Door Lock & Latch complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl contact owns a 2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette. The contact's vehicle has two rear power sliding doors. The doors are supposed to automatically stop when making contact when anything in the doorwell, without having to press the open/close button. On numerous occasions, her kids have been bruised because the door will continue to close regardless of anything in its path. She believes that there is a sensor that is malfunctioning and feels that her kids could be seriously injured. The current mileage is 60,447 and failure mileage was 45,000.
Sometimes the sliding door will not open and now has opened while driving down the road. I have taken the van in this makes the 10th time to have the doors fixed. The dealer service dept. Says they fixed it and they didn't. The backup sensors will not work. Have taken it in 2 times to get it fixed. The can is in the shop now for over 1 week and they told me it was fixed and I told them I was taking it to my lawyers office and they changed their mind and said that is wasnt fixed and they have had it there for 1 week now. I have had the problem with the door since right after I took delivery of the van when purchasing it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette. The contact stated that the sliding doors on both the driver and passenger side failed to unlock. The doors also failed to unlock via the manual override function. The failure prevented the passengers from exiting the vehicle. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
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.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under recall 01v0670000 (latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch). After the repairs were made, the sliding door would not latch and the door would slide open while driving. The contact called the dealer who stated that the repairs were performed once already and would not be done again. The contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 125,000.
I was driving down the road and all of a sudden the radio stopped working. I thought that a fuse had blown (which it did) so I replaced it. About 20 miles down the road it did it again. When I stopped at my destination I realized that the fuse that was continually blowing controlled my radio, the actuator module of the power sliding door, the navigation system and the remote control for locking and unlocking my doors. I managed to narrow it down to the actuator module that was causing the problem. I locked my motor for the door and haven't had a problem with it since. I got a fax from GM and it shows that the acuator module has been replaced 3-4 times before the car even had 8500 miles on the car. The cable has been adjusted as well for the same door. I didn't see any recalls on the actuator itself. I don't know what to do at this point. …
Dt: contact states the sliding door beeped constantly. She had this problem since 2002-02. She had to cut it off at the panel above the driver's side door, and left it off because she could not use it. She made 2 attempts to get it fixed and both attempts failed. The second time, it cost her $500.00.
Dt: the consumer stated that the sliding door on 1999 Oldsmobile silhoutte opened while driving and ripped the tire and the rim. The back fender was damaged, and the rear bumper was bent outwards. The paint was also damaged in the areas that the door hit. Door opened several times before by itself. The owner had a hard time closing the door, which was checked before. Owner returned it to the dealer where she bought vehicle. But they could not find any problems with the door. Dealership suggested that the owner bring the van back when the door was opening. The van has not been returned since. Owner left the door alone, and did not have the door checked again. The door sometimes will not open . Owner made children get in to vehicle on the other side when the door would not open. This is was a problem for about 4 months. …
Related recalls (3)
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Oldsmobile Silhouette years have door lock & latch problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1998 (15), 1997 (13), 1999 (11), 2001 (8) and 2002 (7) model years. Door Lock & Latch complaints make up 9% of all complaints for the 1998.
Is there a recall for Oldsmobile Silhouette door lock & latch problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 04V-597 (latch, Dec 22, 2004); 01V-264 (latch, Aug 21, 2001); 01V-067 (latch, Mar 8, 2001). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Oldsmobile Silhouette door lock & latch problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles; 41% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the doors › latch (59 mentions), followed by the hood › latch (2).
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.