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2003 Oldsmobile Alero consumer reviews

$18,085 starting MSRP
side view of 2003 Alero Oldsmobile
(15 reviews)
73% of drivers recommend this car
Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 3.8
  • Interior 3.5
  • Performance 3.5
  • Value 3.9
  • Exterior 3.8
  • Reliability 3.7
Explore the 2003 Oldsmobile Alero

I've had my 2003 Alero for 3 years.

I've had my 2003 Alero for 3 years. It's beautiful, runs so smooth and is clean and comfortable at 220,000 miles. Made in America. I have replaced a battery, a window, a thermostat, a belt, and wipers. I think people who had troubles, beyond what one would expect from a 22 year old car, may not have found good mechanics. If you can find an Alero 6 cylinder in good, clean condition and have a trustworthy mechanic, get one for fun.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 5.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Having fun
  • Does recommend this car
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My car had done well.

I bought my 2003 Oldsmobile Alero 2nd about 7 years ago. It's the best car I have had so far. I've done 80,000 on it without hardly any issues. It only needs the usual maintenance that you would expect, but nothing major. For a 20 year old car it does great. I bought it for $2,000. It has a few electrical quirks, but nothing to stop it running. What I like best about it that if anything does need fixing, it's usually simple and the parts don't cost the earth. I've had a few offers for it, but no, I am keeping it!

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 4.0
  • Interior 4.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 4.0
  • Reliability 4.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Having fun
  • Does recommend this car
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Best used car I ever bought!

I bought my 2003 alero in 2017 with 75000 miles. I do regular oil changes. It took 3 yrs before I had to spend a dime on maintenance. Finally had to buy a motor for the automatic window. Drives smooth and steering is superb. Only downside is the mpg could be better.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 4.0
  • Interior 4.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 4.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
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One of the best cars I've ever owned.

This car meets all of my needs. Has plenty of leg room in the front and back. My favorite feature would have to be the radio.i love the sound system.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 3.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 4.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
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Great highway car, reliable if well maintained

Just drove about 2800km from Saskatchewan to British Columbia in a GL1 with the 3.4L V6. It handled winter road conditions quite well, even loaded down with all my stuff. The interior design is pretty good but cupholder placement was not great and the tilt steering doesnt adjust quite high enough for me (Im tall). Ive owned the car since 2016 and have never had any mechanical issues other than routine maintenance like spark plugs and oil/filter changes. As a highway car this vehicle is excellent. Cruise control works well and is conveniently located. It also has enough power that if you need to pass all you have to do is tap the accelerator and youre gone. Rides like a dream over bumps and potholes, steering is a bit numb though. It will cruise at 120km/hr (75 mph) all day with no problem. The only work Ive had to put into it is regular maintenance. Oil change, fuel filter, spark plugs and wires and a new air filter (K&N). Its been very reliable, starts easily every time even in -30C winter conditions and never overheats. I hit the speed limiter on a back road in SK once, a base model camaro (my buddy) wanted to drag and this car blew his doors off, no sweat. Im currently sitting at about 240000km (150,000 miles) and shes going strong. I expect that if I keep up on the maintenance schedule I could easily get 400,000km (250,000 miles) out of it. Great little car, fun and comfortable to drive and reliable.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 4.0
  • Interior 3.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 4.0
  • Exterior 4.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
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This car has been very good to us.

This car met all of our needs while we used it. We decided to buy a newer car & you can’t beat the price! Drives pretty nice for the most part.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 3.0
  • Interior 3.0
  • Performance 3.0
  • Value 3.0
  • Exterior 3.0
  • Reliability 3.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
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Most promblmatic car I’ve ever owned

Just replace basically all the front end and now it’s making a winding/ grinding sound in drive and my cig lighter keeps blowing worse then my 1998 Chevy cavillers and hundia accent

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 2.0
  • Interior 1.0
  • Performance 1.0
  • Value 1.0
  • Exterior 1.0
  • Reliability 1.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does not recommend this car
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WTH WAS GM THINKING

Bought this car from an elderly gentleman who had been losing his site so he bought the car brand new for his aides to take him to his appts. I purchased it in 2013 with 18,000 miles on it. Wow what a great deal I thought. This car has had issue after issue. Heat and ac stopped working had to get fix twice, random accelerations, fluctuating rpms? Random stalling, misfires, both front wheel hubs have gone twice. Most recently (because of GM deciding on a sealed transmission where to check it there’s no dipstick, there’s an oil drain plug on the side of the front axle that you unscrew to check level/color)blew the axle shaft seal wife went to leave no gears had the cv shaft seal fixed, had the tranny serviced, had to replace whole steering components in front end because of this. Car now has no reverse idle issue is back. DID I MENTION IT ONLY HAS 89k on it.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 2.0
  • Interior 2.0
  • Performance 2.0
  • Value 3.0
  • Exterior 3.0
  • Reliability 1.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Having fun
  • Does not recommend this car
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Not a very reliable car

Hello I've had my 2003 oldsmobile Alero and I've had a lot of problems with the rack and pinion. Thus last go round I was told that the bolt where the rack mount to the frame has rusted and caused the bracket to brake. There needs to be a recall on the rack and pinion.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 3.0
  • Interior 3.0
  • Performance 2.0
  • Value 1.0
  • Exterior 3.0
  • Reliability 2.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does not recommend this car
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Wife wrecked her Alero

In June 2007 my wife and I puchased for her a 2002 Silver Olds Alero and she absolutly loved the car. But in the winter of 2013 she hit some black ice while on her way to work one morning, she spun off the road and hit a small diameter tree, she was not injured at all due in part to the well engineered constuction of the Alero, it really took a hard hit, and even though my wife was not hurt, the Alero that she named Buster was totaled. Buster was Busted. When we started talking about replacing Buster I asked her what she was thinking, she replied, I want another Buster. So I looked at different website and found what we were looking for on cars.com. There it was a 2003 Silver Olds Alero. The same identical car just one year younger and with 30,000 less miles on it. I went and checked it out and because I did all the maintenace on the 02 I already knew the car inside out. It passed my inspection and we purchased the car for Ben,s Platinum Motors in Hanover Pa. we got an excellent deal and the difference in price from what the insurance paid us was only 400 bucks, so for only a few hundred we have another Buster or as she calls him, Buster Jr. The Olds Alero is an excellent value with very nice styling and plenty of V6 power. In the end, my wife loves her new-er car and that makes me one happy hubby.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 4.0
  • Interior 4.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
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