Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Oldsmobile Silhouette submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 OLDSMOBILE MINIVAN. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH UNEXPECTEDLY THE TIRE FLATTENED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THE SPARE TIRE DETACHED FROM THE RUSTED SPARE TIRE CABLE BRACKET. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 124,430.
RECALLS 01V264000 AND 01V067000 REPAIRS FOR AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR WAS PERFORMED ON 04/02/ 2000. ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR OPENED WHILE VAN WAS IN MOTION WITH CHILDREN RIDING INSIDE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.
I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE I PURCHASED IT. THE POWER SLIDING SIDE DOOR HAS BENN REPAIRED 2 OR 3 TIMES AND STILL WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPACED ONCE AND REPAIRED ONCE AND THEY NOW HAVE WATER INSIDE CAUSING THE LIGHTS TO PERFORM POORLY. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS REPAIRED AT A COST OF $80 DUE TO CORROSION CAUSING THE LIGHT TO COME ON. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON IF YOU DRIVE OVER 100 MILES THEN EVENTUALLY GOES OFF. NOW, THE MAJOR PROBLEM IS THAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT I HAVE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET OR CRACKED BLOCK WHICH IS CAUSING ANTIFREEZE TO LEAK INTO MY OIL. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED. I NOTED NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF BLOWN HEAD GASKETS ON GM MESSAGE BOARDS. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM. I CONTACTED GM AND RECEIVED NO OFFER OF HELP. THE REQUEST # GIVEN TO ME WAS 06214553. THIS IS THE 7TH OR 8TH GM VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS. THIS ONE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A PROBLEM. DOES THIS CLASSIFY AS A "LEMON"? ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.*AK
POWER SLIDING DOOR COMES OPEN WHILE DRIVING. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
DURING WET ROAD/WEATHER CONDITIONS POWER ASSISTED STEERING FAILED. DEALERSHIP INSTALLED A WATER DEFLECTOR PLATE TO PREVENT WATER FROM CONTACTING POWER STEERING BELT. HOWEVER, WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 30 MPH IN A RAIN STORM, POWER STEERING FAILED, AND BELT FOR ALTERNATOR SLIPPED WHICH CAUSED LIGHT FOR BATTERY ON THE DASH BOARD TO COME ON. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND OWNER WAS INFORMED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE FOR THIS PROBLEM. *AK THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE WET CONDITIONS CAUSED A BELT TO SLIP FROM THE ALTERNATOR AND DISABLED THE ALTERNATOR. *YH
ACTUATOR WITHIN POWER SLIDING DOOR ASSEMBLY HAS MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING DOOR TO HAVE TO BE MANUALLY SHUT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
THE CABLE REGULATING THE POWER SLIDING DOOR ERODED RESULTING IN THE POWER DOOR NOT CLOSING ALL THE WAY OR NOT CLOSING AT ALL. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICE FOUR TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. REPAIR ESTIMATES WERE $1600 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE MECHANISM; INSTEAD THE DOOR WAS CONVERTED TO MANUAL. IF THE DOOR CLOSED, IT WAS UNLATCHED AND THE BUZZER SOUNDED THE ENTIRE DRIVING TIME. OTHERWISE, THE DOOR WOULD ATTEMPT TO CLOSE, BUT THEN OPEN AGAIN. EITHER WAY, THE BUZZER WENT OFF CONTINUOUSLY. THE DEALER, CHARLES MAUND, FOUND NO PROBLEMS WITH THE ACTUATOR, ONLY THE CABLE. *AK
IGNITION WILL WORK ON ERRATIC BASIS. WHEN CONSUMER GOES OUT TO START VEHICLE, IGNITION WILL FAIL TO START VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP HAS REFUSED SERVICE, AND A CAUSE FOR THIS DEFECT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. *AK THERE WAS THUMPING IN REAR PERIODICALLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. HOOD POSSIBLY COULD OPEN WHILE DRIVING. THERE WAS RECALL 01V-067 ON SLIDING DOOR POSSIBLY OPENING WHILE DRIVEING. *YH
ON A RANDOM BASIS THERE IS A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM BRAKE SYSTEM. DEALERSHIP HAS REFUSED SERVICE. CAUSE OF DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK IGNITION LOCKS UP PERIODICALLY. THE HOOD HITS BUMPER AND POSSIBLY COULD OPEN WHILE DRIVING. THERE WAS RECALL 01V-067 ON SLIDING POWER DOOR. IT COULD POSSIBLY OPEN WHILE DRIVEING. *YH
DEALERSHIP IS REFUSING SERVICE TO REPAIR RECALL 01V067000 NOTICE THAT SHE RECEIVED IN THE MAIL. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE IGNITION LOCKS UP PERIODICALLY. THERE IS A THUMPING IN REAR WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. HOOD HITS BUMPER, CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THE HOOD COULD FLY OPEN WHILE DRIVING. *SLC
VEHICLE WAS WELDED INCORRECTLY FROM FACTORY, AND AT ABOUT 35,000-40,000 MILES IT WILL START TO PULL APART, CAUSING TIRES ON REAR AXLE TO SLANT AND EVENTUALLY BLOWOUT. *AK THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 11000 MILES, BUT THE MANUFACTURER REPLACED IT. THE TIRES WERE PREMATURLY WEARING OUT DUE TO DEFECTIVE AXLE. THE CONSUMER STATES THAT 20 NEW TIRES WERE USED IN 39 MONTHS PERIOD. *YH
AUT6OMATIC DOOR GASKET FELL OFF, REPLACE WEATHERSTRIP, HARD STEERING, REPLACE STEERING RACK, FUEL PUMP BAD, REPLACED, BRAKE SQUEAKING, REPLACED FRONT PADS DISC BRAKES, REAR WINDSHIELD WASHER SPRAYED INSIDE CAR, REINSTALLED NOSE TO NOZZLE
RIGHT SIDE AUTOMATIC DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE AT TIMES AND REOPENS BY ITSELF. YH
AUTOMATIC DOOR CABLE FAILED. *YC
AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENS ON ITS OWN, CAUSING A CHILD'S HAND TO BE CAUGHT IN THE DOOR . THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. *AK PE04064.PCO
PASSENGER'S ELECTRICAL SLIDING DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE WHEN BUTTON ON CONSOLE/REMOTE IS DEPRESSED. DOOR OPENS ON ITS OWN, BUZZER WOULD SOUND. TOOK TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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