2001 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE Complaints

FRONT RIGHT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT 55MPH. CONSUMERS TOOK VEHICLE INTO A REPAIR SHOP TO REPLACE THE DAMAGED TIRES, AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT HAD 2 MORE TIRES WITH SAME PROBLEM, SEPARATED TREAD. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

ALL FOUR TIRES WERE LEAKING AIR AND DEFLATING. THIS WAS CAUSED BY CORROSION ON THE INSIDE OF THE CHROME WHEEL. *AK THE FLAWED PLATING ON THE WHEELS HAD WHITE OXIDE ON AREAS WHERE THE CHROME HAD SPALLED. *SCC *JB

EXPERIENCE ENGINE POWER SURGE WHILE BACKING OUT OF PARKING SPACE. FOOT WAS ON BRAKE, TRANSMISSION IN REVERSE AND ENGINE SURGED. FIRM APPLICATION OF BRAKE FAILED TO COMPLETELY STOP VEHICLE, HAD TO SHIFT GEAR TO NEUTRAL. DEALER EVALUATION 3/13/03 REVEALED NO PROBLEM. SIMILAR OCCURRENCE WHILE SPOUSE DRIVING 01/14/03 RESULTING IN BROKEN AIR DAM FROM PARKING CURB. *JB

ON AN INCLINE (WHILE IN DRIVE WIHT THE ENGINE RUNNING) MY 2001 OLDS SILHOUETTE VAN WILL ROLL BACKWARDS WHEN MY FOOT IS TAKEN OFF THE BRAKE (AS IT IS TRANSITIONING TO THE GAS PEDAL). IF THE INCLINCE IS STEEP ENOUGH, I ACTUALLY HAVE TO PUT MY LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND INCREASE THE ENGINE SPEED TO AROUND 900 RPM TO PREVENT THE CAR FROM ROLLING BACKWARDS WHEN MY FOOT IS TAKEN OFF THE BRAKE. THE DEALER TELLS ME THEY HAVE RECEIVED A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS, BUT THAT IS THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED.

LEFT FRONT ROTORS AND PADS ARE WEARING EXCESSIVELY, CAUSES GRINDING AND VIBRATION WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. DEALER CONTACTED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

THE CONSUMER RECIEVED RECALL NOTICE 01V-264 FOR THE POWER SLIDING DOORS, THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND TOLD THE CONSUMER THE THE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER, THE CONSUMER HAS WAITED OVER TWO MONTHS TO HAVE THE SAFETY RECALL REPAIRED. NLM

THE VEHICLE DEFECT INVOLVES POOR VISIBILITY FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. THERE IS HARDLY ANY RIGHT REAR VISION ; REDUCED VISION FROM THE FRONT MIRROR THRU THE REAR WINDOW; REDUCED VISION FROM THE DRIVERS SEAT TO THE LEFT REAR. THE PROBLEM IS PRESENT WHEN CHANGING LANES AND BACKING. THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY OVERSIZED HEADRESTS ON THE MIDDLE SEATS WHICH ARE CAPTAINS CHAIRS. THE HEADRESTS ARE 9" IN HEIGHT AND AS WIDE AS THE SEAT. THE PROBLEM IS FURTHER EXACERBATED BY THE BLACKENED TINTED WINDOWS. WHEN DRIVING YOU MUST CONTINUOUSLY RELY ON YOUR SIDE VIEW MORRORS AS THER IS NO VISION TO THE RIGHT REAR. I FREQUENTLY DRIVE WITH THE RIGHT MIDDLE SEAT FOLDED UP SO AS TO HAVE VISION BUT THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE WITH A PASSENGER. THE HEADRESTS ALSO OBSTRUCT APPROX. 20% OF YOUR RREAR VISION WHEN BACKING AS WELL AS WHEN DRIVING. THE DRIVER'S SEAT HEADREST ALSO OBSTRUCTS VISION WHEN BACKING AS THERE IS NO LEFT FIELD OF VISION CAUSED BY THE HEADRESTS. THE PROBLEM CAN BE REDUCED WITH SMALLER HEADRESTS OR REPLACING THE CAPTAINS CHAIRS WITH A BENCH SEAT. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS CLOSE CALLS WHEN CHANGING LANES AND BACKING THE VEHICLE. YOU SIMPLY CAN'T SEE. THIS IS PROBABLY A COMMON COMPLAINT WITH GM MINI VANS WITH CAPT CHAIRS MIDDLE SEATING. IN ADDITION THE TINTED WINDOWS ARE TOO DARK AND COULD BE A LIGHTER SHADE FOR NIGHTIME DRIVING.*AK

WHILE PROCEEDING FROM A STOP TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, WAS UNABLE TO MOVE FORWARD. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF WARNING SINCE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON BEFORE, HOWEVER FOUND NO PROBLEM UNTIL TRANSMISSION FAILED. *AK TRANSMISSION HAD NOISE AND SLIPS WHILE DRIVING, DEALER FIXED THE VEHICLE BUT CONSUMER IS STILL EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *YD

STRONG SMELL LIKE PLASTIC BURNING FROM FRONT AREA OF VEHICLE AFTER BEING DRIVEN. PERSONAL INVESTIGATION SEEMS TO INDICATE SMELL IS COMING FROM UNDER HOOD FUSE BOX.*AK

LOW BRAKE FLUID LIGHT COMES ON. 1ST REPAIR REPLACED WHEEL BEARING(!), SECOND REPAIR - SENSOR. THIRD REPAIR MASTER CYL. 4TH REPAIR 2 CALIPERS, 2 WHEEL CYL, 4 HOSES (ALL RUBBER) MECH REPORTS RUBBER SEEMS "ATTACKED"