Most common 1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette problems
Share of the 104 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Oldsmobile Silhouette complaints by model year
Best Silhouette years: 2004, 1996, 2003. Years to avoid: 1998, 1999, 2000, 1997. Compare all years →
1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette recalls (6)
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
On certain minivans equipped with second-row bucket seats or captain's chairs and a power sliding door on the passenger side of the vehicle, a passenger using the interior handle to open the power sliding door could be injured.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the power sliding door interior handle on the passenger-side. If the vehicle is equipped with a power or manual sliding door on the driver-side, the interior handle will also be replaced for…
Steering › Rack and pinion
Certain passenger vehicles and Mini vans have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These and some other retainers used in vehicles assembled between January 1, 1996 and October 31, 1997, could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began January 24, 2003.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
Vehicle description: 1997-2001 Chevrolet venture, Pontiac montana/transport, and Oldsmobile silhouette Mini vans equipped with passenger side power sliding doors that were serviced in campaign 01013 (01v-067) from April to August 2001.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if required, install a new power sliding door unlatch actuator assembly. Owner notification began on October 22, 2001.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
Vehicle description: minivans equipped with passenger side power sliding doors. The door closes but May not be latched. If this happens, the power sliding door can open while the vehicle is in motion, particularly when the vehicle ascends a hill, makes a turn, or travels over a rough road surface.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new un-latch actuator assembly to the power sliding door. This recall has been continued under safety recall 01v-264.
Seats › Front assembly › Recliner
Vehicle description: passenger Mini vans equipped with bucket seats or a split bench seat in the second (middle) or third (back) row. The seat latch mechanisms on bucket seats and on the 40% portion of the split bench seat in the second and third rows do not have protective covers.
Remedy: Dealers will install protective covers on the outboard latch mechanisms on all left and right hand rear bucket seats in the second and third row, and to both inboard and outboard latch mechanisms on the center rear…
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Linkages
Vehicle description: passenger Mini vans equipped with traction control systems. The windshield wiper linkage arm can contact a brake line which is connected to the traction control system modulator valve. This contact can chafe the brake line resulting in a brake fluid leak.
Remedy: Dealers will install a brake line clip to ensure proper clearance. Also the brake lines will be inspected to any damage caused by this condition and will replace any damaged lines.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 7 possible defects involving the 1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette:
Unexpected opening of sliding door
There is no summary currently available
Traction control
Shoulder harness clip
Steering rack and pinion
Odi has received 200 complaints fromt consumers and 1,238 from GM alleging failure or lockup of the steering rack and pinion unit (r&p).this alleged condition can result in the loss of steering control of the vehicle and a crash can result.GM has reported six crashes in which eight people have sustained injuries ranging from bruises, airbag burn, seat belt abrasion, facial injury, neck and back pain.all crashes were…
Rear axle trailing arm failure
On November 18, 2002, odi opened a preliminary evaluation (pe02-086) to evaluate allegations of rear axle trailing arm failures in the subject vehicles (u-van) which included two reporting crashes.on April 9, 2003, odi upgraded pe02-086 to an engineering analysis (ea03-005) to continue its examination of the issue.
Safety belt assembly failure
Odi identified 59 reports with the alleged defect.odi was able to contact 44 of the 59 consumers in order to determine the specific cause of the latch problems.of the 44 owners contacted, odi determined that four failures were due to an out-of-tolerance latch plate, and that 23 failures were due to a displaced buckle housing cover.the remaining 17 failures had indeterminable causes.of the 59 reports, there were…
Power rack and pinion steering failure
The lower pinion bearing in the rack and pinion steering assembly May fail.GM will recall 1997-98 grand prix built between 1-mar-96 and 31-oct-97; and 1996-98 u-vans/j-cars built between 1-jan-96 and 31-oct-97.see attached summary.
What 1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette owners say
Steering all 20 →
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. 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 …
Driving at approx. 25 MPH on wet roads with rain. Started to slow to turn right onto side street when power steering failed. Driver had to use extreme effort to manually turn steering wheel to avoid hitting curb and tree. Driver was able to correct car direction with extreme effort while stopping car. Once the car was stopped, there was a squealing noise ,indicating belts were slipping and there was an additional clicking/tapping sound. GM case number is 990028165. Problem 2: automatic door on passenger's side disengaged when placing shift lever from park. Dealer cleaned contacts and stated problem was solved. Explanation does not seem reasonable in that the door closed properly until the shift lever was placed out of park. Safety features should prevent the door from openning unless shift lever is in park.
Lights
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. 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 …
The right side plastic headlight cover came off while driving, the vehicle rolled over it breaking it. When I checked the other lens cover it was about to fall off as well, I was able to reglue it. The dealer told me that it was a common problem with that vehicle, including the Chevy venture, and the Pontiac montana. The dealer said that the warrenty on this part was extended but only to 50,000 miles. This part has nothing to do with mileage and everything to do with a factory defect that is a safety hazard due to the fact that the lamp burns out once the cover comes off. I called oldmobile and they told me that there was no such problem with their headlights and that because I bought the vehicle used it May have been in an accident and that aftermarket headlight assemblies must have been put on. …
Body & structure
Driving at approx. 25 MPH on wet roads with rain. Started to slow to turn right onto side street when power steering failed. Driver had to use extreme effort to manually turn steering wheel to avoid hitting curb and tree. Driver was able to correct car direction with extreme effort while stopping car. Once the car was stopped, there was a squealing noise ,indicating belts were slipping and there was an additional clicking/tapping sound. GM case number is 990028165. Problem 2: automatic door on passenger's side disengaged when placing shift lever from park. Dealer cleaned contacts and stated problem was solved. Explanation does not seem reasonable in that the door closed properly until the shift lever was placed out of park. Safety features should prevent the door from openning unless shift lever is in park.
Right sliding door track and rubber bumper stop is loose resulting in hitting of eyes and forehead when opening the door, the door guide tract is inserted to the upper rubber seal and when the door is being opened the guide tract falls down due to vibration.
1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.4L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette a good car?
Based on 104 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Silhouette rates use caution: 2.0× as many complaints as a typical year of the Silhouette at the same age. It is one of the Silhouette years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette?
The steering — 20 complaints, 19% of all complaints for this model year, most often about rack and pinion. Next are the lights (18) and body & structure (14).
How many recalls does the 1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette have?
There are 6 recalls for the 1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette, the most recent from December 22, 2004 (latch). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Oldsmobile Silhouette?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2004, 1996 and 2003. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1998, 1999, 2000 and 1997. See the full Oldsmobile Silhouette years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 75,000 miles; 32% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.