2002 OLDSMOBILE ALERO — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 273 complaints · 2 recalls

Verdict & Safety Summary

Most-reported system: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (91 complaints · 33.3%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 11
  • Fires 8
  • Injuries 9
  • Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ELECTRICAL SYSTEM appears in 91 of 273 owner complaints (33.3%) in this vehicle snapshot. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 91 complaints, 33.3% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 91 · 33.3% · 3 crash reports 5 fire reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 68 complaints, 24.9% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 68 · 24.9% ENGINE: 27 complaints, 9.9% of reports ENGINE 27 · 9.9% · 2 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 16 complaints, 5.9% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 16 · 5.9% VISIBILITY: 9 complaints, 3.3% of reports VISIBILITY 9 · 3.3% · 1 fire reports FUEL SYSTEM: 8 complaints, 2.9% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 8 · 2.9% AIR BAGS: 7 complaints, 2.6% of reports AIR BAGS 7 · 2.6% · 5 crash reports STEERING: 7 complaints, 2.6% of reports STEERING 7 · 2.6% · 1 crash reports STRUCTURE: 5 complaints, 1.8% of reports STRUCTURE 5 · 1.8% · 1 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 142 complaints, 52.0% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 142 · 52.0% · 6 crash reports 2 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 91 33.3% 3 crashes · 5 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 68 24.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 27 9.9% 0 crashes · 2 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 16 5.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 9 3.3% 0 crashes · 1 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 8 2.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
AIR BAGS 7 2.6% 5 crashes · 0 fires
STEERING 7 2.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
STRUCTURE 5 1.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 142 52.0% 6 crashes · 2 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2002; the first recall shown was reported in Mar 2007. 2002-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2002-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2003-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2004-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2004-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2004-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2005-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2005-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2005-Q4: 21 owner reports 21 2006-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2006-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2006-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2007-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2007-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2007-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2007-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2008-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2008-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2008-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2009-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2009-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2010-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2012-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2012-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2014-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 2014-Q4: 19 owner reports 19 2015-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2002 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 07E021000 ◆ Recall campaign 07E021000 Recall campaign 14V400000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V400000 Investigation PE05055 ● Investigation PE05055
  • Campaign 07E021000 was reported 1,298 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 14V400000 was reported 3,991 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2002-Q1 Owner reports 1
2002-Q3 Owner reports 2
2002-Q4 Owner reports 2
2003-Q1 Owner reports 1
2003-Q3 Owner reports 6
2003-Q4 Owner reports 10
2004-Q1 Owner reports 10
2004-Q2 Owner reports 1
2004-Q3 Owner reports 2
2004-Q4 Owner reports 5
2005-Q1 Owner reports 4
2005-Q2 Owner reports 10
2005-Q3 Owner reports 9
2005-Q4 Owner reports 21
2006-Q1 Owner reports 9
2006-Q2 Owner reports 1
2006-Q3 Owner reports 5
2006-Q4 Owner reports 8
2007-Q1 Owner reports 4
2007-Q2 Owner reports 9
2007-Q3 Owner reports 4
2007-Q4 Owner reports 2
2008-Q1 Owner reports 6
2008-Q2 Owner reports 4
2008-Q3 Owner reports 7
2008-Q4 Owner reports 6
2009-Q1 Owner reports 5
2009-Q2 Owner reports 2
2009-Q3 Owner reports 3
2009-Q4 Owner reports 8
2010-Q1 Owner reports 4
2010-Q3 Owner reports 4
2010-Q4 Owner reports 3
2011-Q1 Owner reports 2
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 3
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 6
2012-Q2 Owner reports 4
2012-Q3 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 2
2013-Q3 Owner reports 4
2014-Q1 Owner reports 1
2014-Q2 Owner reports 6
2014-Q3 Owner reports 15
2014-Q4 Owner reports 19
2015-Q1 Owner reports 5
2015-Q2 Owner reports 2
2015-Q3 Owner reports 2
2015-Q4 Owner reports 5
2016-Q1 Owner reports 1
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q1 Owner reports 1
2018-Q2 Owner reports 1
2018-Q3 Owner reports 1
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q2 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 2
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 07E021000
Recall campaign 1 14V400000
Defect investigation 1 PE05055
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (2)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 07E021000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER
    Consequence:
    FUEL MAY LEAK, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DELPHI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE UPR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 23, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT DELPHI AT 877-411-8770.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14V400000

    Report date
    Component:
    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    Consequence:
    If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 273 complaints · page 1 of 11

No complaints match the current filters.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources