Thinking of an Alero...again

[nickbain]

Not sure if this is the right spot to post this but here it is anyway. Here's the deal, about 4 or 5 years ago I bought a used 99 alero 3400 auto. I liked the car but I did have quite a few issues with it, (some common to 3400's and some likley due to my driving habits) in the end the tranny was slipping and the motor was running fairly rough (coolent in the oil didn't help that) and there were a bunch of other things wrong so I got rid of it and bought a Yukon and swore that I would never again look sideways at an Alero again. But here I am 2 years later and still lovin the Yukon but the gas prices are forcin me to think of a car again. I said to myself "I want a 4cyl 5spd 4 door small car or 2 door midsize". So my wife and I went out looking at dealerships and wouldn't you know it there was a 2dr 4cyl 5spd Alero sittin there. Now I know I said that I would never again think about an Alero but I am finding myself strangly drawn to the allure of the Alero. Now what I want to know is am I stupid, do I need someone to give me a slap or did I just have exceptionally bad luck with the previous Alero. Also worthy to note...my driving habbits have smartened up substancialy (I'm 25, on my 8th vehicle all blowen motors, trannys, rear ends, etc.. no write-offs and am finally getting cheap insurance).

[teflone]

Welcome back sucka!

Just kidding..

You might get lucky with that one.. specially if it 2002 or newer.. they got rid of gasket problems apparently from 2002 on..

Good luck! dont pay too much for em..

[Cliff8928]

The 4-cylinders never had any gasket problems. However a 2002 or newer will be an Ecotec instead of a TwinCam.

[NoSweat83]

Originally Posted by Cliff8928

The 4-cylinders never had any gasket problems. However a 2002 or newer will be an Ecotec instead of a TwinCam.

You got it brotha!

[MixtapeMessiah]

have fun with all the bullshit problems!

[Redog]

The coolant leak is common with the 3400's but like Cliff said, the Eco didn't have this issue.

And yeah I would say driving habits would come into play here after hearing the list that you have

[antichrysler]

Definitely driving habits. There's a few other common issues like regulators, blower motor resistors, brakes, etc. All of which can be fixed, and now that it's getting to be an older car the parts are cheaper than ever if you're willing to look.

If you're serious about buying another Alero I would make sure you get it checked by a mechanic first, and the ecotecs have a pretty strong powertrain. If it's in good condition don't expect much with the engine/tranny (provided you drive it like a human being) but expect all the BS repairs that nickle and dime ya.

[AleroGLS]

I'm sorry but after owning this car, I will NEVER own a Domestic car again. I'm tired of all the little problem. Before this car I had a Mazda mx6 and not one problem, and it had more KM then my alero has now.

[antichrysler]

Originally Posted by AleroGLS

I'm sorry but after owning this car, I will NEVER own a Domestic car again. I'm tired of all the little problem. Before this car I had a Mazda mx6 and not one problem, and it had more KM then my alero has now.

Admittedly I'm in the same boat. I'd still buy domestic if they came up with some new ideas instead of re-inventing their old ones. It's good to know you had good luck with your Mazda. I got my fingers crossed on mine.

[billytheman1188]

Originally Posted by teflone

You might get lucky with that one.. specially if it 2002 or newer.. they got rid of gasket problems apparently from 2002 on..

Nope. i had the gasket problem on my 02.

I would say buy it! you might have a few problems, but they arent too expensive to fix. aleros are great cars, just treat it right!

how many miles are on this alero? and how much is it?

[comanche]

The ecotec is great. 27 MPG rural/city driving. Reliability is excellent. However, try to turn the AC on (at least w/ my stick) and the whole car shakes pretty bad.

Howver, you will still have the problems with window regulators, wheel bearings, fan speed resistors, ignition switches, etc....

If I had to buy a new car, I'd get a Cobalt, hands down.... preferably the SS.

[Vinalero]

My guess would be that you eyed down on the Alero because it was cheaper than most of all the other models from same year you looked at and by the fact that you owned one.

If you can manage to use tools yourself, well some of the common problems aren't too much PITA too fix and not that expensive. Depends on your needs and taste.

You can spend 4000$ on a 2001 Alero and fix the thing when it breaks or pay 10 000 for a civic of the same year and have the thing run till you sell it.

I believe in the end it evens up.

[antichrysler]

Vins exactly right.

Biggest thing to check on is the powertrain, the other annoyances can be fixed cheaply.

[misslindseysue]

My gasket is fixed, blower motor resistor is brand new... my V6 is for sale. I get better mileage than my mom's Sunfire with the Ecotec.

[sound_xtreme]

mines for sale as well

[nickbain]

hey all. Ya the Alero caught my eye because of the price. It's an '03 ecotec 5spd 2dr. It has 55 thousand kms on it for 9995. Its in as new shape except for a couple tiny rust spots due to stone chips and what not. It's got power everything and a sunroof. AC blows cold and it doesn't "shudder" however I'm sure it likley will eventually. As for the minor "annoyences" I am well aware of them as I have already owned one and replaced several regulators, bearings, sets of brakes etc...(accually I still got two complete sets of pads down at the shop from the old one as I liked to keep one or two sets on hand).
As for the domestic vs. import thing....all of my vehicles have been domestic and will probibly continue to be domestics for a long time. When I was looking for a car this time I drove a lot of different cars both import and domestic and I have to say, I don't think I would be happy with an import. The ride generally wasn't as nice they wern't as roomy and the seats I found were to small to get comfortable in ( I'm 220 lbs 5'10"), but thats just my opinion.

[Vinalero]

Originally Posted by nickbain

, but thats just my opinion.

Actually, its the one that count here buddy.

the ecotec seems rather reliable over the years and a 5 spd is definatly a plus with the sunroof.

[nickbain]

good to hear that the ecotec is reliable, as much fun as it was tearing down the top end of my old 3400, I'm not all that eager to do it again any time soon. The sunroof is cool, thats what sold my wife I think.

[antichrysler]

Originally Posted by nickbain

It has 55 thousand kms on it for 9995.

That's actually kinda pricey. It's an 03 you said.... it should be going for closer to the $5500-$6000 mark.

[nickbain]

well I checked out prices on similar cars with similar kms here in ON and they ran around the 11 to 12 range.