"How reliable is the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero?"

"Based on 173 NHTSA complaints, the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero has a median complaint mileage of 98500 miles. The most common issue is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM."

"What are common problems with the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, accounting for a significant portion of the 173 total complaints filed."

2004 Oldsmobile Alero: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 173 complaints

173

Total Complaints

98,500mi

Median Mileage

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

47,475 25th Percentile

98,500 Median Mileage

130,750 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

ENGINE

AIR BAGS

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

STEERING

POWER TRAIN

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS:SWITCH

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHILE PULLING INTO A DRIVEWAY THE DUAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. *AK *SC"

"WHILE DRIVING SLOWING OVER SOME RAILROAD TRACKS THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.*AK"

"THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS MAKING A SOUND FROM THE BRAKES. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED IT WAS THE WEATHER MAKING THE BRAKES SOUND. THE BRAKES ARE NOW SO DEFECTIVE THAT WHEN THEY ARE PRESSED, THEY GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. *JB"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28