Total Complaints
294 filings
OLDSMOBILE ALERO · model year
294 NHTSA complaints, 27 crash reports, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2003OLDSMOBILEALERO carries 294 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 27 crashes, 3 fires, 26 injuries, and 2 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2003 ALERO is electrical system with 79 filings, followed by air bags (22) and engine (17). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 13 investigation files overlapping the 2003 ALERO. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
294 filings
Crashes Reported
27 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 79 |
| AIR BAGS | 22 |
| ENGINE | 17 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN | 11 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 11 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 10 |
| STEERING | 10 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 9 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 9 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 9 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 7 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 7 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 5 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE | 5 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 4 |
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES
CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, P/NOS. FP10020-11B1, FP10026-11B1, AND FP10027-11B1, SOLD AFTER JANUARY 9, 2007, AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE UNIVERSAL PRESSURE REGULATORS (UPR) WERE PRODUCED WITHOUT AN O'RING AND RETAINER.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agen
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 124, 'ACCELERATOR CONTROL SYSTEMS.' IN HOT AMBIENT CONDITIONS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARM MAY STICK AT THE ATTACHMENT TO THE BRACKET AND NOT RETURN TO THE ENGINE IDLE POSITION WHEN THE OPERAT
The contact owned a 2003 Oldsmobile Alero. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH and crossing an intersection, a speeding police vehicle crashed into the driver's side of the vehicle and the front driver's side wheel was bent. The air bags failed to deploy and the contact hit her chest against the steering wheel. Additionally, the left side of the contact' body hit the driver's side window. The contact was knocked unconscious for approximately 30 minutes. The police officers removed the driver's side door and assisted the contact out of the vehicle. The emergency units transported the contact to the hospital, where she spent one night. The contact was then transported to another hospital where she spent two weeks. The contact sustained severe head, collarbone, neck, and back pain. Additionally, the contact sustained chest pain bruises, and a broken left foot. The contact was then sent to a rehabilitation center where she spent one week. The contact was then transported t
Mileage: 75,000
Driving and everything quit but the engine nothing on the dash worked, door locks unlocked lost headlights, radio anything Electrical was gone
Driving and everything quit but the engine nothing on the dash worked, door locks unlocked lost headlights, radio anything Electrical was gone
Driving and everything quit but the engine nothing on the dash worked, door locks unlocked lost headlights, radio anything Electrical was gone
1200 MILES AFTER J02 RECALL CAR RUNS SLUGGISH GOING UP CANYON. STOP CAR AND ENGINE IS MISFIRING. TURN AROUND AND COAST DOWNHILL IN NEUTRAL UNTIL CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON THEN STOP AND PARK CAR FOR SEVERAL HOURS. CALLED DEALER AND ASKED WHAT I SHOULD DO. COAST OUT OF THE CANYON WITH THE ENGINE OFF. TURN ENGINE ON AFTER SEVERAL MILES AND NO MORE PROBLEMS. DRIVE HOME CAREFULLY. NEXT DAY THROWS SEVERAL CODES AND RUNNING SLUGGISH. SEVERAL DAYS LATER CODES ARE GONE RIGHT BEFORE IT GOES TO DEALER. THEY CAN'T DIAGNOSE IF CAR HAS NO ACTIVE CODES OR SYMPTOMS. ABOUT A WEEK LATER TURN CAR ON AND CAR IS MAKING A KNOCKING SOUND AND HAS SEVERAL PENDING CODES. CAREFULLY DRIVE HOME. CODES DIDN'T SAVE. FINALLY ABLE TO TAKE TO DEALER AROUND JUNE 25TH WHILE CAR IS MAKING THE KNOCKING NOISE BUT NO CODES AND THEY THINK IT'S A LIFTER BUT NOT SURE. I LEFT THE CAR AND THEY SAY THEY CAN'T REPLICATE THE ISSUE. LITERALLY THE SAME DAY I PICK THE CAR UP IT IS KNOCKING AND CONSISTENTLY DOES SO FOR THE NEXT WEEK
Mileage: 74,350
CAR HAS BEEN HAVING ACCELERATION ISSUES HER AND THERE HAS HAD A FUEL LEAK FOR AWHILE NOW AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR WILL NOT START..
CAR HAS BEEN HAVING ACCELERATION ISSUES HER AND THERE HAS HAD A FUEL LEAK FOR AWHILE NOW AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR WILL NOT START..
CAR HAS BEEN HAVING ACCELERATION ISSUES HER AND THERE HAS HAD A FUEL LEAK FOR AWHILE NOW AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR WILL NOT START..
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. WHILE THE KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE FAILED TO ENGAGE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.
Mileage: 90,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. WHILE THE KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE FAILED TO ENGAGE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.
Mileage: 90,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AND ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BODY CONTROL MODULE AND BATTERY WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO TOWED TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS BRIEFLY ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE STARTED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED OVER TEN TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 150,000.
