NHTSA Complaint #10112690 — 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO

ON MARCH 3, 2005 MY 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO GL V6/3.4L WOULD NOT START. ON MARCH 4, 2005, ALL 3 DISTRIBUTOR COILS WERE REPLACED AS WELL AS ALL 6 SPARK PLUGS. THE CAR WORKED FINE UNTIL MARCH 7, 2005 WHEN WHILE DRIVING THE CAR FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, THE CAR SHUT DOWN. IT COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND I COULD NOT GET IT TO START AGAIN. IN BOTH INSTANCES THE CAR SEEMS TO TRY TO START BUT IS UNSUCCESSFUL. IN MY ONLINE RESEARCH, THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH NO KNOWN RESOLUTION FOR OTHER OWNERS OF THE ALERO. ADDITIONALLY, AFTER THE WINDOW FELL INTO THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, ON OCTOBER 19, 2004, I HAD THE MECHANISM FOR THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW REPLACED. IN DECEMBER 2004, THE SAME WINDOW FAILED TO WORK AT ALL. I HAVE NOT HAD IT FIXED AGAIN. THE WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED AFTER A SUDDEN COOLANT LEAK COMPLETELY DEPLETING THE SYSTEM IN NOVEMBER 2003, AND THE SAME SITUATION OCCURED AGAIN REQUIRING THE WATER PUMP TO BE REPLACED AGAIN IN FEBRUARY 2005, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR LATER. ONE OF THE CIGARETTE LIGHTERS STOPPED WORKING IN JUNE 2004. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT, AND COOLANT LIGHT COME ON INTERMITTENTLY WITH NO APPARENT PROBLEM. THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHT IS TOUCH AND GO, MEANING IF I TOUCH THE CASE, IT MAY OR MAY NOT GO ON OR OFF. THE FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT ON MY ONE HAND IN THE NEARLY 3 YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED IT. THE SIGNAL LIGHTS WOULD STOP FUNCTIONING AND BUZZ HIDEOUSLY UNTIL I PRESSED THE HAZARD BUTTON. WATER HAS COLLECTED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER FLOORBOARD AND IN THE TRUNK FROM SEAL FAILURE. THE ENGINE SEEMS TO BURN OIL QUICKLY. *AK