1998 Oldsmobile Silhouette
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Vehicles › Oldsmobile › Silhouette › 1998
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
These records cover every 1998 Oldsmobile Silhouette. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
10 recalls name the 1998 Oldsmobile Silhouette. Newest first.
Dorman IS recalling 979 steering knuckles, dorman p/nos. 697-902 and 697-903, sold under dorman's "oe solutions<sup>tm</sup>" brand name, and napa p/nos. 7-8502 and 7-8503 which were sold for replacement use on the various vehicles listed above. a potential material or design defect could result in the steering knuckle breaking in the hub area.
A broken steering knuckle could result in loss of steering control and a possible crash without warning.
Dorman will notify owners and replace the defective steering knuckles free of charge and reimburse the repair facility or owner for labor. the recall began on february 23, 2009. owners may contact dorman's toll-free hotline at 1-800-523-2492 and press 5.
K2 motor IS recalling 1,921 aftermarket headlamps of various models sold for use on the above listed vehicles. these headlamps are missing the amber side reflex reflector which fails to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Without the amber side reflex reflectors, the lighting visibility may be affected, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
K2 motor will notify owners and offer a full refund. the recall began on decemeber 17, 2008. owners may contact K2 motor at 1-909-839-2992.
Certain delphi fuel pressure regulators, p/nos. Fp10020-11b1, fp10026-11b1, and fp10027-11b1, sold after january 9, 2007, as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles listed above. the universal pressure regulators (upr) were produced without an o'ring and retainer.
Fuel may leak, possibly resulting in a fire.
Delphi will notify owners and replace the upr free of charge. the recall began on april 23, 2007. owners can contact delphi at 877-411-8770.
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.
If a passenger uses the interior handle to open the power sliding door and holds onto the handle while it IS being opened by the motor, the passenger's arm may be pushed into the seat back or armrest and a wrist or lower arm injury may result.
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 appearance reasons. note: before the vehicle IS serviced, gm advises owners to not use the interior door handle to open the door. the driver can open and close the door from switches at the driver's position or by using the remote key fob. the driver should tell passengers to use the switch located in front of the door to open or close it. the driver should use the override switch to prevent operation of the power door by children or by others who are not familiar with its use. the owner notification letter mailing will be conducted in phases with the first phase beginning on may 31, 2005. the second phase mailing began on july 18, 2005. the recall began on may 31, 2005. phase 2 began on july 18, 2005. phase 3 (final phase) began on august 24, 2005, to all remaining customers. owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; pontiac at 1-800-620-7668; or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
Certain passenger vehicles and MINI vans have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. these and some other retainers used in vehicles assembled between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel IS moved back and to the right. if the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. if the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. with the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. in any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly IS necessary. owner notification began january 24, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, pontiac at 1-800-762-2737, or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
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. also 2001 chevrolet venture, pontiac montana, and oldsmobile silhouette MINI vans equipped with passenger side power…
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. an unrestrained occupant could fall out of the van and be injured.
Dealers will inspect and, if required, install a new power sliding door unlatch actuator assembly. owner notification began on october 22, 2001. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, pontiac at 1-800-762-2737, or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
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.
An unrestrained occupant could fall out of the van and be injured.
Dealers will install a new un-latch actuator assembly to the power sliding door. this recall has been continued under safety recall 01v-264. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, pontiac at 1-800-762-2737, or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
Vehicle description: passenger MINI vans equipped with bucket seats or a split bench seat in the second (middle) or third (back) row. the seat latch mechanisms on bucket seats and on the 40% portion of the split bench seat in the second and third rows do not have protective covers.
When activating the release mechanism to roll a bucket seat forward, a customer's finger(s) could be severely injured or severed in they are not kept clear of the mechanism.
Dealers will install protective covers on the outboard latch mechanisms on all left and right hand rear bucket seats in the second and third row, and to both inboard and outboard latch mechanisms on the center rear bucket seat and the 40% portion of the split bench seat.
Vehicle description: MINI vans. these vehicles may have (1) a broken shift cable fitting or (2) loose shift linkage. consequently, moving the shift lever to a 'park' position may not shift the transmission to 'park'.
