1999 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE. THE RIGHT PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR WOULD AUTOMATICALLY OPEN PARTIALLY, AND THEN CLOSE. IF A PASSENGER ATTEMPTS TO ENTER THE VEHICLE, HE OR SHE MAY BE SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO RECALL NUMBERS 01V264000 & 04V597000 ( LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH). THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURES. THE DEALER STATED THAT TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY A DIAGNOSTICS FEE OF $125.00. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 112,326. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 112,000.

REPEATED INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK / FAILURE - HAD TO REPLACE TWICE IN LESS THAN 100,000 MILES - FIRST TIME AT JUST OVER 36,000 MILES. NEVER OWNED A CAR WHERE I HAD TO REPLACE AN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ONCE, LET ALONE TWICE AND VIRTUALLY EVERY CAR MY FAMILY HAS OWNED HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AND DRIVEN OVER 100,000 MILES. SEARCHING THE INTERNET YOU SEE THE GM 3.4 LITER ENGINE IN 1999 ERA THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT/PROBLEM. ALSO THE ORIGINAL OLDSMOBILE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED IT WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS ENGINE. THERE IS ALSO A LAWSUIT WWW.DEXCOOLSETTLEMENT.COM SHOWING HOW PREVALENT THIS ISSUE IS - YET GM REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT IS A DEFECT AND TAKE CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND VEHICLE OWNERS BY REPAIRING THESE VEHICLES AND CHANGING THE GASKET DESIGN. IT WAS BAD ENOUGH HAVING TO SPEND CLOSE TO $500 TO REPAIR THIS ON MY OLDSMOBILE WITH JUST OVER 36,000 MILES ON IT, NOW I AM TOLD TO PAY CLOSE TO $1,000 TO HAVE IT REPLACED AGAIN! GM CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE INSISTS THERE IS NO DEFECT, THERE IS NOTHING ABNORMAL ABOUT THIS THAT REQUIRES ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION OR "ASSISTANCE" FROM GM. THEY FURTHER CLAIM GM ENGINEERS HAVE REVIEWED THE INCOMING DATA TO CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND THERE IS NO PROBLEM / NO TREND WITH INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS ON THE 3.4 LITER ENGINE - THAT CAN NOT BE THE TRUTH. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL WEAR ITEM, AN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE AND IF NOT, GM SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND REPLACE IT FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS. OTHER CUSTOMERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM HAVE HAD ENGINE SEIZURES AND SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEY DID NOT NOTICE OR CATCH THE PROBLEM SOON ENOUGH AND COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE OIL CAUSED ENGINE SEIZURE AND/OR OVERHEATING. ORIGINAL PROBLEM WAS FEBRUARY 2003, PROBLEM HAS RE-OCCURRED OCTOBER 2008 SO CLEARLY GM DID NOTHING TO CHANGE THE GASKET DESIGN AND DOES NOT EVEN STAND BEHIND THEIR SERVICE / REPLACEMENT PARTS. *TR

THE ACCELERATOR CABLE SNAPPED WHILE PULLING OUT OF A STOP SIGN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC LEADING TO LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL. THIS ALMOST LED TO THE CAR GETTING REAR ENDED. QUICK THINKING BY MY WIFE WHO WAS DRIVING, ENABLED HER TO GET INTO THE LEFT TURN LANE, CUT ACROSS INCOMING TRAFFIC AND THEN DRIVE OVER THE CURB AND INTO A VACANT LOT TO AVOID BEING STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD DURING RUSH HOUR. THIS DAMAGED THE FRONT WHEELS, SCRAPED THE UNDERCARRIAGE AREA AND KNOCKED THE FRONT WHEELS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THE CABLE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IT APPEARS THIS MAY BE A POTENTIAL DESIGN DEFECT SINCE THE CABLE MAY BE RUBBING AGAINST THE HOUSING AS IT EXITS THE FIREWALL AND CONNECTS TO THE PEDAL LINKAGE. THE CABLE WAS FRAYED SUGGESTING IT WAS RUBBING AGAINST SOMETHING. *TR

ON MY 1999 OLDSMOBILE SILLOETTE THE HEADLIGHTS (LEFT & RIGHT) LEAK VERY BAD. AFTER DRIVING IN THE RAIN I MAY HAVE A INCH OF WATER IN THE BOTTOM OF MY HEADLIGHTS. BECAUSE OF THIS THE HEAT & MOISTURE HAVE DISCOLLERED THE PLASTIC LENSES ON THE HEADLIGHTS NOW MAKING IT HARD TO SE AT NIGHT, AND THE BULB HAVE TO BE REPLACED ABOUT EVERY MONTH OR SO. NO ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THIS PROBLEM YET!*JB

