Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 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
TRANSMISSION FAILURE-THREE TIMES IN AS MANY YEARS ALSO ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH REAR LIGHTS AND ALSO INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKING. BOTH WINDOW SWITCHES FAILED. PASSENGER FRONT WHEEL HUB HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR
OUR 2001 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE HAS HAD NUMEROUS ISSUES. THE ISSUES ARE PLACED IN A CLOSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. ALL EVENTS HAVE OCCURRED AFTER 50K MILES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE POWER DOOR LOCKS. THE DEALER TOOK CARE OF ALL RECALLS. THE POWER DOOR LOCKS INTERMITTENTLY LOCK AND UNLOCK. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER OVER 4 TIMES. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH WIRING HARNESS AND THE LAST TIME THE DEALER REPLACED A CHAFED WIRE UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE OTHER TIMES THE DEALER COULD NOT ISOLATE. THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED. WE GOT TIRED OF BRINGING IT TO THE DEALER. THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT HEATER HAD FAILED. AT 66K MILES, THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. IT WAS DUE TO A FAULTY SUN GEAR. I HAD TO REPLACE TIE RODS ON THE VEHICLE TWICE ON EACH SIDE. ONCE AROUND 70K AND ONCE AROUND 115K. THE FUEL ASCENDING UNIT FAILED AROUND 90K. ON THE PASSENGER SIDE I HAD TO REPLACE THE WHEEL BEARINGS AND THE CV AXLE. LIGHTS IN THE HEATER CONTROLS HAVE BLOWN AND THE ONLY WAY TO REPLACE THEM IS TO SOLDER NEW BULBS ONTO THE CONTROL MODULE. THE BLOWER MOTOR FAILED ON 1ST AND 2ND SPEED. WE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ENGINE OVERHEATING ISSUES AS SEEN BY OTHER INDIVIDUALS AT MYCARSTATS.COM. THIS RELATES TO THE COOLING SYSTEM. I HAD THREE SEPARATE ISSUES STEMMING FROM THIS. THE FIRST FAILURE WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. ABOUT 8 MONTHS LATER THE UPPER MANIFOLD GASKET BLEW. SIX MONTHS LATER ANOTHER COOLING SYSTEM FAILURE BLAMED ON THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD. MANY OF THE REPAIRS WHERE COSTLY. THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILURE WAS NEVER FIXED. WE DECIDED TO PASS THIS GM PIECE OF JUNK ON. IT HAD 137K MILES. MOST OF THE MILES DRIVEN WHERE HIGHWAY, VERY FEW CITY AND STOP-AND-GO. *JB
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM DINNER AND MY ENGINE COOLANT OVERHEAT LIGHT CAME ON AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS REGISTERING IN THE RED ZONE. IMMEDIATELY STOPPED CAR. OPENED HOOD, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF SMOKE. CONSULTED MANUAL. AFTER 10 MINUTES RESTARTED CAR WITH HEATER ON FULL BLAST, TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE MIDDLE TO LOW DROVE THE LAST MILE HOME. WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ON. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER FIRST THING MONDAY MORNING. PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED AS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THIS IS NOT A VERY OLD CAR, 4 YEARS OLD WITH 66000 MILES. NOTICING LOTS OF PROBLEMS IN THE GASKETS ON 2000-2002 YEAR MODELS OF THE VAN.*AK
LEAKING INTAKE GASKET ON 3.4L V6 IN OLDS SILOUETTE MINIVAN. *AK
THE CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE OVERHEATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THE PROBLEM IS A LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. *JB *NM
