Most common 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette problems
Share of the 78 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 →
2001 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…
Air bags › Frontal
On certain passenger, sport utility vehicles and Mini vans, some of these vehicles have a passenger air bag that was manufactured without a check valve pin. An air bag without the check valve pin could produce increased pressure at the onset of the air bag deployment and reduced pressure afterward.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag. Owner notification began December 16, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive…
Seats › Front assembly › Recliner
Vehicle description: certain Mini vans built with second row 50/50 split bench seats or captain's chairs, fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the seat latch anchor wire diameter is greater than 6.1 mm.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the latch anchor wires and repair those with an improper diameter. Owner notification began April 10, 2002.
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.
Seat belts
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and Mini vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load bearing requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicle's safety belt buckle assembly date codes and, if necessary, will replace any safety belt buckle assembly.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette:
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…
What 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette owners say
Wheels & tires
I purchased Goodyear Eagle ls tires p225/60r16 they now have 25,000 miles on them and are completely bald. Sams club measured the tread at 0/32. Sams offered me a prorated warranty of $35 per tire, I paid $73. (out the door $184 for 2)they were sold to me as a 50000 mile tire, they are under warranty and wore out at half the warranty. Isn't this a faulty tire? I can't afford new tires again and they are very dangerous for me and my children during the rainy season. I tried to email Goodyear but the link does not work. Hummm, I bet they know that. Other people on line said they got no where with them. Please help. Shouldn't they have to replace the tire? I see they have many loop holes. How can I get help. I see many complaints on line on this same tire wearing out too early. I don't want to have to check the box that there were deaths or injuries seen below. [redacted]
The tread/steelbelt on the Goodyear Eagle ls tires installed as OEM on my 2001 Chrysler minivan (purchased new sept. 2002) have separated after 13 mo./28,000 miles. The separation is worse on the front than on the back with one tire having a 12 1/2 in. Separation and numerous small splits/separations and the other having a 6 inch separation and numerous small splits/separations. The dealership responded that this was normal wear/tear which is difficult for me to believe. There are 7 other complaints regarding this tire with NHTSA, five of which are for steal belt separation. This should be investigated immediately.
Engine & cooling
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. …
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.
Transmission & drivetrain
On an incline (while in drive wiht the engine running) my 2001 olds Silhouette van will roll backwards when my foot is taken off the brake (as it is transitioning to the gas pedal). If the inclince is steep enough, I actually have to put my left foot on the brake and increase the engine speed to around 900 RPM to prevent the car from rolling backwards when my foot is taken off the brake. The dealer tells me they have received a lot of complaints about this, but that is the way it was designed.
Transmission control module replace due to hard shifting of gears. A few weeks after replacement noticed transmission not shifting into 4th gear. Found 4th gear shaft stripped. Service tech said replacement shaft GM part 24207289 seemed to have a more hardened metal construction.
2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.4L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette a good car?
Based on 78 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Silhouette rates average: 1.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the Silhouette at the same age. 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 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette?
The wheels & tires — 13 complaints, 17% of all complaints for this model year, most often about tread/belt. Next are the engine & cooling (12) and transmission & drivetrain (9).
How many recalls does the 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2001 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 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 58,000 miles; 35% 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.