Returning Old Member

sivado10 · 01-25-2006, 11:43 PM

I used to post on here alot, for quite a few years, so I feel it is fair to share my experience, however negative, and I hope the mods will consider that I'm trying to be informative, and not a jerk.

I loved my Alero. It was my first real car. Previously, I had shared a 1993 station wagon with my mom and brother. It was a 1999 v6 sedan, and I took such good care of it. Always gave it regular maintennance, drove it responsibly, and just treated it perfectly. I spent so much money on that car, not only in appearance, but in fixing it as well. It seemed like every month, something would go wrong. Of course, there was the problem with oil leaking into the coolant, but it was more than that. There was always a problem with the brakes, rotors, and many electrical components.

I had the engine replaced twice, and the transmission replaced once. In hindsight, it may have been a lemon, but the amount of money I spent on it, both on repairs and on personalizing it, was enough to buy almost buy a new car! I thought it was just me, but my brother got a 2000 Alero, same trim level, and had the same problems.

After 4 years, I had had more than enough, trying to pay for college and at the same time, keep a driveable car. When the time came to trade it in, I got $2000. $2000 on a 4 year old car bought new for over $20,000!

I moved on and bought a 2003 Honda Accord EX coupe, and it has been phenomenal. I am not trying to compare imports to domestics, but the difference has been night and day. No problems, great warranty, amazing depreciation. Scheduled (and even unscheduled) maintennance aside, I wish I would have taken all the money I spent personalizing the car and spent it on a new car years years ago.

I was willing to accept my "mistakes" and move on, now that I had finally bought new car. I first want to say that I didn't have a problem with all but one person here; you all may remember him as he tried to orchestrate an HID group by, and then delayed doing anything for months after he got his money. The reason I felt compelled to re-register here is because I have 4 friends that have Aleros, and they ALL have been disappointments. Expected mechanical problems aside, the blatant quality problems they have had, and the ridiculous depreciation, as well as the terrible customer servce, have moved me to make this one last post.

For those of you who love your Aleros as much as I did, I'm happy for you, and I can honestly say, I hope no one will ever have to go through the problems that myself, my brother, and my friends have experienced. For those of you experiencing these problems, they will only get worse. Do yourselves a favor and trade in whilst you still can.

I did not post this to be a jerk, but rather, to expound on some of the things I went through, as well as learned, ever since I bought my Alero.

Flame away, I guess...

Michael

jackal2000 · 01-25-2006, 11:55 PM

Rubered00 · 01-26-2006, 12:54 AM

Uh....so you want me to sell my car??? how does that benefit you.

I guess i dont understand the point of you taking the time to type such a long post.

smlzalero · 01-26-2006, 01:05 AM

Well that was your good deed for the day! I think most of us already know we bought problematic cars, though.

Welcome back, I guess, though I doubt (by the subject of your post) that you'll be around much.

whiteliquid · 01-26-2006, 01:11 AM

ha h ah aha haha ah cough cough ha ha ah aha

Thats like goin into a Dog show and sayin you should all just put your dogs to sleep, they're gonna die anyways

SweetNLow · 01-26-2006, 03:01 AM

ive said it befor and ill say it again....... only problem ive ever had with my car is the lower intake manifold gasket.

so i dont know if its just bad luck u people are having or u just dont know how to take car of ur cars?

doubleN0alero · 01-26-2006, 08:29 AM

welcome back? I haven't had any issues with either one of my 2 aleros. i traded in my 2000 alero GL2 in 2004 when I bought my new one and got 5000 for it. Dont know why you only got 2K.

Fast Eddie · 01-26-2006, 09:58 AM

...cuz the dealer saw him coming. He also paid over 20K for it new. Mine was almost 4K less and that was threee years later. Only difference was It has the 2.4/5-speed (1200 option for v6/auto).

I have had the exact same experince, only with Hondas. I had to pull apart nearly the entire top end to change a $.27 freeze plug in the intake manifold (HTF does alum rust out???). Wait till you need to replace that timing belt on the Accord, $$$. Or any other maintaince, every part is about 3X as much for forgein cars as domestic. Accords are also in the top 5 cars stolen (found that out after ours was stolen) so enjoy that higher insurance as well

Overall I was not impressed with either honda I owned. Get back to us after you have had the car four years and let us know how the COO compares to the alero.

