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#BS-2004-OLDALE-2683

2004 Oldsmobile Alero

Based on reports from 171 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
171
Crashes
14
Fires
3
Recalls
2
TSBs
426
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 171 complaints, 14 crashes, 3 fires, and 2 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

engine wont turn over wont start

17 complaints • Severity 8.9/10

$X,XXX
2

security light on wont start

11 complaints • Severity 7.5/10

$X,XXX
3

engine died while driving

7 complaints • Severity 8.3/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the ElectricalHIGH

46 owners reported electrical issues — failures commonly reported around 100K miles.

!Inspect the EngineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

20
0–30K
19
30–60K
18
60–90K
20
90–120K
28
120–150K
19
150K+

Peak failure range: 120–150K miles (28 reports) • Median: 100K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Electrical (46 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Electrical46 (27%)
Engine15 (9%)
Lights14 (8%)
Airbags12 (7%)
Fuel System7 (4%)
Brakes7 (4%)
Other6 (4%)
Electrical System:ignition:switch5 (3%)

2004 Oldsmobile Alero: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 27% of all reports filed for the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero, with 46 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 100,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 100K-mile mark.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero, with 15 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Lights Issues

Lights complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to lights-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

3
04
11
05
6
06
10
07
8
08
5
09
10
10
8
11
4
12
6
13
56
14
9
15
6
16
12
17
4
18
3
19
2
20
1
21
7
24

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero. Recent trend: increasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (2 recalls)

07E021000Apr 2007

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES

CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, P/NOS. FP10020-11B1, FP10026-11B1, AND FP10027-11B1, SOLD AFTER JANUARY 9, 2007, AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE UNIVERSAL PRESSURE REGULATORS (UPR) WERE PRODUCED WITHOUT AN O'RING AND RETAINER.

14V400000Sep 2014

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Oldsmobile Alero is the 2001 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2004 Oldsmobile Alero vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

171

Class avg

205

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other compact cars vehicles from 2004.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 171 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Oldsmobile Alero Model Years

2004200320022001200019991998
View all Oldsmobile Alero years →

2004 Oldsmobile Alero: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero is related to the electrical, with 46 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero reliable?
The 2004 Oldsmobile Alero has 171 complaints, 14 crash reports, and 3 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2004 Oldsmobile Alero problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero have any recalls?
Yes, the 2004 Oldsmobile Alero has 2 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Oldsmobile Alero problems start?
Based on 124 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 100,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 120–150K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 171 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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