2000 Oldsmobile Silhouette

SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE ON MARCH 2, 2001, WE HAVE HAD THREE BLOWOUTS WITH THESE FIRESTONE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES. THE FIRST ONE HAPPENED BEFORE THE CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN 2,000 MI. THIS TIRE HAD TO BE REPLACED BY OWNER - DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THE SECOND BLOW-OUT HAPPENED AT APPROXIMATELY 8,000 MI. AND THAT TIRE WAS ABLE TO BE FIXED. HOWEVER, LAST EVENING WE HAD OUR THIRD BLOW-OUT AND THE TIRE IS COMPLETELY "SHOT" AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. I BELIEVE THERE HAS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE TIRES; WE HAVE NEVER HAD BLOW-OUTS IN ANY OF OUR PREVIOUS VEHILCLES/TIRES. *AK (DOT NUMBER: FR680 TIRESIZE: P21570R15)

HAVE HAD VARIOUS PROBLEMS WITH PASSENGER AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR. HAS BEEN IN SHOP 4 OR MORE TIMES FOR DOOR ALONE. PROBLEMS HAVE INCLUDED DOOR NOT WANTING TO CLOSE ALL OF THE WAY, CLOSING AND REOPENING CONSTANTLY FOR MINUTES AT A TIME, AND DOOR CLOSING ON PEOPLE. IF ANYTHING OBSTRUCTS POWER SLIDING DOOR WHILE IT IS CLOSING IT IS SUPPOSE TO AUTOMATICALLY REVERSE TO OPEN POSITION. ON MANY OCCASIONS IT WILL CONTINUE TO CLOSE ON A GROWN ADULT. TRANSMISSION HAS MANY PROBLEMS WITH IT. OUR TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED YET PROBLEMS STILL OCCURING. THE VARIOUS PROBLEMS ARE NOT CONSISTENT. SOMETIMES I CAN DRIVE THE VAN AND IT SEEMS FINE WHILE AT OTHER TIMES IT ACTS UP ALOT. SOMETIMES GOING BETWEEN REVERSE AND DRIVE IT HESITATES THEN SHIFTS HARD. SOMETIMES WHILE TAKING OFF FROM STOP IT IS SLOW TO CHANGE GEARS AND THEN SHIFTS HARD. AT TIMES IT WHINES AND ACTS SLUGGISH WHILE DRIVING AT A CONSTANT SPEED. AFTER PUTTING VAN INTO PARK VAN WOULD ROLL AT TIMES ATLEAST A FOOT, EVEN ON FLAT, LEVEL SURFACES. THIS ALSO HAPPENS ON HILLS, I AM NOT SURE IF THIS IS NORMAL FOR A HILL BUT I WAS SURE THAT IT COULD NOT BE FOR LEVEL GROUND. ON ONE PATICULAR OCCASION AFTER PULLING OUT FROM A STOP SIGN THE VAN COULD NOT PICK UP SPEED, THE VAN WAS WHINNING AS IF IT COULD NOT CHANGE INTO THE NEXT GEAR. AFTER PULLING OVER AND STARTING AGAIN IT GAINED SPEED BUT SHIFITED HARD.*AK

THE CONSUMER PULLED THE DOOR HANDLE TO OPEN THE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR, THE CONSUMERS ARM WAS BETWEEN THE RIGHT ARMREST AND THE DOOR, THE CONSUMER DID NOT LET GO OF THE HANDLE, FORGETTING THAT THE DOOR IS AUTOMATIC, AND WAS TRYING TO PULL THE DOOR OPEN, AS THE DOOR CAME BACK IT BEGAN TO PLACE EXTREME PRESSURE ON HIS THUMB AND HAND AND HE COULD NOT GET HIS HAND OUT, EVENTUALLY THE DOOR WAS REVERSED BUT THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED BRUISED THUMB, HAND AND STRAINED MUSCLES IN HIS RIGHT ARM AND SHOULDER. NLM PE04064.PCO

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY SPEED. WHILE SITTING IN VEHICLE, VEHICLE EXPLODED WITH FLAMES COMING FROM DRIVER'S SIDE. ALSO, CONSUMER STATED MUFFLER BURNT HOLE IN GAS TANK. CONTACTED DEALER AND DEALER BOUGHT VEHICLE BACK. *AK CONSUMER STATED SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD ALSO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER, MECHANICS FOUND A HOLE IN THE MUFFLER HAD BURNED A HOLE IN THE PLASTIC GAS TANK. *SLC

BROKEN FIBERS WERE OBSERVED ON THE SEATBELT FOR THE RIGHT SECOND ROW CAPTAINS CHAIR. FIBERS WERE BROKEN WITHIN 0.25 INCHES OF THE REAR EDGE AT A LOCATION APPROXIMATELY 10.5 INCHES FROM THE LOWER ATTACH POINT, A LOCATION CORRESPONDING TO CONTACT WITH THE METAL SEAT HINGE WHEN THE BELT WAS POSITIONED OVER THE SEAT. WHEN USING THE EVENFLO ON MY WAY INFANT SEAT WITH SEAT BASE, THE SEAT BELT WAS POSITIONED CLOSE TO THE SEAT BACK, AND WHEN TIGHTENED FOR A PROPER FIT, THE SEAT BELT EASILY CONTACTED THE METAL HINGE, WHICH LED TO WEAR FAILURE OF THE FIBERS.*AK

BRAKING SYSTEM OPERATES ERRATICALLY. CONSUMER STATED THAT ROTORS ARE HEATING UP EXCESSIVELY WHEN ONLY TRAVELING ROUGHLY 17 MILES. *AK LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING BECAE NOISY, DEALER REPLACED HUB AND BEARINGS BUT NOT BRAKE BLOCK, ON THE WAY HOME A NOSIE WAS NOTICED WHEN STEPPING ON BRAKE, RETURNED TO DEALER AND MECHANIC HAD TO DROP THE WHEEL NUTS WHEN REMOVIG WHEELBROKE FRONT BRAKES WERE HOT, ROTOR WAS BLUE MECHANIC STATED THAT REAR BRAKES NEEDE TO BE ADJUSTED AS GM HAD INSTALLED TOO BIG A STAR ON THE AUTOMOBILE ADJUSTERS AND THEY DO NOT ADJUST UNLESS YOU MAKE A PANIC STOP IN REVERSE.*JB