THIS OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE HAS HAD SO MANY MANY PROBLEMS OVER THE PAST 3.5 YEARS, I HAVE FINALLY HAD ENOUGH. I NOTICED AN OCCASIONAL ENGINE "WHINE" OR RATTLE WHILE DRIVING, BUT IT WAS SO SPORADIC I WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS REALLY HAPPENING. THEN LAST WEEK IT SEEMED AS THOUGH THE HEAT WASN'T WORKING WELL IN THE VAN...THE TEMPERATURE WASN'T BELOW FREEZING, BUT THE HEAT JUST WASN'T WARMING UP SUFFICIENTLY. I MENTIONED THIS TO MY HUSBAND AND HE NOTICED IT THE NEXT TIME HE PUT THE HEAT ON, TOO. AT THE SAME TIME HE NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE TERMPERATURE WAS FLUCTUATING AS HE DROVE AND STOPPED. HE THOUGHT AT THAT POINT THAT IT MIGHT BE THE WATER PUMP AND IMMEDIATELY (YESTERDAY) TOOK THE VAN TO A FIRESTONE CENTER FOR REPAIR. TURNS OUT THE WATER PUMP WAS FINE, BUT THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD AND SAID IT WOULD BE A VERY PRICEY REPAIR AND THAT THERE WAS PROBABLY ENGINE DAMAGE BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT IT WAS AN INHERANT PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. WE HAD NO WORK DONE AT THAT POINT. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL GM DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT WIDESPREAD AND OLDS/GM WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO HELP THE CONSUMER WITH THIS REPAIR. THE VAN IS NOW SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY, UNABLE TO BE USED BECAUSE OF THIS MECHANICAL PROBLEM. *AK
I HAVE LEAKY INTAKE VALVE GASKETS ON A 2001 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE VAN WHICH HAS RUINED THE EHGINE. GM WILL NOT DO ANYTHING. I HAVE MANY FRIENDS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE ARE THOUSANDS ON THE INTERNET WHO REPORT THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE 3.4 V6 GM ENGINE.*AK
I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS VAN. BRAKES PREMATURELY WORE OUT. THE TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED PREMATURELY AS WELL. THE DOOR SEALS ON THE CAR HAVE SEPARATED A FEW TIMES. THE TIE RODS WERE WORN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NEXT CAME THE REAR HEAD GASKET THAT WAS PREMATURELY WORN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DRIVER'S SEAT (HEATER) BROKE AND NEEDED TO BE FIXED. THE MOST CONCERNING PROBLEM IS THE HEAD GASKET. I DID NOT REALIZE WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKETS CAUSED TO FAIL EARLY FROM THE DEX COOL ANTIFREEZE FLUID. IF I HAD KNOWN THIS I WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE ENGINE HAS BEEN COMPROMISED. I AM TRYING TO GET THE WARRANTY EXTENDED ON THE CAR BUT I DO NOT KNOW HOW SUCCESSFUL I WILL BE. PLEASE NOTE THIS VAN IS LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD AND ONLY HAS 37000 MILES. *AK
ENGINE KNOCK ON COLD START - WE HAVE BROUGHT OUR 2001 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE IN SEVERAL TIMES COMPLAINING OF AN ENGINE KNOCK ON COLD START. SOMETIMES THE KNOCK WILL GO AWAY IN A FEW MINUTES, OTHER TIMES IT LASTS MUCH LONGER. THE MOST RECENT VISIT WE WERE TOLD THAT GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT DOES NOT BELIEVE THIS ENGINE KNOCK WILL CAUSE LONG TERM DAMAGE. WE BELIEVE OTHERWISE. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE KNEW AND BEGAN REPORTING THE PROBLEM WHEN THERE WAS ONLY 20,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY TOLD THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, EXPECT THE PROBLEM, BUT DO NOT CONSIDER IT NECESSARY TO FIX THE PROBLEM AT THIS TIME. *AK
WHILE PROCEEDING FROM A STOP TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, WAS UNABLE TO MOVE FORWARD. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF WARNING SINCE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON BEFORE, HOWEVER FOUND NO PROBLEM UNTIL TRANSMISSION FAILED. *AK TRANSMISSION HAD NOISE AND SLIPS WHILE DRIVING, DEALER FIXED THE VEHICLE BUT CONSUMER IS STILL EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *YD
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS ON ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. *TT
A/C DOES NOT COOL. REAR A/C DOES NOT WORK AT ALL AFTER 4 ATTEMPS TO FIX. VEHICLE MAKES A LOAD NOISE ON COLD START. INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS DIM OFF AND ON. *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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