Mileage: 150,000
WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CAR RANDOMLY BEGAN ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL ONLY TO DISCOVER THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I STOMPED ON THE BRAKE AS HARD AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I MOVED THE GEAR SHIFT TO NEUTRAL TO TRY TO KEEP THE CAR FROM ACCELERATING BUT THAT DID NOTHING. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO TURN OFF ONTO A SIDE STREET WHERE I WAS ABLE TO SHUT OF THE ENGINE AND MAKE THE CAR STOP BEFORE HITTING OTHER VEHICLES. THE CAR'S ENGINE REVVED UP SO HIGH THAT IT SOUNDED AS IF IT WERE GOING TO BLOW UP THE ENGINE. NOW THERE IS OIL LEAKING SEVERELY UNDER THE CAR AFTER THIS INCIDENT.
Mileage: 55,000
CONTINUATION OF A PRIOR COMPLAINT (10908068). ON 9/20/16, PRIOR DEFECTIVE STARFIRE RS-C 2.0 ULTIMATE TOURING TIRE REPLACED WITH ANOTHER SIMILAR STARFIRE TIRE (U30H LDJ) AT PEP BOYS. PAID $42.41 (TIRE HANDLING CHARGE, WHEEL BALANCE, ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY, AND VALVE STEM). ON 10/13/16 NOTICED NEW TIRE WAS FLAT/LOW, TIRE PRESSUE WAS DOWN TO 18LBS; INFLATED TO 34LBS. ON 10/14 TIRE WAS FLAT AGAIN DOWN TO 19LBS. USED FIX-A-FLAT TYPE PRODUCT AND INFLATED TO 34LBS, APPEARS TO BE HOLDING. SCHEDULING APPT WITH PEP BOYS TO CHECK TIRE AND POSSIBLY RESEAL. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO THIS TIRE BRAND? IS THERE A DEFECT?
Mileage: 97,700
CONTINUATION OF A PRIOR COMPLAINT (10908068). ON 9/20/16, PRIOR DEFECTIVE STARFIRE RS-C ULTIMATE TOURING TIRE REPLACED WITH ANOTHER SIMILAR STARFIRE TIRE (U30H LDJ) AT PEP BOYS. PAID $42.41 (TIRE HANDLING CHARGE, WHEEL BALANCE, ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY, AND VALVE STEM). ON 10/13/16 NOTICED NEW TIRE WAS FLAT/LOW, TIRE PRESSUE WAS DOWN TO 18LBS; INFLATED TO 34LBS. ON 10/14 TIRE WAS FLAT AGAIN DOWN TO 19LBS. USED FIX-A-FLAT TYPE PRODUCT AND INFLATED TO 34LBS, APPEARS TO BE HOLDING. SCHEDULING APPT WITH PEP BOYS TO CHECK TIRE AND POSSIBLY RESEAL. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO THIS TIRE BRAND? IS THERE A DEFECT?
Mileage: 97,700
WHILE DRIVING ON I-295 NORTH NEAR HAMILTON TWP, NJ AT AROUND 6:45PM AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 65 MPH, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT COMPLETELY. THERE WAS A 2-INCH SQUARE HOLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE. CONDITIONS WERE NORMAL AND THE DRIVING SURFACE WAS DRY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO PEP BOYS, BEVERLY NJ WHERE I PURCHASED ALL FOUR STARFIRE TIRES (RS-C 2.0 225/50/R16) ON 12/27/2015. EACH TIRE HAS THE ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY.
Mileage: 96,940
IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER FAILURE RESULTING IN THE DEVICE STOCKING AND BECOMING STUCK INOPERABLE. AT FIRST IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN TO THE RUN POSSITION. IT WOULD FEEL STUCK AND TOOK SOME WIGGLING AND SHAKING IN ORDER TO START THE VEHICLE. WHICH PROGRESSED TO BEING STUCK PERMANENTLY.
Mileage: 160,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) HOWEVER THE DEALER REFUSED TO PERFORM THE REPAIR DUE TO THE CONTACT NOT HAVING THE ORIGINAL KEY FOB. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PART DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE CAR JUMPED UP ITO 6 AND 7 RPMS IN THE RED GOT STUCK EVEN WHEN PEDAL WAS NOT PRESSED STAYED THERE I THE RED FOR A FEW SECONDS WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS FINALLY DROPPED AND STARTED KNOCKING.
Mileage: 110,000
I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE CAR JUMPED UP ITO 6 AND 7 RPMS IN THE RED GOT STUCK EVEN WHEN PEDAL WAS NOT PRESSED STAYED THERE I THE RED FOR A FEW SECONDS WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS FINALLY DROPPED AND STARTED KNOCKING.
Mileage: 110,000
I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE CAR JUMPED UP ITO 6 AND 7 RPMS IN THE RED GOT STUCK EVEN WHEN PEDAL WAS NOT PRESSED STAYED THERE I THE RED FOR A FEW SECONDS WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS FINALLY DROPPED AND STARTED KNOCKING.
Mileage: 110,000
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.