The vehicle could roll increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect, and replace if necessary, the automatic transaxle range selector cable.
Vehicle description: passenger MINI vans equipped with traction control systems. the windshield wiper linkage arm can contact a brake line which IS connected to the traction control system modulator valve. this contact can chafe the brake line resulting in a brake fluid leak.
Brake fluid leakage can cause reduced brake effectiveness and increased stopping distances.
Dealers will install a brake line clip to ensure proper clearance. also the brake lines will be inspected to any damage caused by this condition and will replace any damaged lines.
TL* the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile silhouette. The contact stated that while exiting a parking space, the steering wheel failed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was informed of nhtsa campaign ID number: 02v286000 (steering:rack and pinion) but was advised that his vehicle was not part included in the recall. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 107,519.
While driving van the temperature gauge showed hot and heater stopped blowing hot air few minutes later it cooled back down and started blowing warm air and it continued to do that over and over put a thermostat in it and it did not help it continued to do the same thing it IS full of water still not blowing any warm air out and steaming out the exhaust. *tr
TL* the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile silhouette. The contact stated that once the vehicle was stopped and shifted into park, the vehicle would not shift into drive. In addition, the vehicle would only remain in park if the emergency brake was engaged. The vehicle was towed to a local repair facility where it was inspected by an independent mechanic. The mechanic advised that the shift linkage cable was fractured and would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 120,000. updated 03/24/11*lj the door latch and seat belts were inoperative. Updated 05/05/11
Airbag light IS intermittent. As the vehicle starts, the computer runs through it's checks, every now and then the airbag light illuminates and stays on until the vehicle IS shut off and re-started. There IS no warning when the light will stay on or turn off during start-up. This has been an on-going issue with this vehicle. *tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile minivan. While the contact was driving approximately 35 mph unexpectedly the tire flattened. The vehicle was driven to the side of the road. The contact observed that the spare tire detached from the rusted spare tire cable bracket. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was 124,000. The current mileage was 124,430.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile silhouette. The right passenger door was repaired on january 7, 2002 per recall 01v067000 latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch. The recall repair did not correct the failure and the right sliding door will not lock or latch. The manuafacturer was notified and was advised that the time alloted for a second repair had expired due to the vehicles mileage. The failure mileage was 34,694 and the current mileage was 128,382.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile silhouette. During a routine inspection, a technician stated that there was an abnormal oil leak. The oil leakage increases the risk of an engine compartment fire. No repairs were made at the time of inspection. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 86,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile silhouette. the contact stated that the vehicle made a loud banging noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the noise was coming from the brakes. repairs were made to the entire braking system, but the noise continued. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and they determined that the fuel system was the cause of the failure. the dealer stated that it was not a safety concern because the issue was common in some fuel tanks. the failure and current mileages were less than 70,000. updated 01/07/09. *lj updated 01/08/09.*jb
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile silhouette. the vehicle has toyo 800 ultra tires. while driving between 70-72 mph, both front tires and one rear tire flattened on three different occasions. prior to the failures, the contact felt a vibration in the steering column. the vehicle felt as though it was driving unevenly. the tires flattened instantly. the fourth tire has cracks in it and IS about to fail like the others. the tires had 20,000 miles and 75% proration remaining. the contact has pictures available. the failure mileage was 100,000.
My 1998 old silhouette had intake manifold gasket replaced at 69, 000 miles and then 8 months at 73 000 mile my cam broke in half while I was driving at 25 to 30 mph unknown why or how much more damage IS done at this time. Investigator IS coming out to check what had happen . *tr
We purchased a van in good working order in 04/2006. it was used previously by one owner since being purchased new. in november 2007- it began overheating and losing coolant. the diagnosis IS now replacement of head gasket and possible intake manifold gasket. this IS a very common problem with this particular engine. gm has refused to help their consumers in any way if there IS no warranty. as with all problems these could fail due to normal wear and tear, mileage, and or age. I do not believe this to be the case in numerous complaints including my own! *tr
Vehicle dripping fuel from fuel line under vehicle. when fuel line was inspected to find cause it began spraying fuel at the catalytic converter potentially causing a fire. fuel line was corroded through from the outside. fuel lines needed to be replaced due to severe corrosion. *nm
Dt*: the contact stated there was a recall for the automatic sliding door. the manufacturer recall number IS 01013. the nhtsa recall # IS 01v264000, the repair was performed in march of 2003. the sliding door failed to stay latched after the recall work was performed by the dealership. the door would not open automatically or close completely. the dealer IS willing to assist after the contact pays for the diagnostic fee.
