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2002 Oldsmobile Alero

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2002 Alero.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2002 Oldsmobile Alero is a passenger car from the model's 1998–2004 production span, specified with a 4.5-quart engine oil capacity and 10W-30 API viscosity. It generated 280 owner complaints, well below the 2000 model year's peak of 581 but far above the 1998 launch year's 2, positioning it in the middle tier of the Alero's documented complaint history. The leading complaint area is the electrical system, and this model year was subject to two recalls.

Model year2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type10W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 75 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory fuel filter and front wiper blades are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 75 · 600 CCAOEM · verified

Tail / brake / turnTAILOEM · verified

Tire sizeP215-60R15OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731175 alt 12580255
Engine air filter	25161977
Fuel filter	25121293 discontinued
Spark plug	12681661 alt 12681664
Front wiper blades	22711469 discontinued · alt 22711468
Serpentine belt	12588408 alt 12634319
Thermostat	03522676 alt 12622410

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	186.6 in
Overall width	70.1 in
Overall height	54.3 in
Wheelbase	107.1 in
Curb weight	2959 lb
Track (front / rear)	59.1 / 59.1 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	64/36

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 10W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Coolant	DEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil	10W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt
Engine Oil	10W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	5 qt
Power Steering Fluid	USE GM PART NO. 1052884 OR EQUIVALENT

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	76 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	9 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	Upper: 18 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	12 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts

100 ft-lbs

Ignition

Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Type	41-981
Spark Plug Gap	0.042 in
Spark Plug Torque	15.0 ft-lbs
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Type	41-940
Spark Plug Gap	0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.35 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	3.4 L
Standard BCI Group Number	75
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	600 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	75

Service checks

Pressure Test	15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	185-205 °F
Pressure Test	15, Pressure should not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum	60.0 psi
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	50-60

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Torque Caliper to Bracket	81 ft-lbs / 85 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	85 ft-lbs / 100 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.0015 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.433 in / 1.031 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

74 ft. lbs., step 2: 75

74 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

1	44 ft. lbs.	44 ft. lbs
2	95 degrees.	95 degrees

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	22 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs
2	155 degrees.	155 degrees
3	26

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

In 2002 the Alero recorded 280 complaints, 2 recalls, 1 investigation and 456 TSBs. Compared with 1999‑2001, complaints fell from a peak of 581 in 2000 to 280 in 2002, while recalls dropped from 4‑5 per year to 2. Investigations also declined, from a high of 5 in 2000 to just 1 in 2002, indicating fewer safety‑related probes. TSB volume continued to rise, reaching 456 in 2002 and remaining elevated through 2004 (467‑426), suggesting ongoing service updates despite lower complaint counts. Given the downward trend in complaints, recalls and investigations through 2002, the 2002 model year shows improved reliability relative to earlier generations, making it a reasonable choice among used Aleros.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

456

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

280

Owner complaints

11 involved a crash · 8 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’98 ’99 ’00 ’01’02’03 ’04

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 280 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Electrical System72

Exterior Lighting54

Engine & Engine Cooling19

Electrical System,Exterior Lighting12

Service Brakes, Hydraulic8

Visibility8

Unknown Or Other5

Air Bags5

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

14V400000Electrical System:IgnitionReported 03/07/2014

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… 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…

07E021000Fuel System, Other:Storage:Tank Assembly:Pressure Relief DevicesReported 12/03/2007

CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, P/NOS. FP10020-11B1, FP10026-11B1, AND FP10027-11B1, SOLD AFTER JANUARY 9, 2007, AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE UNIVERSAL PRESSURE… Remedy: DELPHI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE UPR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 23, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT DELPHI AT 877-411-8770.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 456 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIP5358D	2025-02-19	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP4723J	2024-10-25	Electrical System	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIT5099H	2024-09-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5099H	2024-09-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Alero. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 75 battery Vehicles taking 4.5 qt Engine oil filter 12731175 Engine air filter 25161977 Fuel filter 25121293 Spark plug 12681661

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2002 Alero take?

4.5 qt of 10W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2002 Alero have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.