2002 Oldsmobile Alero

TIMING CHAIN BROKE ON 2002 OLDSMOBILE ALERO WITH 65,000 MILES IN FEB. 2006. EXPERIENCED A TICKING NOISE DAY BEFORE AND WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 55 MPH WHEN CHAIN BROKE AND LOST POWER. AUTO REPAIR SERVICE INDICATED IT WILL COST AT LEAST $1500 TO REPLACE CHAIN AND ADDITIONAL PARTS. ALSO INDICATED OIL PAN WOULD HAVE TO BE REMOVED AS FRAGMENTS WERE DETECTED INSIDE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AT 15MPH, A GRINDING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES. THE NOISE WAS COMPARED TO METAL ON METAL SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE ROTORS AND PADS WERE WORN AND NEEDED REPLACED. THE ROTORS AND PADS WERE REPLACED SEVEN TIMES PREVIOUSLY FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. ON AVERAGE, THE BRAKES AND PADS WERE REPLACED EVERY 20,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THE REASON THE ROTORS AND PADS WERE BEING REPLACED SO OFTEN WAS, ASBESTOS WAS NO LONGER USED IN THE MATERIALS WHEN MANUFACTURING THE PARTS. THIS WOULD LEAD TO REPLACEMENT OF THE PARTS MORE OFTEN WHICH WOULD BE CONSIDERED NORMAL BASIC MAINTENANCE OF THE VEHICLE.

BRAKE COMPLAINT: FRONT AND REAR BRAKE PROBLEMS CONTINUE INCLUDING ABNORMAL ACCELERATED WEAR, BRAKE NOISES AND ROTOR CORROSION. FRONT AND REAR ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE, TURNED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND THE FRONT AND REAR PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES IN LESS THAN 32,000 MILES. IN TOTAL, MORE THAN $1,000 HAS BEEN SPENT IN OUT OF POCKET REPAIRS PLUS WARRANTY WORK TO DATE. IT IS NOW NECESSARY TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED EVERY 3,000-5,000 TO INSURE THAT BRAKE OPERATION IS SAFE AND THAT THE FRONT AND REAR PADS AND ROTORS ARE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. CORROSION OF THE ROTORS REMAINS A PROBLEM AND ACCELERATES THE WEAR OF THE PADS. *JB

TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS FLICKER BUT FAIL TO COME ON IN BACK OF VEHICLE, OR THEY JUST DON'T WORK AT ALL. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. I MAY START OUT DRIVING AND THEY ARE FINE, THEN THEY COMPLETELY STOP WORKING, AND BY THE END OF THE TRIP THEY WORK AGAIN. SOMETIMES THEY WORK THE WHOLE TRIP, SOMETIMES NONE AT ALL. THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON TO IT. I REPLACED THE FUSE FOR THE SIGNAL LIGHTS AND THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS. *NM

THERE ARE SEVERAL DEFECTS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST STARTED IN 2004. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK, WILL NOT SHUT OFF, OR START AGAIN WHILE IN THE OFF POSITION AND STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THIS CREATES A HAZARD WHILE DRIVING, ESPECIALLY AT HIGH SPEEDS ON THE HIGHWAY - STARTLES YOU, THEN BLOCKS VISION. NEXT, THE SECURITY FEATURE IS MALFUNCTIONING. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START, SECURITY LIGHT FLASHES AND PROBLEM IS FIXED WITH LEAVING THE CAR IN THE ON POSITION FOR 10 TO 20 MINUTES (RESETS THE SECURITY). THIS DRAINS THE BATTERY AND IS A MAJOR INCONVENIENCE. ALSO, THE TURN SIGNALS HAVE NOW BEGUN TO WORK ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. THIS IS DANGEROUS OBVIOUSLY. THE WINDOW CONTROLS SOMETIMES DON'T WORK, THE SIDE-MIRROR CONTROLS ALSO DO NOT WORK SOMETIMES. THE HEAT/AC CONTROLS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY - MOST OF THE POSITIONS DO NOT BLOW. YOU CAN HEAR THE MUFFLED SOUND OF THE AIR WHEN ON HIGH, BUT AIR DOES NOT COME OUT OF THE VENTS. THESE ARE THE COMBINATION SETTINGS, THE INDIVIDUAL SETTINGS WORK, SO IT CANNOT BE CLOGGED VENTS. LASTLY, THE REAR DEFROST RECENTLY STOPPED WORKING AND, WHEN TURNED ON, EMITS A BURNING SMELL. THIS CAR IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN AND DRIVEN DAILY OUT OF NECESSITY. *NM

THE TURN SIGNAL IS FLASHING IN AND OUT OF USE. SOMETIMES IT WORKS WHEN YOU TURN THE SIGNAL ON, AND OTHER TIMES IT DOES NOT WORK. SOMETIMES IT STOPS WORKING AFTER IT HAS STARTED WORKING, AND IT GOES OUT BEFORE THE TURN IS COMPLETED. THERE HAS BEEN NO CRASH YET, BUT I DO NOT FEEL SAFE WHEN MAKING A TURN AND THE SIGNAL STOPS WORKING. I HAVE NOT HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED AT THIS TIME, BECAUSE I THOUGHT A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED AND I WAS WAITING ON THE LETTER FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *NM