Most common 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette problems
Share of the 149 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 →
1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette recalls (4)
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…
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.
Steering › Gear box › Shaft sector
Vehicle description: passenger Mini vans. The left and/or right front lower insulator to cradle center metal sleeve is collapsed, which can result in loss of clamp load in the joint. If the clamp load is reduced or lost, the bolt can be lost or broken and the joint can separate.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right front lower cradle-to-suspension insulators and the attaching bolts.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 7 possible defects involving the 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette:
Unexpected opening of sliding door
There is no summary currently available
Traction control
Power-sliding door
Subject vehicles are available with an optional power sliding door.the interior handle is oriented in the vertical position in the door panel and lines up at the elbow level when the occupant is seated in the 2nd-row outboard position.if the occupant holds the interior handle in the thumb up position during power-assisted opening, the arm/wrist can be push back with force against the 2nd-row bucket seat or captain's…
Rear axle trailing arm failure
Analysis of odi and GM data has identified 14 incidents of rear trailing arm failures in model year (my) 1997 through 1999 GM u-vans, including two that allegedly resulted in crashes. The trailing arm design in these vehicles is used in the u-vans from my 1997 through 2003.according to GM, the subject trailing arms can crack or buckle if they have been damaged during assembly, pre-delivery handling, or certain…
Shoulder harness clip
Air bag tear during deployment
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.
What 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette owners say
Engine & cooling all 48 →
The engine. The coolant low light stays on even though it isn't.. Have had it checked. They said its all OK. Then I read these complaints. Why aren't they being held responsible for a defect!!!!! Its their defect, not ours. We didn't sign up for $1200 in repairs or more!!! Are you getting paid to sit there and just put these up here to appease us? No wonder this nation is going you know where in a basket. Lack of integrity. My brakes also both went out completely when someone gave me less than a foot to stop when they pulled out of a parking spot downtown. No accident but completely blew my brake. This also seems to be a common failure point in this so called vehicle. The engine does what it wants when it wants. It moans and shudders when it takes off..kind of like me when I get up in the morning. Could kill me though. Airbag light can't decide if it alive or not. …
I was driving in town when a car pulled out of a parking spot right in front of me giving me two feet to stop at 25 MPH. I stopped but my brakes blew. Total failure of two brakes. The engine. According to your complaints I might have a gasket to replace because I have a coolant light on and it doesn't need any. The repairman said I needed a new sensor. Hmmm. Electrical. Fuel gauge is inoperable. Coolant light wrong. Airbag lights can't make up their mind if they work or not. The car locks me out repeatedly. The power windows won't work..dangerous here with all the rivers and waterways. The sliding doors don't work. None of the power controls in the key fob work(yes, I checked the battery). Oh..and it has a indoor shower when it rains. Roof failure, fault in design. Could you please tell me if past service bulletins I just found on your site still pertain? …
Body & structure
Our daughter got her hand caught in the automatic sliding door, inside handle, when she went to open that door to get out of the vehicle. The door does not have any way of sensing that something May be caught in the handle while it is opening so it kept going while her hand was stuck there. Her wrist was broken as a result of this.
The door will close to the latch position, does not latch, reopens to complete open position. Frequently, after several attempts, it will latch if pressure is applied to the door as it closes to the latch position. The first complaint to the dealer's service department was fruitless because the condition "could not be duplicated" while at the shop, although it had failed in the presence of the service writer and on the first attempt to close it. On the third visit, the service department manager located a technical service bulletin. The service writer said a replacement part needed to bo ordered and I would be contacted for repairs. They replaced/repaired the defective part. However, the door is now malfunctioning again. A week ago, 1 sep, it failed, and yesterday, 7 sep, it again failed three consecutive times. …
Transmission & drivetrain
I was backing out of my place at worship when a friend told me I had no backup lights. I went straight to the auto supply store. Replacing the bulbs did not work. They told me it had to do with the transmission. I went elsewhere. Same story. Went to the he transmission store. They said my transmission was going out and it would cost me $1897.00 to fix it. Two little bulbs. That was a year ago and I'm still driving it. I try to back into spaces so I don't have to back out. I went to the dealer and they said to replace the wiring assembly would cost more than the car is worth. And the seat belt clicks in but sometimes slips out if I stop quickly if someone cuts me off. Not good at all.the power train is erratic at best. I wonder if I'm going to make it home quite a lot and I am disabled. …
Transmission totally failed at about 45,000 miles. Car was being driven up a small hill and it sounded like the transmission fell out. Was unable to go more than 20 MPH to drive to safety. Dealer had vehicle for 1 week. Transmission was totally overhauled. At the time, a mechanic at the dealer mentioned that GM was aware that this model and year Silhouette had a history of this type of problem. That repair was over $1,000. Car again had the problem at 75,000 miles - conveniently when the warranty ran out but despite numerous attempts, the dealer could not replicate the problem. The car will run fine for about 25 miles and then transmission will begin to whine and will jerk when shifting up through the gears. When the car is parked the problem will then not return until the car is driven again for some time.
1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.4L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette a good car?
Based on 149 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 Silhouette rates avoid: 2.6× 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 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette?
The engine & cooling — 48 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the body & structure (18) and transmission & drivetrain (16).
How many recalls does the 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette have?
There are 4 recalls for the 1999 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 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 64,000 miles; 19% 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.