Dt*: the contact stated the pinch weld areas on the windshield are rusting. the windshield professionals discovered this while replacing the windshield in the vehicle. this occurred on the driver side top, bottom and the passenger side top. the vehicle has been inspected by a dealer. *nm
Dt*: the contact stated while driving at 30 mph the spare tire cables broke under the vehicle . The spare tire fell and was lost. *ak. although no one sustained injuries, witnesses walking on a sidewalk near the incident explained what had happened. This may have been a serious malfunction if it occurred on highway or at speeds of 65 mph or in case of a high pedestrian area. The repairs have been made as of 01/14/2006. *ak under vehicle mounted tire was disengaged from factory cable mounting while operating vehicle under normal conditions. The cable failed, causing the tire to be lost. Although no one was injured, witness walking on the sidewalk near the incident explained to the contact what had happened. This may have been a serious malfunction if it occurred on a highway or at speeds of 65 mph or in case of a high pedestrian area. Repairs hav ebeen made as of 01/14/2006. *ak
Dt*: the contact stated the low coolant light illuminated and the vehicle was not warming up properly. the dealership determined the antifreeze was leaking into the oil. the manifold gasket was replaced. when the problem returned the manifold gasket was replaced a second time. Two other members of contact's family had the same things go wrong with their vehicles. The dealer won't help the contact to defray the expenses because he used an independent mechanic that once worked at the dealership. there weren't too many dealerships in the contact's area. Also, the contact knew many people who had similar engine problems. *ak
I was involved in a minor accident, less than 20 mph. I had the front drivers seat belt height adjusted to the lowest position, I am only 5'3. upon impact the seat belt moved to the top position. so, instead of being on my shoulder, it ended up across my neck. the seat belt cut my neck, and also left a burn, and a bruise. *nm
Dt: the contact stated the headlights fogged up, causing poor visibility. the vehicle was taken to the dealership. and they could take the headlights apart and blow air into them. no repairs have been made due to the expense. *ak
Consumer sliding door only works manually, driver seat does not have either manual or electronic control. *ts the power window on the drivers side was replaced. *jb
Began to see coolant pooling on the intake manifold assembly, took the vehicle in to find that the intake manifold gasket needed to be replaced. should have been a warranty item. Did not damage engine, I was lucky and spotted the situation early. *nm
As I was accelerating into the fast lane on a freeway in diamond bar ca the accelerator cable broke and the motor did not slow down. the brakes were not working properly and it was like stepping on a brick. they barely responded. I made it to an off-ramp, shifted into neutral. the van slowed down but would not stop. I went up on the curb to try and slow it down more and to get around the cars waiting at the light at the bottom of the off-ramp. by going up on the curb I was able to maneuver around the cars without hitting anyone and missing light poles. I kept shifting from neutral to drive to get the van to the side street and into the parking lot of a car repair. when I was safely in the parking lot I shifted into park and turned off the motor. the mechanics at the repair shop suggested I report the incident since the accelerator didn't react in the way it should have. it was only my presence of mind and the angel on my shoulder that kept me from injuring others and being injured. everyone I have spoken to that knows anything about the accelerator cable has told me that it shouldn't happen the way it did. a safety mechanism should have taken over to keep the motor from idling at such a high rate. I am fortunate to be alive and don't want this to happen to anyone else. please look into this matter before someone gets killed. marylin lewis 909-595-1275. *nm
Consumer experienced problems getting recall repair work completed on his 1998 oldsmobile van.*mr dealership took too long to perform recall 04v597000 regarding the interior handle to open the power sliding door. consumer will take chances with the faulty doors in hopes that no one will get injured. *tt
Dt: contact took vehicle to a service dealer for routine maintenance and they replaced the lower intake manifold to stop the coolant leak. the consumer stated vehicle was still leaking gasoline and coolant. the consumer did not want to have this problem repaired at the time of the routine visit. the consumer stated the service dealer had to keep the vehicle for about a month. *ak
