2001 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE NAVIGATING A TURN AT 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TURNING FREELY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE STEERING SHAFT AND DRIVER AIR BAG COIL.

OUR 2001 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE HAS HAD NUMEROUS ISSUES. THE ISSUES ARE PLACED IN A CLOSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. ALL EVENTS HAVE OCCURRED AFTER 50K MILES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE POWER DOOR LOCKS. THE DEALER TOOK CARE OF ALL RECALLS. THE POWER DOOR LOCKS INTERMITTENTLY LOCK AND UNLOCK. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER OVER 4 TIMES. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH WIRING HARNESS AND THE LAST TIME THE DEALER REPLACED A CHAFED WIRE UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE OTHER TIMES THE DEALER COULD NOT ISOLATE. THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED. WE GOT TIRED OF BRINGING IT TO THE DEALER. THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT HEATER HAD FAILED. AT 66K MILES, THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. IT WAS DUE TO A FAULTY SUN GEAR. I HAD TO REPLACE TIE RODS ON THE VEHICLE TWICE ON EACH SIDE. ONCE AROUND 70K AND ONCE AROUND 115K. THE FUEL ASCENDING UNIT FAILED AROUND 90K. ON THE PASSENGER SIDE I HAD TO REPLACE THE WHEEL BEARINGS AND THE CV AXLE. LIGHTS IN THE HEATER CONTROLS HAVE BLOWN AND THE ONLY WAY TO REPLACE THEM IS TO SOLDER NEW BULBS ONTO THE CONTROL MODULE. THE BLOWER MOTOR FAILED ON 1ST AND 2ND SPEED. WE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ENGINE OVERHEATING ISSUES AS SEEN BY OTHER INDIVIDUALS AT MYCARSTATS.COM. THIS RELATES TO THE COOLING SYSTEM. I HAD THREE SEPARATE ISSUES STEMMING FROM THIS. THE FIRST FAILURE WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. ABOUT 8 MONTHS LATER THE UPPER MANIFOLD GASKET BLEW. SIX MONTHS LATER ANOTHER COOLING SYSTEM FAILURE BLAMED ON THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD. MANY OF THE REPAIRS WHERE COSTLY. THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILURE WAS NEVER FIXED. WE DECIDED TO PASS THIS GM PIECE OF JUNK ON. IT HAD 137K MILES. MOST OF THE MILES DRIVEN WHERE HIGHWAY, VERY FEW CITY AND STOP-AND-GO. *JB

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. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT INDICATOR LIGHTS BULB SOCKET IS GETTING HOT THAT IT IS SMOKING AND PUTTING OUT A FILM THAT IS CLOUDING THE INSIDE OF THE BLINDER LENS, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE CLEAR. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. UPDATED ON 06/08/2006. *AK

2001 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE BATTERY AND THE TRANSMISSION.*MR WHEN THE CONSUMER ENTERED HIS GARAGE HE SMELL AN ACID ODOR THEN HIS EYES STARTED BURNING. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THE BATTERY TERMINAL WAS OVER TORQUED WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY INSTALLED. *NM

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM DINNER AND MY ENGINE COOLANT OVERHEAT LIGHT CAME ON AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS REGISTERING IN THE RED ZONE. IMMEDIATELY STOPPED CAR. OPENED HOOD, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF SMOKE. CONSULTED MANUAL. AFTER 10 MINUTES RESTARTED CAR WITH HEATER ON FULL BLAST, TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE MIDDLE TO LOW DROVE THE LAST MILE HOME. WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ON. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER FIRST THING MONDAY MORNING. PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED AS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THIS IS NOT A VERY OLD CAR, 4 YEARS OLD WITH 66000 MILES. NOTICING LOTS OF PROBLEMS IN THE GASKETS ON 2000-2002 YEAR MODELS OF THE VAN.*AK

LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS ON BOTH SIDES ARE WORN/NOT FUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 50K MILES AND UNDER 4 YEARS OLD. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT SUFFERED ANY ACCIDENTS, NOR HAS IT BEEN ABUSED.*AK

THE CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE OVERHEATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THE PROBLEM IS A LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. *JB *NM

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. TURNS OUT THE WATER PUMP WAS FINE, BUT THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD AND SAID IT WOULD BE A VERY PRICEY REPAIR AND THAT THERE WAS PROBABLY ENGINE DAMAGE BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT IT WAS AN INHERANT PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. WE HAD NO WORK DONE AT THAT POINT. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL GM DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT WIDESPREAD AND OLDS/GM WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO HELP THE CONSUMER WITH THIS REPAIR. THE VAN IS NOW SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY, UNABLE TO BE USED BECAUSE OF THIS MECHANICAL PROBLEM. *AK

I HAVE LEAKY INTAKE VALVE GASKETS ON A 2001 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE VAN WHICH HAS RUINED THE EHGINE. GM WILL NOT DO ANYTHING. I HAVE MANY FRIENDS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE ARE THOUSANDS ON THE INTERNET WHO REPORT THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE 3.4 V6 GM ENGINE.*AK