2000 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE Complaints

INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED APRIL 2004. GM REPLACED GASKET WITH NEW IMPROVED GASKET. GASKET FAILS AGAIN AFTER ONLY 22000 MILES. NEW GASKET INSTALLED ALONG WITH NEW FUEL INJECTOR. SPENT A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS IN REPAIRS. *JB

FIRST, WHAT HAPPENED TO ODI #'S 563553 AND 767723? THESE WERE IN THE COMPLAINT DATABASE IN 2002 BUT DO NOT SHOW UP ON THE COMPLAINT SEARCH TODAY. AS REPORTED IN 2002, MY VEHICLE AGAIN SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFICE AT 40+ MPH - ENGINE QUIT, MESSAGES "CHECK ENGINE", "LOW FUEL", AND 'SECURITY" APPEARED ON THE CONSOLE IN ROTATION, LASTING A FEW SECONDS EACH. THE "SECURITY" MESSAGE IMPLIES THAT THE PROGRAMMABLE KEY SYSTEM COES NOT RECOGNIZE THE KEY, THOUGH IT IS THE ORIGINAL GIVEN TO US AT TIME OF PURCHASE IN 2000. THE CAR SUDDENLY DECELERATED IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT BRAKELIGHTS, DUE TO THE DEAD ENGINE WITH TRANSMISSION STILL ENGAGED. IN 2002, THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES BEFORE THE DEALER FOUND A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM, THE THIRD TIME RESULTING IN A COLLISION OF TWO VEHICLES TRYING TO AVOID ME WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY DECELERATED. THIS TIME THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE, BUT NO SECURITY SYSTEM SHOULD EVER SHUT DOWN A VEHICLE ONCE IT IS IN MOTION.

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.*AK

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING HE LOST POWER TO HIS VEHICLE BECAUSE THE CABLE WAS TOUCHING THE BELT AND EVENTUALLY IT FRAYED THE BELT. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE CABLE AND MADE SURE IT WAS PROPERLY SUPPORTED SO THAT IT WOULD NOT TOUCH THE BELT. HE NOTICED THAT THE A/C WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND THE VOLTAGE WAS REALLY LOW.

DT: CONSUMER DID NOT RECEIVE A RECALL LETTER. THE DEALER REFUSED TO PERFORM THE RECALL REAPIRS. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS. *AK

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. WIRES BURNED THROUGH FOR SOME REASON". MECHANIC SAID EVERYTHING WORKS OKAY. ONBOARD COMPUTER MESSED UP. I CONTACTED OLDSMOBILE WEBSITE, AND WAS TOLD EACH TIME IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY SINCE VAN WAS OLDER. *AK A POLICE REPORT WAS ISSUED TO THE CONSUMERS DAUGHTER FOR DRIVING WITHOUT LIGHTS/DEFECTIVE LIGHTS. *SC *JB

WHILE TURNING LEFT THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN SIDE COLLISION. NO REPORT OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. AS A RESULT, DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD AND HIP INJURIES. *AK

DEALER REPORTED THAT UPPER MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKS COOLANT. THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT ON THIS GM 3.4 L ENGINE. THE VEHICLE HAS 60,000 MILES.*AK

THE RIGHT SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT ENGAGE OR RETRACT. DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE FRONT SEAT BELT WOULD ENGAGE AND RETRACT AN ITS OWN. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT SEAT BELT NEEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

AT 63000 MILES MY 3.4 L ENGINE BEGAN LEAKING COOLANT AT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. MY MECHANIC AND TWO OTHERS TOLD ME THAT THIS IS TYPICAL OF 3.1 AND 3.4 L GM ENGINES AND THAT THE COMPANY REALIZES THAT IT HAS A DESIGN FLAW BECAUSE THE REPLACEMENT GASKET HAS BEEN RE-ENGINEERED AND THE REPLACEMENT BOLTS. THE REPAIR WAS DONE AT A NON GM REPAIR SHOP AND COST ME $796.22 *JB