Dt: the vehicle was leaking gasoline. A mechanic looked at vehicle and confirmed it was a gas leak. Contacted oldsmobile customer service center , but it had not responded to me. Had a recall for the door but not for the gas leak. Gas leak occurred on august 5, 2005. *Ak
Consumer mailed in a complaint form two months ago and has yet to receive an odi number.*mr *jb
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
Subject vehicles are available with an optional power sliding door.the interior handle IS oriented in the vertical position in the door panel and lines up at the elbow level when the occupant IS seated in the 2nd-row outboard position.if the occupant holds the interior handle in the thumb up position during power-assisted opening, the arm/wrist can be push back with force against the 2nd-row bucket seat or captain's chair seat back creating a risk of injury (other seating configurations have ample seat to door clearance to avoid entrapment of the lower arm).among the 103 total reports, there were 102 alleged injuries including arm/wrist, thumb and shoulder injuries.a count of injuries reveals that 76 injuries were a fractured or a broken arm/wrist requiring an immobilizing cast for four-to-six weeks.all injuries involve the right side power sliding door.the left side power sliding door IS on far fewer vehicles, but more importantly, it produces less force.gm notified the agency by letter dated december 21, 2004, that it will recall model year 1997 though early 2005 gm u-van vehicles equipped with a right side power sliding door and with 2nd-row bucket seats or captain chairs (nhtsa recall #04v597).as part of the recall remedy, gm will replace the door handle with a flush mounted handle that will prevent an occupant from grasping the handle with the palm between the handle and door panel (thumb up orientation) and thus eliminate the potential for arm/wrist entrapment.this investigation IS closed.
On november 18, 2002, odi opened a preliminary evaluation (pe02-086) to evaluate allegations of rear axle trailing arm failures in the subject vehicles (u-van) which included two reporting crashes.on april 9, 2003, odi upgraded pe02-086 to an engineering analysis (ea03-005) to continue its examination of the issue. The trailing arm design in these vehicles has been used in the u-van from my 1997 through the present.the gm analysis concluded that the subject trailing arms could crack or buckle if they were damaged during assembly, pre-delivery handling, or subjected to certain service related abuse conditions such as improper towing or jacking.analysis of odi and gm data has identified 19 incidents of rear axle trailing arm failures in the subject vehicles.there have been no new reports to odi or gm in the last 12 months and only one new complaint in the last 21 months. Due to the low complaint rate and the absence of a continuing trend in reported failures, a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation IS closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. For additional information, see the attached closing report.
Odi identified 59 reports with the alleged defect.odi was able to contact 44 of the 59 consumers in order to determine the specific cause of the latch problems.of the 44 owners contacted, odi determined that four failures were due to an out-of-tolerance latch plate, and that 23 failures were due to a displaced buckle housing cover.the remaining 17 failures had indeterminable causes.of the 59 reports, there were three alleged minor injuries.no legal claims or lawsuits have been filed with regard to this alleged defect.based on the limited number of reports, and a declining report trend, this investigation IS closed.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appeared to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation IS closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. See additional summary report.
Analysis of odi and gm data has identified 14 incidents of rear trailing arm failures in model year (my) 1997 through 1999 gm u-vans, including two that allegedly resulted in crashes. The trailing arm design in these vehicles IS used in the u-vans from my 1997 through 2003.according to gm, the subject trailing arms can crack or buckle if they have been damaged during assembly, pre-delivery handling, or certain service related abuse conditions (e.g., improper towing or jacking).gm identified a parts handling concern that was causing some trailing arms to be damaged prior to installation.to address this concern, gm implemented changes to the shipping containers from january 1999 through september 1999. Eight (8) of the reported incidents in my 1997-99 u-vans, including the two crashes, occurred in the last 2 years.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to assess the trend and safety risk associated with the alleged defect.
There is no summary currently available
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.