RoadVitals

1993 Oldsmobile Silhouette Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
22
Latest Jul 20, 2006
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
10
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
5

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1993 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

  • Brakes417.4%
  • Seat belts417.4%
  • Visibility313.0%
  • Transmission313.0%
  • Electrical313.0%
  • Other / unspecified28.7%
  • Driver assistance14.3%
  • Interior & seats14.3%
  • Steering14.3%
  • Tires & wheels14.3%

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

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE APPEARED TO BE SLIDING. BRAKES WOULD GRAB/LOCK UP INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM WAS REOCCURRING. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUME RTHAT VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER A RECALL. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID 864472 · filed Jun 29, 2000

OUR MINI-VAN REAR-ENDED A CADILLAC IN LINE AT A STOP LIGHT. THE TRAFFIC HAD STOPPED DUE TO A BACKUP, BUT THE LIGHT WAS GREEN, AND IT WAS LATE WHEN MY WIFE HIT THE BRAKES. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACCIDENT, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST GM DEALER, MEIER OLDS, TO HAVE THE BRAKE SYSTEM CHECKED. MY WIFE HAD MENTIONED THAT SHE DIDN'T THINK THAT THE BRAKES HAD FUNCTIONED DURING THE INCIDENT. SHE COMMENTED ON HAVING PUSHED THE PEDAL AS HARD AS POSSIBLE, BUT THE CAR DIDN'T STOP. GM SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG, SO WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A BODY SHOP AND REPAIRED. THERE HAVE BEEN NO INCIDENTS SINCE, BUT THE RECENT RECALL MADE ME SUSPICIOUS, AND WANT TO FILE THIS REPORT.*AK

NHTSA ID 708914 · filed Jul 21, 1999

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Seat belts

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS HAVE STOPPED RETRACTING. THERE WAS NO DISCERNIBLE PRECURSOR TO THIS MALFUNCTION. *NM

NHTSA ID 10162956 · filed Jul 20, 2006

MANUFACTURER CONTACTED - THEY CLAIM THESE PARTS WERE ALREADY FIXED - WILL NOT FIX AGAIN

NHTSA ID 704348 · filed Mar 12, 1999

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.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. *JB

NHTSA ID 10017849 · filed Apr 30, 2003

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT START OPERATING. THE SYSTEM APPEARED "FROZEN" YET WOULD START OPERATING AGAIN IN A FEW HOURS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR ASSEMBLY AND CHARGED ME FOR THE REPAIR WORK. THE SAME PROBLEM APPEARED IN MY 1994 OLDSMOBILE TRUCK SILHOUETTE. THERE IS CLEARLY A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE MOTOR ASSEMBLY IN THESE VEHICLES THAT ALLOWS THE MOTORS TO HANG.*AK

NHTSA ID 761156 · filed Apr 24, 2002

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.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

TRANSMISSION COOLER LINE RUPTURED, CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO FAIL.

NHTSA ID 517298 · filed May 20, 1997

UNSATISFACTORY RESULTS OF RECALL CAMPAIGN RESULTED IN THE SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION AND CAUSED TRANSMISSION COOLER LINE TO RUPTURE.

NHTSA ID 515892 · filed Mar 17, 1997

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.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN THE INTERIOR CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONSUMER HAD PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *NLM

NHTSA ID 10012183 · filed Mar 20, 2003

BATTERY CABLES SHORTED OUT, CAUSING ENGINE FIRE. *DSH

NHTSA ID 487368 · filed Oct 26, 1995

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.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

STEEL CABLE WHICH HOLDS THE SPARE TIRE ON THE VEHICLE FELL OFF IN THE CONSUMER'S DRIVE WAY. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID 823131 · filed May 6, 1998

CABLE HOLDING SPARE TIRE RUSTED AND WHEEL FEEL OFF.

NHTSA ID 535216 · filed May 5, 1998

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID 517697 · filed Jun 2, 1997

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

DRIVER'S SEAT BACK BROKE.

NHTSA ID 524009 · filed Oct 28, 1997

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

PREMATURE WEAR OF TIE ROD END. *AK

NHTSA ID 978426 · filed Jan 30, 1996

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

TREAD SEPARATION ON LEFT FRONT TIRE. AT HIGH SPEED THE TIRE FELT LIKE A BALANCE WEIGHT HAD BEEN LOST AND THUMPED. AT LOWER SPEEDS (BELOW 30MPH) THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD "ROCK" LIKE THE FRONT END OR STEERING MECHANISM WAS LOOSE AND WOULD PULL THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT. CONTINUED HIGH SPEED DRIVING COULD HAVE CAUSED LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.( DOT NUMBER: ACMD AB6 2 TIRE SIZE: P205/70R15 )

NHTSA ID 731689 · filed Sep 16, 2000

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

Data on this page last refreshed .