NHTSA Complaint #10070352 — 1995 OLDSMOBILE AURORA

12,808 MILES (2-29-96) SEAL, LOWER CRANKCASE REPLACED. 34,603 MILES (11-25-97) DIAGNOSE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS-REPLACE RADIO. 44,513 MILES (8-19-98) DIAGNOSE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, REPLACE ALTERNATOR CONTROLLER, PCM/VCM (COMPUTERS) 49,098 MILES (12-30-98) DIAGNOSE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, AGAIN REPLACE ALTERNATOR (ALTERNATOR IS CAUSING COMPUTERS TO FAIL) 63,420 MILES (3-1-2000)- I PURCHASE AT END OF MY PARTNER?S LEASE AND HE LEASED NEW AURORA-DEALER NEVER ADVISE HIM THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WOULD BE REOCCURRING. DEALER PREFORMED MAJOR 60,000 SERVICE AND INDICATED THE CARE WAS FINE. 65,777 MILES (7-9-2001). THE CAR BACKFIRED WHILE WIFE WAS CROSSING BUSY INTERSECTION AND WAS NOT VERY RESPONSIVE. I WAS JUST ABLE TO GET TO LOCAL GARAGE NEXT TO INTERSECTION TO TRY TO AT LEAST GET REPAIR IT ENOUGH TO DRIVE. I HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD REQUIRE MAJOR REPAIR SINCE IT HAD ONLY BEEN 2,357 SINCE IT HAD A COMPLETE MAJOR 60,000-MILE DEALER SERVICE. THE REPAIRS ($2,480) INCLUDED THE IGNITION MODULE, ECM (COMPUTER), ELECTRICAL BRAKE CONTROL MODULE (ABS SYSTEM), AND ALTERNATOR. THE DIAGNOSTIC SHOWED THE ALTERNATOR MALFUNCTION WAS DAMAGING THE ABOVE COMPONENTS. THIS IS THE THIRD ALTERNATOR IN 21,264 MILES ( AND SECOND EMC ). THERE IS A MANUFACTURE DESIGN PROBLEM AND THE MANUFACTURE APPEARS NOT TO BE ABLE TO FIX IT. 70.090 MILES (5-28-2003) THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT SLAMS INTO GEAR WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO REVERSE AND SHIFTS ROUGH DURING NORMAL DRIVING. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE ECM (COMPUTER) WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. AFTER GETTING THE COMPLETE CAR HISTORY, I FOUND THAT IT HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM THAT GM HAS NOT SOLVED. THE CURRENT DEALER WAS JUST GOING TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER UNTIL I ADVISED HIM HE NEEDS TO CHECK ALTERNATOR SINCE IT APPEARS FROM PAST EXPERIENCE IT IS INVOLVED IN TAKING OUT THE COMPUTERS.