Most of today's car's engine will last at least 100K miles (usually well beyond) regardless of manufacturer with regular maintainance. If you go through three new/reman. engines you are doing something wrong/ not doing something. That is true if its an Olds/Honda/BMW whatever. Thanks for sharing your story but its obvious that you are not telling the whole story.

doubleN0alero · 01-26-2006, 10:01 AM

thats true...my 2000 stickered at 20,500 and i paid 15 or 16 i think and my 2004 stickers at almost 22 and i think i paid 12 or 13

sivado10 · 01-26-2006, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by smlzalero+Jan 26 2006, 01:05 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(smlzalero @ Jan 26 2006, 01:05 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'>Well that was your good deed for the day! I think most of us already know we bought problematic cars, though.

Welcome back, I guess, though I doubt (by the subject of your post) that you'll be around much.

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No, I plan on sticking around. I loved my Alero, and I truly wish it didn't cause me, and everyone I know who owned one, so much grief.

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Originally posted by 2Sweet@Jan 26 2006, 03:01 AM
ive said it befor and ill say it again....... only problem ive ever had with my car is the lower intake manifold gasket.

so i dont know if its just bad luck u people are having or u just dont know how to take car of ur cars?

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Well, I'd assume there's a fair amount of bad luck involved, but also, a lot of inferior workmanship. I definitely know how to take care of my car. I never missed any scheduled maintenance, changed the oil late, or drove it into the ground.

Quote:

Originally posted by double0alero@Jan 26 2006, 08:29 AM
welcome back? I haven't had any issues with either one of my 2 aleros. i traded in my 2000 alero GL2 in 2004 when I bought my new one and got 5000 for it. Dont know why you only got 2K.

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Because it was a 1999. It had every option, except leather. It had relatively low miles, but on Kbb.com, Edmonds, and many other resources, it never showed higher than $2000-$2500.

<!--QuoteBegin-Fast Eddie@Jan 26 2006, 09:58 AM

I have had the exact same experince, only with Hondas. Accords are also in the top 5 cars stolen (found that out after ours was stolen) so enjoy that higher insurance as well Overall I was not impressed with either honda I owned. Get back to us after you have had the car four years and let us know how the COO compares to the alero. Thanks for sharing your story but its obvious that you are not telling the whole story.

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It is mainly the older year Accords and Civics that are stolen, but not usually the 7th gen Accords, or 8th gen Civics. I am not trying to be negative, just give me honest feelings on things. I'm not saying don't buy, or down with GM. My Accord, in all honesty, just looks and feels better put together. Smaller seams inbetween panels both inside and out, much higher grade materials, and just a more sound feeling when driven. I am absolutely sharing my whole story! I babied my Alero, probably too much!

I only wish someone had come out with an OSV kit, or that they made a v-6 MT, among other things. I thought the Alero was a beautiful car, and I wish it treated me as well as I treated it. I am glad you all are having positive experiences with your car, and I just wish I could have said the same for myself.

Everyone has different experiences with their cars, but if GM made an Alero that wwas as well put together as an Accord, I would buy it in a second. I know the Accord is a more expensive car, so it's understandable that it is a little better put together than the Alero, but that being said, I have just had a much better experience after even 1 year of ownership than I had after 1 year of having the Alero.

sivado10 · 01-26-2006, 10:29 AM

Again, I'm not trying to flame Alero's or start a dom vs import war! I am just one person giving a comparison now that I have moved on.

Are there things I don't like about the Accord? Of course! For one, there is the same wheel gap found on my old Alero. The rear pads wear out very quickly. All that aside, all cars have positives and negatives, and I was just sharing mine.

