Overview & Reviews

At the dawn of the automobile, Oldsmobile was there. Owned by General Motors, Oldsmobile was the most senior domestic marque and one of the oldest automobile brands in the world, with a run that spanned some 107 years.

Ransom E. Olds was born in Ohio, but moved to Lansing, Michigan, to work in his father's machine shop. His experiences there helped whet his appetite for all things automotive, and he soon garnered enough expertise to develop a gasoline-powered vehicle. Joining forces with other partners, Olds cofounded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in 1897. By the early 1900s, the company had introduced the nation to upscale models like the Curved Dash and had risen to become the best-selling car company in the United States.

Ransom Olds eventually left the company and it was sold to General Motors in 1908, where it became known as the Oldsmobile Division. More than ever, Oldsmobile became the brand of choice for car buyers seeking vehicles steeped in luxury and sophistication. Early models like the 1915 Model 42 Touring Roadster offered sleek lines and style aplenty. The 1918 Model 37 was its first model to offer a closed top, ensuring that the brand's well-heeled buyers had protection from the elements.

Oldsmobile had another hit in the 1920s with the Model 46, a V8-powered touring car that seated seven. The manufacturer did its part to make sure that the decade's elegance wasn't lost on its automobiles. It introduced fancy chrome-plated trim that served to raise the glamour quotient of its already eye-catching vehicles.

The '30s was a decade of innovation for the brand. The company wooed customers with its "Knee-Action" independent front suspension, an affordably priced option that served to improve ride quality. The company also offered one of the earliest automatic transmissions, freeing drivers from the rigors of the clutch with its four-speed "Hydra-matic" system.

Postwar, Oldsmobile gave consumers the Rocket 88. The car offered new levels of performance, giving the North American market its first taste of the short-stroke, overhead-valve V8. The car was adored by enthusiasts, and was chosen to serve as the pace car for the 1949 Indy 500.

The 1950s saw Olds continuing to distinguish itself as a purveyor of fine performance machines. With a name inspired by the Lockheed Starfire fighter plane, its 1953 Starfire show car offered a fiberglass body, a stylishly low beltline and most importantly, a 200-horsepower engine. The car was one of the first to display a wraparound windshield, and in the years following, many other manufacturers adopted this styling cue.

Oldsmobile's innovations continued into the 1960s. The manufacturer was the first since the 1930s Cord to taste success with a front-wheel-drive vehicle, in the form of its sporty Toronado. The '70s saw Olds breaking new ground in the area of safety. In 1974, it introduced a Toronado equipped with a driver-side airbag; Olds was the first domestic automaker to offer this feature. Around this time, the company's Cutlass had also become one of America's favorite cars.

Less successful was the company's effort to get on board with diesel technology. In 1978, Oldsmobile introduced a 5.7-liter V8 diesel engine as a response to that decade's fuel crisis; the engine was meant to appeal to buyers desperate to save money at the pump. Rising diesel prices and the unreliability of the engines caused the program to suffer, and Oldsmobile was eventually forced to terminate its efforts on this front.

In the '80s, Oldsmobile left its competitors in the dust when its Aerotech — piloted by noted racecar driver A.J. Foyt — set a closed-course world speed record of 257 mph. The company continued to have a huge hit with its Cutlass; the model spent much of the decade atop the sales charts.

The '90s saw Oldsmobile's introduction of Guidestar, the first onboard navigation system combining mapping and satellite positioning. The company made history yet again when its race-modified Aurora V8 won the Indy 500, making Olds the first manufacturer to pace and win the race in the same year.

By the dawn of the new millennium, Oldsmobile's sales were in a rut. The brand's identity had suffered over the years due to parts-sharing and rebadging within the GM camp. GM ultimately decided to pull the plug, and the last Oldsmobile rolled off the assembly line in model-year 2004.

User Reviews:

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  Do youself a favor - 1999 Oldsmobile Alero
  By ;oaiuwsdhfoiau;shdf - July 12 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this car for two years. Ive had the alternator replaced twice. $200 Dealership picked up the second one for me for free. The drivers side power window had to have the entire window system replaced when it broke. $100 The brakes wear down faster than any other car Ive had. The tape player stopped working. Ive lost pickup and power as soon as I got over 50k miles. The ignition casings malfunction and locked up, so the key wouldnt turn, thats $650 from the dealership. I bought it used, no warranty. I bought this car two years ago for $1500 below the blue book, and its depreciated 50% in two years.

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  Absolute Junk - 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By X Bravada Owner - July 9 - 2:00 am

  I have owned over 40 vehicles, including 3 Bravadas. This is absolutely the worst vehicle I have ever owned. I bought it used with 8K miles on it and drove it for a year. I had nothing but trouble with it from day one, when the fiberglass fan disintegrated and took out the radiator. Little did I realize that this was the just the start of a long and meaningful relationship with my GM service department. Fortunately my dealer thought we were seeing a little too much of each other and worked with me to make me a fair deal on a Buick Rendezvous (great vehicle). I can see why GM dumped the line.

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  run away from this suv - 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By Cindy - June 28 - 8:36 am

  Bought this suv in 2004 with very little mileage I have had nothing but problems with it.. The idle arms have been replaced more than once very hard on the wheel barrings. I keep good maintenance but this was a lemon. I had to replace the door hinges and it cost me $1200 alone for that. The transmission going now... Have a short in the dash inside lights on dash when they want. My gas gauge also works when it wants to, the 4 wheel is going out of it. It would be easier to list what does work and what doesnt work or has needed replaced. My mechanic told me to get rid of it 2 years ago I had so much into it I thought for sure it would be ok I should of listened to him this suv is bad...

