Body complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette. The day she pulled out of the parking lot with the vehicle, the ABS light, and traction off light came on. When she drove off the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal both began to wobble and vibrate. The dealer told her that the accelerator pedal vibrating will stop if she turns the traction system off. That same day. When coming out of the driveway both the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal would vibrate and would not let her press the brakes or accelerate until it stops vibrating. The keyless remote worked the first times she examined the vehicle. Once off the parking lot it would not work, it would only lock the vehicle and it made the alarm system activate. She was told by the dealer to buy a battery for the keyless remote. When she did, it still did not work. …
2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette van the front doors are not properly sealed and allow water to intrude. This has caused water damage to the electrical components in the door. The window switches are failing and have had to be replaced, which olds service tech's stated was due to water damage. The repair person at the local dealership in sarasota said that it is a common problem for the model. I am worried about future body damage and corrosion. Also worried about door locks failing and related safety issues.
Ive owned the vehicle for about 2 years now. Friday June 1 2018 I was driving with all 4 of my children in the vehicle and my driver rear sliding door fell off the vehicle completly . All 3 latches that attach the door to the vehicle detached and the door went to the floor. Were were moving state I was going about 15 MPH
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette. The contact stated that while traveling 40 MPH, the side sliding door opened independently. The contact took the vehicle to a mechanic where it was determined that the unlatch actuator assembly had failed. The contact referenced NHTSA recall campaign id number: 01V067 (latches/locks/linkages), but the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall campaign. The failure and the current mileages were 123,000.
Complaint received via e-mail. Vehicle was purchased in winter months. When I drove it off lot right headlight blew. I phoned dealer- saleswoman told me take it to their mechanic for repairs. He replaced it several times, each time it blew. He said it was wet weather. I wondered, but trusted them. 1 electrical problem after another. I have spent $500 to have the same problems repaired repeatedly. Last July, I took it to the local dealer and paid $122 for repairs. It lasted less than 1 month. Lights began blowing out, and failed. Blinkers operated erratically, sometimes right ones worked(front & back), sometimes they didn't. Backup lights came on when brake were pressed. Messages from computer message center said door was ajar rolling down i95 at 65 MPH or that the liftgate was ajar at 65 MPH - ats malfunctioned and was turned off. The repairing dealership said everything was okay. …
I own a 2000 Silhouette van. The warranty expired this past December. However the mileage is within the warranty. I was told by my local olds dealer that I had a water leak underneath the dash. The carpet was drenched, underneath. I was not aware of the leak, due to the carpet has a rubber barrier underneath it. They could not tell me where the leak was coming from. They removed the whole dash. They located three separate leaks in the seams on the fire wall. The leaks are where they apply putty over the welded seams. They can not explain why the putty has failed. No one will tell me why. However one person said it could have been a bad batch of putty. Well how many cars have this putty on them. All they say is it is not under warranty. I have a second concern. This could very well have caused health problems(mildew,etc.) for my family if the leak was not noticed. …
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. …
NHTSA investigations
Unexpected opening of sliding door
There is no summary currently available
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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Oldsmobile Silhouette years have body problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1999 (18), 2000 (18), 1998 (16), 1997 (14) and 1995 (8) model years. Body complaints make up 12% of all complaints for the 1999.
Is there a recall for Oldsmobile Silhouette body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for any Oldsmobile Silhouette model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Oldsmobile Silhouette body problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 96,000 miles; 21% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the body › door (67 mentions), followed by the body (9).
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.