1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette Engine Problems

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IN OUR 1997 SILHOUETTE WENT BAD. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE REPAIR FACILITY AND PERFORMING SEVERAL SEARCHES ACROSS THE INTERNET, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT GM HAD A DEFECTIVE PART. THE ORIGINAL GASKETS WERE MADE OUT OF PLASTICS, WHILE NOW GM IS CONSTRUCTING THEM OF A MORE NORMAL / ACCEPTABLE MATERIAL. WE WERE LUCKY AND CAUGHT THIS EARLY, BUT IF SOMEONE WERE TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN ON A HIGHWAY TRIP, OIL COULD LEAK OUT OR MIX WITH COOLANT CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SEIZE UP AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS REPAIR AVERAGES AROUND $800 TO $1200 FROM WHAT I COULD FIND. *JB

NHTSA ID

10161875

Incident

Dec 1, 2005

Mileage

106,122 mi

NO FLOOR HEAT IN 1997 OLDS SILHOUETTE. MECHANIC DID NOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM BUT DID NOTE THAT AN UN ASSOCIATED PROBLEM WAS OCCURING. THE ORIGINAL PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS FAILING. AFTER INVESTIGATING AND RESEARCHING I HAVE FOUND THAT BOTH THE LACK OF HEAT IN THE FRONT OF THIS VEHICLE AND WORSE YET THE FAILING OF THE GASKET ARE COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. I AM SCHEDULED TO HAVE BOTH PROBLEMS TAKEN CARE OF ON 12/28/2005. THE ESTIMATE (NO TELLSING THE COST TO REPAIR THE HEAT UNTIL THEY GET INTO IT) WILL RUN AT LEAST $700. BASED ON THE PAST INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPAIRS THIS SHOP HAS DONE ON GM VEHICLES THE SHOP ESTIMATES THIS REPAI ALONE WILL COST AT LEAST $500. *NM

NHTSA ID

10144413

Incident

Dec 2, 2005

Mileage

135,400 mi

WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF, THE HORN CONTINUOUSLY SOUNDED AND ALL THE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY LOCKED. THE DOORS COULD NOT BE MANUALLY OPENED. THE CONSUMER HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE ON AND WAIT FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE TO TEN MINUTES AND THEN TURN THE VEHICLE OFF TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, POWER STEERING FLUID HAD TO BE ADDED EVERY 10,000 MILES AND THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED DUE TO FAULTY GASKETS. THE ENGINE HAD BEEN REPLACED TWICE. *AK WHEN THE DOORS LOCKED, THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT OPEN, THE DASH LIGHTS AND OVERHEAD LIGHTS WOULD GO OUT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, THE POWER LOCKS WOULD CHATTER WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN THE DASH, THE DRIVER DOORS WOULD UNLOCK WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, ALL THE DOORS WOULD LOCK WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND COULD NOT BE OPENED MANUALLY OR OPEN THE WINDOWS, ALL OF THE DOORS WOULD UNLOCK WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND WAS INTERMITTENT, THE LEFT DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF, THE STEERING PUMP WENT DRY WHILE DRIVING AND THE PUMP WENT DRY 5 ADDITIONAL TIMES AFTER 1005K MILES, THE DOORS LOCKED WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF AND WOULD BE UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR(S) OR WINDOW, THE POWER WINDOWS WERE INOPERATIVE, THE DRIVER MIRROR WOULD SHAKE, THERE WAS MOISTURE IN THE HEAD LAMP, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO DIM AT NIGHT WHEN THE HEATER WAS TURNED ON, THE LEFT REAR WINDOW RATTLED, THE WIRING CHAFFED ON THE STUD UNDER THE CARPET IN THE VEHICLE, AND THE ELECTRICAL REMOTE DID NOT WORK UNTIL THE CONSUMER WAS CLOSE TO THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN THE DOORS WERE LOCKED AFTER THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS OFF, THE HORN WOULD START BLOWING AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF UNTIL THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS TURNED BACK ON. *SC THE POWER MIRROR WERE INOPERATIVE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10064708

