to feel safe in any GM motors models not just me but others too . …
Tl contact owns a 2003 Oldsmobile Alero. The contact stated that after the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 14V400000 (electrical system), the vehicle became difficult to start and the transmission malfunctioned multiple times. The contact mentioned that the battery warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000.
Automatic transmission failure at 750 miles. Atained speed of 65mph for a few seconds then acted as if it slipped into neutral, I manually downshifted to 3rd gear at 45mph and proceeded to next safest place to stop. After stopped I shifted to d and then took off and it would not shift out of first gear. I stopped again and waited a few second then took off and it begain to shift normally again. I went directly to the dealer, they did a dianogstic test and it said nothing was wrong. Problem has not happened since. At about 24,000 miles I noticed a pool of antifreeze on my garage floor and evidence of it leaking onto my front right drive shaft. I took it to the dealer they filled my antifreeze level back up and did a test and said they could not find a leak, they said it might of came out of the drain hole where it would normally leak when the bearing in the water pump goes out.... …
My car is a 2001, it has a mind of it's own , luckily the blinker, flasher issue is being recalled. My car has been doing this for quite some time. I believe that there are major electrical issues with these cars. My drivers side window works when it wants too. When I try to roll it down, it will pull down the engine and my lights will dim very low.( exterior and interior lights.) my back speakers also work whenever they want to. I am not one to listen to loud music, but it's pretty bad when only the front speakers work. I believe these cars need to be rewired. The latest problem happened about 6 months ago. The transmission lever button completely broke off. Luckily the button is still "literally" hanging in there ,but if it falls out and gets lost there is no way for me to put my car into gear or out of gear for that matter. …
My car will start and not follow through...I can not even begin to tell you how horrible this is...I have two small children that need to get to school and I had to quit my job because my car was not reliable...is there nothing GM could do about this...please I am begging for anything...I do not have money to fix my car and it is sitting in my driveway, just like it has been for the past 6 months...I need help...
I have an 2000 Oldsmobile Alero which is a piece of crap since I first brought it home. I have had to change the brakes about 7 times!!! I have also had to fix all of the problems that were stated in the recalls. I fixed the recall problems before there even was any recalls because GM would not help me. Then later I would receive the recalls. Now my transmission is shot!! The ets system is not allowing the transmission to shift properly. We found a bolt laying in the transmission pan when we first serviced it. In the beginning we thought we only needed a transmission fluid and filter change but come to find out that bolt that was in our transmission pan filtered though the transmission allowing something to become loose in the transmission making it shift very hard. We had 2 mechanics look at it and both agreed that we needed to rebuild the transmission. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Oldsmobile Alero. While attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The failure occurred previously while in reverse. The contact indicated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Related recalls (1)
Power train › Manual transmission
Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles equipped with manual transaxles (rpo m86) fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 114, "theft protection." when a driver attempts to shift from 5th gear to reverse, a shift inhibitor causes the transmission to be mechanically in 4th gear even though the shift lever…
Remedy: Dealers will disable the 5th/reverse inhibitor by removing a retaining pin and replace the shifter assembly.
Frequently asked questions
Which Oldsmobile Alero years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1999 (34), 2000 (25), 2001 (13), 2003 (7) and 2004 (6) model years. Transmission complaints make up 7% of all complaints for the 1999.
Is there a recall for Oldsmobile Alero transmission problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 00V-372 (manual transmission, Nov 13, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Oldsmobile Alero transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 81,000 miles; 34% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (35 mentions), followed by the axle assembly (8).
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.