Menace · 01-26-2006, 11:17 PM

Why did you even post here :worthless:

sivado10 · 01-28-2006, 02:01 PM

I don't feel it is. Anytime someone here has a positive opinion about their car, they post it. I wouldn't have thought the forum would be closed to negative opinions as well. I appreciate the mods for not censoring this post, and allowing my opinion to get out amongst the other positive ones. I'm not flaming anyone, or criticizing anything; I am just merely writing about my experience with my old car.

doubleN0alero · 01-28-2006, 02:04 PM

i dont see why there's a problem here...i mean ALOT of people have sold their alero and got an accord or a cobalt...no biggie man

ImSoBored · 02-03-2006, 06:36 PM

I only paid $7500 for my 2000 v6. Had some problems, but it was an alright car. I think I only got like 1500 for it. Got a nissan now.

StockAlero00 · 02-04-2006, 07:43 PM

Probably any car out there a few of the models will have problems. It's a given. I dont think there is any car model out there that every single one never had a slight problem. Maybe the alero's you and your brother had were used cars and didn't do your homework to check into them before buying them. My alero has been doing fine.

sivado10 · 02-06-2006, 01:09 AM

I tried to be nice about all of this and just tell people my experience, and for the most part, all people could do was criticize. Fine. Drive an Accord and tell me it is not put together better. Tighter seams, not-cheap plastic interior, just an altogether better car. The board I'm on now doesn't criticize people when they buy better cars, even if they have some complaints about their old car. When they tell us they moved up to G35 coupes, or Acura TL's or TSX's, we say congrats, and thanks for the heads-up on problems you may have had.

Fast Eddie · 02-07-2006, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by michael.crissie+Feb 6 2006, 12:09 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(michael.crissie @ Feb 6 2006, 12:09 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'>I tried to be nice about all of this and just tell people my experience, and for the most part, all people could do was criticize. Fine. Drive an Accord and tell me it is not put together better. Tighter seams, not-cheap plastic interior, just an altogether better car. The board I'm on now doesn't criticize people when they buy better cars, even if they have some complaints about their old car. When they tell us they moved up to G35 coupes, or Acura TL's or TSX's, we say congrats, and thanks for the heads-up on problems you may have had.

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And I post my experience with hondas, none of it good, BTW, with several hondas, and i'm criticizing. Sorry but I'm posting facts. don't believe me then look up what it will cost to have the timing belt replaced cuz its gonna need it before 80K miles (Mom's '02 was a real shocker when it need to be replaced.) How often does a timing chain need replaced? A brake job was also more than any domestic. I had to pull apart nearly the entire top end of an acord to replace a $.27, yes 27 cent, aluminum freeze plug. That would be several hundred in labor at a shop. Also its pretty much a fact that you would have to beat the holy living poop out of a car to go through three engines and two trans, regardless of the manufacturer, esp. to blow a stock auto tranny with a stock-lightly modded engine.

I almost bought a honda (acura ITR) before the alero. Then I did a comparison on the cost of ownership and the honda(acura) was just way more in TCO than I could justify. Insurance alone would have been 1K+ per six months. the hoe was < $400. All of the accords I have seen 00+ are not all that impressive on the interior. I had the exact opposite impression as you. If you want to see some really bad interiors check out the cavaliers/sunfires/civics. they are laughable, totally soddy build.

Like I said before, keep your reciepts for the next four years and let us know what cost more to maintain. I'll bet I get to tell ya "I told ya so"

<!--QuoteBegin-eag182@Feb 7 2006, 01:11 AM
why buy an dead brand for reliability

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:alcoholic:

eag182 · 02-06-2006, 01:17 AM

Accords are the most plain jane automobiles every made. They appeal to only one crowd - the people who want a reliable car and nothing more. So if thats you, congrats, I won't criticize you for buying it.

If you want to talk about honda interiors, my friend put in mediocre aftermarket 6x9's in the back of his civic (02-03??) and it the rattling is CRAZY. Much worse than my alero.

Redog · 02-06-2006, 06:49 AM

Knock on wood, but I never had the problems you had, Yes I had to replace my tranny, but that was from the very hard starts at the race track. I had a 6" x 2" hole in my tranny case and it still ran and drove fine for a week, the tranny did slip once going uphill and the end of that week.

Just under 73,000 miles now!

You must have had a ton of miles on your car to only get $2000 for your Alero, did you buy it used? Was it a used rental car?

If I was ever going to go with a Japanese car, I would go with a Nissan. I really don't think Hondas are as great as people make tham out to be, and yes wait until a major repair comes up