Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the
exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (1)
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
Canadian recalls (1)
Show 1 Canadian recall
Electrical
2014-07-03 · campaign 2014-284
On certain vehicles, a defect in the ignition switch could allow the switch to move out of the "run" position if the key ring is carrying added weight or the vehicle goes off-road or is subjected to some other jarring event. If this were to occur, engine power, power steering and power braking would be affected, increasing the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. The timing of the key movement out of the “run” position, relative to the activation of the sensing algorithm of the crash event, may also result in the airbags not deploying in a subsequent collision, increasing the risk of injury. Correction: For each key, dealers will install two key rings and modify the key ring opening shape. Note: Until the correction is performed, all items should be removed from the key ring.
Owner complaints (279)
Owners filed 279 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Oldsmobile Alero (11 crashes, 8 fires, 9 injuries reported). Among 7 model years of this model, it ranks #4 for the most complaints (median 279).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Electrical system | 133 | |
| Exterior lighting | 78 | |
| Engine and engine cooling | 28 | |
| Visibility | 15 | |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 14 | |
| Unknown or other | 13 | |
| Engine | 13 | |
| Steering | 11 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2002 Oldsmobile Alero.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2002 Oldsmobile Alero 2-DR. | – | – | – | – |
| 2002 Oldsmobile Alero 4-DR | – | – | – | – |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2002 Oldsmobile Alero version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Alero 2.2 L Automatic 4-spd | 21 | 30 | 24 | $2,800 |
| Alero 2.2 L Manual 5-spd | 22 | 30 | 25 | $2,700 |
| Alero 3.4 L Automatic 4-spd | 18 | 27 | 21 | $3,200 |
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Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.