1990 Oldsmobile Silhouette Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1990 Oldsmobile Silhouette, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Seat belts1730.4%
- Steering916.1%
- Body & structure712.5%
- Brakes58.9%
- Interior & seats35.4%
- Engine23.6%
- Fuel system23.6%
- Electrical23.6%
- Driver assistance23.6%
- Visibility23.6%
- Heating & air conditioning11.8%
- Suspension11.8%
- Tires & wheels11.8%
- Other / unspecified11.8%
- Transmission11.8%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
FRONT AND MIDDLE SEAT BELTS WON'T RETRACT. *LA
SEAT BELT RETRACTOR COIL SPRINGS COME OFF OF RETRACTOR ASSY. THIS HAPPENS BECAUSE THERE IS JUST A SOFT PLASTIC COVER CAP ON THE RETRACTOR ASSY. BELT IS THEN UNUSABLE. IVE HAD BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS COME APART AND ONE IN THE REAR.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE STEERING WHEEL SEVERED FROM THE STEERING RACK, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER. NEITHER WAS ABLE TO LOCATE THE CORRECT VIN TO IDENTIFY THE VEHICLE, AND TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE RECALL WORK HAS BEEN DONE. *AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING THE REAR CRADLE BOLTS PULLED THROUGH THE RETAINERS DUE TO CORRISON OF THE RETAINER. AS STATED IN RECALL # 97 V 058 000, BUT VEHICLE DOES NOT FALL WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE RECALL. *MR
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
A BOLT FROM THE ENGINE CRADLE BROKE, WHEELS COULD FLOP TO THE SIDE BECAUSE OF BAD ENGINE CRADLE MOUNT. *AK
FRONT DOOR HANDLES BROKE OFF ON TWO OCCASION. FIRST TIME ON DRIVER'S SIDE ,AND A YEAR LATER ON PASSENGER SIDE. UNABLE TO OPEN DOORS FROM OUTSIDE. REPAIRS WERE MADE AT CONSUMER'S COST. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
FRONT BRAKES FAILED. NLM
LEFT FRONT BRAKE LINE RUPTURED WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKES. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY HIS MECHANIC THAT VEHICLE BRAKE LINE IS A DEFECTIVE PART. MANUFACTURER//DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE DRIVER'S SEATBACK IS BROKEN. THE OWNER HAS THE SEAT PROPPED UP WITH AN ICE COOLER. THE SEATBACK ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE MOVES BACK AND FORTH. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK
FRONT BUCKET SEAT FAILED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
FRONT BRAKES FAILED. NLM
SEAT BELT LATCHES DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED WITH NEW DESIGN, RETRACTORS NOT WORKING PROPERLY.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
SEAT BELT LATCHES DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED WITH NEW DESIGN, RETRACTORS NOT WORKING PROPERLY.
ENGINE SEVERELY BUCKS, HESITATES, SHUTS ITSELF DOWN FEW SECONDS, SOMETIMES NOT RESTARTING; FUEL INJECTION DOES NOT SEND ENOUGH GAS TO KEEP ENGINE RUNNING. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH A FAULTY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; A REPLACEMENT OF THREE ALTERNATORS AND THREE BATTERIES WITHIN THREE MONTHS. ALSO, A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH CAUSED A FIRE UNDER THE DASH. ASKING NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER, BECAUSE DEALER REFUSED TO HELP UNLESS COST GO TO CONSUMER. *AK
ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE, DID NOT WORK, HAD TO USE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT: THE CONTACT PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND WAS HEADING FOR INTERSECTION WHEN HE REALIZED THAT ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STUCK. HE HAD TO TURN RIGHT TO AVOID HITTING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. HE THEN TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, AND THE VEHICLE KEPT GOING. HE DID NOT CONTACT THE DEALER. *AK
SPEEDOMETER ISN'T FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. WHEN I GOT THIS VAN FROM MY GRANDFATHER (WHO WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER) THE SPEEDOMETER HAD NOT BEEN WORKING FOR A LONG TIME AND IS STILL NOT WORKING. *LA
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
PASSENGER DOOR WINDOW FELL OUT.
REAR WINDOW SHATTERED, VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVING. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Heating & air conditioning
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
From owner reports, verbatim
FRONT BRAKES FAILED. NLM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
FRONT BRAKES FAILED. NLM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
FRONT BRAKES FAILED. NLM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN SHUTTING THE LIFTGATE IN REAR OF VEHICLE, THE SPARE TIRE FELL OFF THE VEHICLE. DEALER REPLACED THE CABLE. *AK *YC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
SEAT BELT LATCHES DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED WITH NEW DESIGN, RETRACTORS NOT WORKING PROPERLY.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .