NHTSA Complaint #10062022 — 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO

I HAVE A 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO. I JUST RECENTLY BOUGHT THIS CAR USED WITH APPROXIMATELY 35,000 MILES IN OCTOBER 2003. AT AROUND 40,000 MILES IN FEBRUARY OF 2004, I DISCOVERED THAT I HAD AN COOLANT LEAK. WHILE THE MANUAL SAYS WITH THE "DEXCOOL ANTIFREEZE" I SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ANY COOLANT UNTIL 150,000 MILES, I HAD REFILLED AROUND THREE TIMES WITHIN AROUND 4,000 MILES. I TOOK IT TO A GM DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER SMALL PARTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE I.M. GASKET, THAT CAME TO A TOTAL BILL OF AROUND $600. MY INTAKE HAD TO BE COMPLETED TAKEN APART AND RESEALED BECAUSE THE DEALER SAID THAT OLDSMOBILE HAD USED A "WEAK SEALANT". I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH OLDSMOBILE, BUT WAS INFORMED THAT IT WOULD NOT BE A RECALL UNTIL MORE PEOPLE COMPLAINED TO THEM. I HAVE SEEN MANY CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ON THIS SUBJECT, AND IF MORE PEOPLE COMPLAIN WE MAY BE ABLE TO GET OUR MONEY BACK. THIS WAS A DEFECT ON MY CAR BECAUSE OF FAULTY EQIUPMENT AND PARTS USED IN THE MANUFACTURING, AND I FEEL THAT NO MATTER IF I WAS THE FIRST TO COMPLAIN OR THE THOUSANDTH PERSON TO COMPLAIN, AN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET SHOULD NOT HAVE MALFUNCTIONED AND HAD TO HAVE BEEN REPLACED ON A CAR THAT ONLY HAS 40,000 MILES. OLDSMOBILE REALLY NEEDS TO TAKE CREDIT FOR THEIR ACTIONS IN REPLACING FAULTY EQUIPMENT ON THE CARS THEY HAVE MADE, NO MATTER IF THEY ARE GOING OUT OF BUSINESS OR NOT. *AK