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  Worst vehicle Ive ever owned. - 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By steelymommy - April 8 - 5:36 pm

  I hate this van! The seat heaters quit working,can live w/that, the speakers SUCK. Power door on the passenger side not only doesnt work but will not unlock w/the electronic locks or manually so it cant be opened at all. Ive replaced Battery, thermostat, heater/AC blower motor, the resistor(that melted), water pump, belt, Intake Manifold gaskets(top &bottom), heater hose. The entire engine cooling system & heater/AC system cannot handle the pressure &original parts corrode quickly! Its fuel injected but have to give it gas to start it. And now it needs a new Harmonic Balancer-because they couldnt just bolt on the pulley for the belt, they used something rubber that corrodes too!

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  WORST OF THE WORST OF THE WORST - 2002 Oldsmobile Alero
  By amrshalaby - March 21 - 1:52 pm

  WORST CAR EVER MADE IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND. Lets see where to start. I will start when the car was bought. AC Fan Resistor. Intake Gasket Manifold. Oil Pressure Sensor. Front Right Spring broke! Front Shocks and Front Springs! Front Wheel bearings went bad. Calibers seized. New brake calibers, new brake lines, and new rotors & pads, and the brakes still seized! AC Clutch bad, needs AC compressor. Cheap interior. dashboard cover is peeling and rolling backwards. New water pump. Then intake gasket only lasted 2 years, needed an engine. This car is an ongoing fire pitt for your money. WORST CAR EVER MADE.

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  Never again! - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
  By not happy with GM - December 21 - 2:00 am

  At 39,000 miles had to have a head gasket replaced. In 61,000 miles have had to have 3 o2 sensors replaced at various times. Car now has a problem with hesitating going up hills and no one can track down what the problem is. This is the first and last GM product I will buy.

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  stay away - 1999 Oldsmobile Alero
  By e gremmels - December 19 - 10:00 am

  At this point, the car has 63,000 miles. In the last 6 months I have had to replace the air conditioner condensor, fan switch on the air conditioner,head gasket, and starter. Also, the hazard light button has fallen into the dash board and the cell phone receptacle has come loose from its connection and does not work. For a car with this low mileage-the expense of the keeping it running is about to drive me crazy-$2,500 in 6 months. I drive 120 miles a day to work. I have to have a dependable car and this is not one. In addition, the seats are not comfortable for long drives and the cup holders are almost impossible.

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  A definite NO! - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Julian Perez - September 6 - 4:21 pm

  I bought this car at 160K miles and right after I bought it and drove it home, problems started to arise. The check engine light went on right as I drove it home, I didnt think much of it because everything seemed fine. A week later, I went to Oreillys and got the codes pulled from the computer. Some sort of emissions trouble code and a piston spark plug fire miss code came up. Not a big deal at all, but just troubling since it started on my first drive in it. After that, the A/C compressor bearing went out and it made a loud pinging noise. Since the A/C compressor was such a pain in the butt to get to, I never bothered to get it fixed and just lived without A/C. Next, the stud on the trailing arm in the passengers rear cracked off which rendered it useless. It wasnt too much of a pain to replace that, but a new trailing arm is quite expensive. After that, the power steering lines rusted through and I had to replace those which was VERY difficult and pretty pricey. Next, the alternator went out and I had to replace that which wasnt too difficult but pricey. Finally, the head gasket blew and it was EXTREMELY difficult to tear apart the engine and replace all the gaskets. Altogether, I got a discount on the materials required which cost around $180 but it took about 3 days to get it all fixed. Took it for a test drive after that and learned that I needed new spark plugs and spark plug wires. I took it around the block twice just to be sure everything was working properly. The next day, the car caught on fire and was totaled. A tiny bit of gas turned out to be leaking out of the return rail and the rusted spark plug wires arced to the motor and sparked the fire which soon became very large and melted a good portion of the wire harness. Overall, I took great care of the car. I frequently checked my fluids and got my oil changed every 3K miles. I definitely got a nightmare car though, note that I only had the car between 160K miles and 168K miles which was only for about 10 months. This is my bad experience with this car, take it or leave it.

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  Good Thing Olds Went Out Of Business! - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Katie Milbradt - July 30 - 10:00 am

  New cars dont break down - WHAT A JOKE! List of REPLACEMENTS: 19,824 Brake Calipers. 24,878 Intake Manifold Gaskets. 24,980 Power Steering Hose. 28,754 Wheel Speed Sensor, Control Arms, & HEAD GASKET. 33,451 Stabilizer Shaft, Insulator, & Bracket. 37,516 Oil Pan Gasket Leak. 40,903 Intake Gaskets & Brake Pads. 48,837 Strut Mounts. 54,998 Steering Gear and FRONT CRANK SEAL! With all the repairs Ive had, I will have a new car at 60,000!

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  Terrible Resale Value - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Jay - June 18 - 8:50 am

  I have had every single problem that you can think of from brakes going to the check engine light going on and off. I bought this car new and traded in a 97 Nissan Maxima that worked and sounded better then the new car. I tried to take the car back to the dealership because I knew I made a mistake but they would have no part of it. I paid $21,000.00 for a car that I can not get a Happy Meal and five bucks for today (poor resale value). I really do not like this car, and I rather go into more debt and get rid of it then to drive it another day.