RoadVitals

1991 Oldsmobile Silhouette Body & structure Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Body & structure reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Aug 1, 2005
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
30%
of 37 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1991 Oldsmobile Silhouette submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming body or structure

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Body & structure
Filed Aug 1, 2005

DT: CONTACT STATED REAR CRADLE BOLTS AND RETAINERS RUSTED AND DISCONNECTED THE STEERING WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING. CONTACT NOTICED THIS AROUND JUNE. WAS AT A STOP SIGN AND STARTED TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN AND NOTICED THERE WAS NO STEERING. DEALER SAID THAT CRADLE BOLTS RUSTED AND FIXED IT. GM STATED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 97V058000 DUE TO VIN ALTHOUGH IT HAD THE SAME FAILURE AS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL.*AK

NHTSA ID
10130875
Incident
Jun 12, 2005
Mileage
173,000 mi
Body & structureSteering
Filed May 26, 2005

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD CAME TO A STOP SIGN, MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN TRIED TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEELS OUT. THE STEERING WHEEL JUST KEPT SPINNING AROUND AND AROUND. WAS ABLE TO MANUEVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. FAILURE WAS: THE REAR CRADLE BOLTS THROUGH THE RETAINERS DUE TO CORROSION OF THE RETAINER AND THE REAR CRADLE DROPPED DOWN AND CAUSED THE STEERING SHAFT TO DISCONNECT FROM THE STEERING GEAR. THEREFOR THE CAR WOULD NO LONGER STEER. WE AVE A FOUR YEAR OLD AND A SIX YEAR AND HAD WE BEEN GOING 50 MPH THIS COULD HAD BEEN A SERIOUS CATASTROPHE. I CALLED GM AND INFORMED THEM OF THIS PROBLEM AND ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON THIS, THEY SAID NO BUT TOOK THE INFORMATION AND WOULD KEEP IT ON RECORD IN CASE THERE ARE MORE OCCURANCES OF THIS SITUATION. I THEN WENT TO THE COMPUTER AND CHECKED THE NHTSA RECALL INFORMATION, AND FOUND THAT THERE THERE WAS ONE ON THE 1990 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX AND MINIVANS. WE HAVE THE OLDESMOBILE EQUIVALENT OF THE PONTIAC TRANSPORT. THE RECALL DATE WAS 4/8/1997, THE VEHICLE COMPONENT AFFECTED IS THE STRUCTURE AND THE NHTSA RECALL NUMBER IS 97V058000. I THEN CALLED GM BACK WITH THIS INFORMATION, BECAUSE THE PONTIAC TRANSPORT THAT WAS RECALLED IS THE SAME VEHICLE AS THE OLDESMOBILE SILHOUETTE THAT I AM DRIVING. THEY SAID THAT BECAUSE ITS AN OLDS AND NOT A PONTIAC IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE IDENTICAL VEHICLES. ONE ADDITIONAL CONCERN, IS THAT THERE MAY BE MANY OTHER SIMNILAR OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE AND CHEVROLET LUMINA VANS THAT COULD EXPERIENCE THESE SAME MALFUNCTIONS. IF THIS SHOLD HAPPEN TO SOMEONE AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND WITH THE TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING WHEN THIS STRUCTURE BREAKS LOOSE COULD BE DISASTEROUS FOR THE PERSON DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND ITS PASSENGERS AS WELL AS ANY ONCOMING VEHICLES. I WOULD LIKE THIS INVESTIGATED AND FEEL STRONGLY THAT THESE OTHER GM MODELS SHOULD ALSO BE RECALLED.

NHTSA ID
10122254
Incident
May 25, 2005
Mileage
173,306 mi
Body & structureSeat belts
Filed Sep 23, 2002

PROBLEM #1 - ON THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR THE DOOR SHUTS AROUND A METAL KNOB THAT IS PART OF THE DOOR. THE METAL KNOB COMES OFF OF THE VEHICLE MAKING THE DOOR IMPOSSIBLE TO SHUT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE. PROBLEM #2 - THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT WILL NOT RETRACT INTO THE HOLDER AND SO IT IS LOOSE AND WILL NOT PROTECT THE PASSENGER ADEQUATELY. NLM

NHTSA ID
767584
Incident
Aug 22, 2001
Body & structure
Filed Jul 24, 2002

I HAVE NOT RECEIVED RECALL #97V058/MANUFACTUER'S RECALL NO 97016 NOTICE CONCERNING REAR CRADLE BOLTS. I WOULD LIKE TO NOW IF YOU ARE EVER GOING TO TAK E CARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN MINNESOTA I WOULD REALL LIKE TO GET THIS DONE . THANK YOU.*AK

NHTSA ID
764664
Body & structureSteering
Filed Jul 14, 2000

FRAME SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING, PULLING THE STEERING SHAFT OUT, RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

NHTSA ID
865418
Incident
Jul 12, 2000
Body & structure
Filed Jan 10, 2000

WHEN TRAVELING 35 MPH THE H FRAME, WHICH IS ATTACHED TO THE MAIN FRAME, WASHER AND NUTS RUSTED OUT, CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS REPLACED PARTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
854803
Body & structure
Filed Dec 23, 1999

OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CRACKING AND FATIGUE. DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE DOOR HANDLES. *AK

NHTSA ID
854365
Body & structure
Filed Dec 22, 1999

DRIVER'S OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE. DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
854291
Incident
Jan 1, 1996
Body & structure
Filed Aug 22, 1998

BOTH FRONT DOORS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM

NHTSA ID
540211
Body & structure
Filed Dec 18, 1995

SLIDING DOOR DISCONNECTED FROM TRACK WHEN OPENING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

NHTSA ID
976708
Incident
Dec 16, 1995
Body & structureBrakesElectrical+4 more
Filed Apr 4, 1995

THE REAR HATCH LATCH IS HARD TOO CLOSE. TT

NHTSA ID
962977
Incident
Apr 23, 1991

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .