Does anyone have an Oldsmobile Aurora?

[Strk]

I was thinking of replacing my current car with one. The depreciation has been great, so they're a pretty good deal. My one big concern is Oldsmobile being discontinued and, unlike most GMs, wasn't an exact rebadge, at least not entirely. I'm probably not going to go for the v8, but if so, has anyone had issues getting it fixed?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Strk
I was thinking of replacing my current car with one. The depreciation has been great, so they're a pretty good deal. My one big concern is Oldsmobile being discontinued and, unlike most GMs, wasn't an exact rebadge, at least not entirely. I'm probably not going to go for the v8, but if so, has anyone had issues getting it fixed?

The Aurora wasn't a rebadge of any other GM car and it was only sold with a V8 engine.

My Mother-In-Law had one but she got rid of it after a few years because she had a bunch of problems with it.

 

[Mermaidman]

Here is an excellent Aurora forum:
Aurora Club

I have a 5-yr old Aurora and you are right about the excellent value--I paid so little for what was originally a $30K-$40K car! Notable problems I've encountered so far
-bad window regulators
-intermediate steering shaft needs lube periodically
-crankshaft position sensors

The bulbs in the interior switches (e.g. on the stereo, steering wheel) have a tendency to blow out, so when you shop for an Aurora, drive it at night also to check those switches. Every switch should be lit up

I average 20-23 MPG in mixed driving using mid-grade or premium fuel (V8). You'll probably do better with the V6.

 

[RU482]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Strk
I was thinking of replacing my current car with one. The depreciation has been great, so they're a pretty good deal. My one big concern is Oldsmobile being discontinued and, unlike most GMs, wasn't an exact rebadge, at least not entirely. I'm probably not going to go for the v8, but if so, has anyone had issues getting it fixed?

The Aurora wasn't a rebadge of any other GM car and it was only sold with a V8 engine.

My Mother-In-Law had one but she got rid of it after a few years because she had a bunch of problems with it.

I think what he means is that the Aurora was a pretty unique car compared to some of the badge engineering GM used to do. from 01 on it had the "Unique to Oldsmobile" 3.5L DOHC as an option. It was a great drivers engine (nice power across the spectrum). I had an Intrigue back in the day with that engine.

All I remember was it cost ~$400 to replace a crank position sensor (I think that's what it was) and the model was plagued with flickering headlights/alternator issue. Not sure if that carried over to the 3.5L aurora or not.

I know I've run across a few forums dedicated to the Aurora. At the least, you should go through Automotiveforums and Edmunds forums to get a better idea about the issues with that model.

Good Luck!

PS. I only acheived ~23MPG with the V6, maybe 25 on highway trips

 

[BornStar]

I have a 99 Aurora (that style was only available with the V8) and haven't had any problems with it in the year I've owned it. I bought it from my father-in-law who didn't have any problems with it either so take that as you will. I get around 23mpg with mostly freeway driving. My biggest complaint with the car is that it could use a little more power.

 

[Vette73]

I would go for the V8 model. It was basicly a smaller Caddy Northstar motor. The 3.5L was kinda a mess and there s a reason ti was not used in other GM cars.

The only real negative I can think of is it has lots of option like Lux cars so more things to break. Like my Saab has a lot of options, of course some of those options now don;t work.

But i would get a V8 anyday myself as long as it has been taken care of.

 

[Strk]

The V8 in the 2001 or newer seems to be a bit rare in my area. It would be nice to have though, that's for sure. Oh, and that forum is pretty nice -- thanks, Mermaidman! I'm not in a rush to buy anything, so I don't mind waiting.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: redly1

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Strk
I was thinking of replacing my current car with one. The depreciation has been great, so they're a pretty good deal. My one big concern is Oldsmobile being discontinued and, unlike most GMs, wasn't an exact rebadge, at least not entirely. I'm probably not going to go for the v8, but if so, has anyone had issues getting it fixed?

The Aurora wasn't a rebadge of any other GM car and it was only sold with a V8 engine.

My Mother-In-Law had one but she got rid of it after a few years because she had a bunch of problems with it.

I think what he means is that the Aurora was a pretty unique car compared to some of the badge engineering GM used to do. from 01 on it had the "Unique to Oldsmobile" 3.5L DOHC as an option. It was a great drivers engine (nice power across the spectrum). I had an Intrigue back in the day with that engine.

All I remember was it cost ~$400 to replace a crank position sensor (I think that's what it was) and the model was plagued with flickering headlights/alternator issue. Not sure if that carried over to the 3.5L aurora or not.

I know I've run across a few forums dedicated to the Aurora. At the least, you should go through Automotiveforums and Edmunds forums to get a better idea about the issues with that model.

Good Luck!

PS. I only acheived ~23MPG with the V6, maybe 25 on highway trips

I didn't know Oldsmobile offered that car with a V6. The only thing that made that car even slightly appealing was the fact that it had a V8 engine. No wonder Olds went the way of the dinosaur.

 

[Strk]

Well, I went and test drove one today with the V6. It was quite nice. The engine was decent. The overall ride was quite nice though. I think I'll check this one out next.

 

[Steve]

My dad once had an Aurora and it blew up. Literally, a three foot column of yellow flame shot up from the hood. The towing/wrecking crew said it was the third Aurora they had seen do this in two weeks.

 

[Squisher]

Consumer Reports-aurora

 

[uli2000]

I had a '99 Intruige with the 3.5. Excellent driving car, but getting basic service on the 3.5 was damn near impossible. I could never find an oil filter, and there was only 2 shops in my town that would change the oil, one of them being the dealer. Plus, had to have all the window regulators replaced, luckily under warrenty. Would have cost $400 each.

 

[Strk]

Ick... That window regulator issue kind of scares me. It doesn't even seem to be a wear and tear issue. It just sort of happens.

 

[Mermaidman]

Out of the 8 Oldsmobile doors I've owned
I've had to replace the window regulator on 4 of them. After replacement, they did not fail. The trend seems to be that the regulators, if they're bad, will fail within the first couple of years. Chances are if the windows are working now, they'll be OK. The parts are cheap on eBay, and easy to replace if you're familiar with removing the door trim panels.

Auroras are not care-free cars, but they're worth the occasional hassle IMO.

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: Mermaidman
Out of the 8 Oldsmobile doors I've owned
I've had to replace the window regulator on 4 of them. After replacement, they did not fail. The trend seems to be that the regulators, if they're bad, will fail within the first couple of years. Chances are if the windows are working now, they'll be OK. The parts are cheap on eBay, and easy to replace if you're familiar with removing the door trim panels.

Auroras are not care-free cars, but they're worth the occasional hassle IMO.

I've never really done any work on my car (I've had my current one for seven years and it's been pretty reliable). I do have friends who know what they're doing though.