Incident

Jan 5, 1998

Mileage

9,000 mi

THE ISSUE WE RAN INTO LAST YEAR IS WHERE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKED CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE. WE TOOK IT INTO OUR LOCAL DEALER, PEARSON PONTIAC, GMS, OLDS IN SUNNYVALE, ON MARCH 21 2002. AROUND THAT TIME BOTH MYSELF AND THE DEALER, AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT I WAS TOLD, CALLED OLDSMOBILE CUSTOMER SERVICE ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VAN WAS AT 41788 MILES, 5K MILES OUT OF MILEAGE WARRANTY, AND THE BELIEF ON MY PART THAT A MAJOR ENGINE REPAIR WAS NOT REASONABLE FOR A VAN WITH ONLY 41K MILES. WHY SAY THE COOLANT CAN LAST 150K MILES WHEN IT ALL LEAKS OUT AT 41K MILES? I WAS TURNED DOWN FOR ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I BELIEVE I TALKED WITH JUSTIN AND THE CASE NUMBER WAS C06614725. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS A LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. AT THE SAME TIME HE DETERMINED THE LIFTERS SHOULD BE REPLACED ALONG WITH A LEAKING WATER PUMP. THE TOTAL COST WAS $1,709.72. BREAKDOWN WAS $1,130.84 FOR LABOR AND THE REST FOR PARTS AND SALES TAX. THE DEALER REPAIR ORDER NUMBER IS 56819. I'VE NEVER OWNED OR HEARD OF A VEHICLE WHICH HAD A INTAKE MANIFOLD COOLANT LEAK, WATER PUMP AND LIFTERS FAIL AT 41K MILES. MY WIFE AND I ARE NOT HARD ON OUR CARS. THIS COST WAS HIGH (OVER 5% OF THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE) AND SOMETHING WE DID NOT EXPECT TO INCUR.

NHTSA ID

10069766

Incident

Mar 15, 2002

Mileage

41,788 mi

TRANSMISSION FAILED DEC. 2000. REPLACED BY DEALER. FAILED AGAIN 1,000 MILES LATER. REPAIRED BY DEALER. 8000 MILES LATER ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON-DEALER SAID WAS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, WOULD NOT REPAIR -OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS BEEN A PERSISTENT PROBLEM, WHICH STARTED ON WARRANTY. CONTACTED OLDSMOBILE TO PUT ME IN CONTACT WITH LOCAL FACTORY REP. TOLD THEY WOULD NOT GIVE ME THE NUMBER AND THAT I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND ON MY OWN.

NHTSA ID

10069645

Incident

May 15, 2001

FAILURE OF INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON GM PROBLEM WITH THIS V-6 ENGINE. GM DENIED REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT.

NHTSA ID

10069438

Incident

Dec 15, 2002

Mileage

73,507 mi

10/27/01 - HAD TO REPLACE MOTOR DO TO INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILURE INTERNALLY AT 62139 MILES. 08/27/03 - AGAIN VAN IS AT THE GARAGE WITH INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET PROBLEMS THE MILEAGE IS NOW 102000.

NHTSA ID

10036810

Incident

Aug 27, 2003

Mileage

62,139 mi

DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH WHEN DRIVING. NO POWER TO OPEN DOOR. ALSO, LEFT FRONT WHEEL CENSOR MALFUNCTIONED FOR ABS TRACTION CONTROL/ TRANSMISSION FAILED, AND INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAK. *AK

NHTSA ID

10001768

Incident

Aug 28, 2002

Mileage

86,450 mi

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES INTERNAL PROBLEMS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

830567

Incident

Oct 13, 1998

THE FUEL INJECTORS FAILED ON THREE DIFFERENT DATES: FEB. 18, 23 AND MARCH 8. TA TIMES WHILE IN TRAFFIC THE ENGINE COMPLETELY DIES. THE FUEL INJECTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED OR CLEANED 3 TIMES, AND THE OXYGEN SENSOR HAS BEEN REPLACED ALSO. *AK

NHTSA ID

821863

Incident

Feb 18, 1998

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX 30-35 MPH COMING OFF EXIT RAMP STARTED SLOWING DOWN , APPLIED BRAKES ,NO BRAKES, NO STEERING ,LOSS OF POWER /ELECTRICAL POWER. KEPT PRESSING BRAKES; PUT CAR IN PARK, RESTARTED ENGINE, ENGINE STARTED, HIT GAS PEDAL, STARTED TO PROCEED, WENT TO HIT BRAKES, AGAIN LOSS OF POWER. THIS DEFECT KEPT OCCURRING EVERYTIME WHEN HITTING BRAKES, DROVE VEHICLE TO LOCAL GAS STATION. MECHANIC FELT SOMETHING WRONG WITH PROGRAM. CALLED DEALERSHIP, TOWED VEHICLE. DEALER FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE.THIS DEFECT IS A POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

817800

Incident

Oct 18, 1997