BOTH FRONT HEADLIGHT COVERS HAVE CLOUDED AND BECOME HAZY DUE TO SUN EXPOSURE OVER TIME. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS CAUSING LIMITED VISIBILITY ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. IN MY OPINION THIS PROBLEM WILL CAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS TO BE DIMMER THAN WHAT IS CONSIDERED A SAFE LEVEL OF BRIGHTNESS. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE BROUGHT HE 1999 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE TO DEALER IN COSTA MESA, CA FOR AN OIL CHANGE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PLUG BOOTHS MELTED, AND THAT THE SPARK PLUGS, AND PLUG WIRES MELTED AS WELL, AND THE HEAD GASKET FAILING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD SINCE SHE NEVER GOT ANY PRIOR WARNING ABOUT THE FAILURES ON HER VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE STARTED OVERHEATING ON SHORT TRIPS TO THE STORE(1-2 MILES). THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS THE THERMOSTAT HOWEVER WHEN TAKEN TO MECHANIC FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT HAS LEAKING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I CALLED OLDSMOBILE REF TO THE PROBLEM TO INQUIRE ABOUT TSB # 030601010 OR 030601010B AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A BULLETIN. *JB

ON TWO OCCASIONS IN 2005, WE HAD INCIDENCES OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION. WE OWN A 1999 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE MINIVAN AND IN GENERAL IT HAS BEEN A TROUBLE-FREE VEHICLE. IT IS WELL-MAINTAINED BY THE CHEVROLET-OLDSMOBILE DEALER. IN THE FIRST INCIDENT MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND EASING INTO A PARKING PLACE WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE. WHEN ABOUT 5 FEET FROM A CAR PARKED IN FRONT OF HER, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. SINCE SHE HAD HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE SHE MANAGED TO STOP THE VEHICLE BEFORE HITTING IT. ABOUT A MONTH LATER, I WAS EASING THE CAR INTO OUR GARAGE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND AS I APPROACHED RACKS AT THE BACK OF THE GARAGE, THE TIRES SQUEALED FORWARD BUT SINCE I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE I MANAGED TO STOP BEFORE HITTING THE RACK. I MEASURED THE DISTANCE FROM THE TIRE MARKS ON THE GARAGE FLOOR AND DETERMINED THAT THE BUMPER WAS ABOUT 3 FEET FROM THE RACK WHEN THE TIRES SPUN. IF I OR MY WIFE HAD PUSHED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ACCIDENTALLY, WE COULD NOT HAVE POSSIBLY STOPPED IN TIME TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT. I AM A RETIRED MECHANICAL ENGINEER AND I CAN ASSURE THAT THIS INFORMATION IS CORRECT. IN BOTH CASES WE WERE USING OUR RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE ACCELERATION OCCURRED. WE SUSPECT THE CRUISE CONTROL WHICH WAS ACTIVATED IN BOTH CASES. WE HAVE SINCE BEEN CAREFUL TO KEEP IT DEACTIVATED. BECAUSE OF THE TIRE STREAKS ON THE GARAGE FLOOR, I CAN PROVE THAT I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AT THE TIME OF THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. WE HAVE NOT HAD A RECURRENCE SINCE WE HAVE KEPT THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATED. *NM

1999 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE MOTOR HAD FALLEN DOWN.*MR THE DISCOVERED THE CRADLE BOLT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS GONE. THE CONSUMER UNSCREWED THE DRIVERS BOLT AND SAW THAT IT CONTAINED RUST. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT COVER THE COST BECAUSE THEY STATED IT HAD BEEN TAMPERED WITH BEFORE THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE OUTER TIE RODS AND HUB BEARINGS WERE REPLACED. *JB

DT: 1999 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE. ON AUGUST 11, 2005 THE CONSUMER WAS SMELLING GAS; HE LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND SAW THAT THE FUEL LINES WERE RUSTED. THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP STATED THE FUEL LINES CRUMBLED IN HIS HANDS. ALL OF THE METAL FUEL LINES FOR THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE SMELL WAS THE ONLY INDICATOR. HE CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD FIRST THEN CRAWLED UNDER THE CAR AND SAW IT WAS LEAKING GAS. *AK