2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette

SLOWLY BUT SURELY, SOME OF MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN FAILING. IT FIRST STARTED WITH LIGHTS BURNING OUT REPEATEDLY, THEN WENT TO TURN SIGNALS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, THEN WENT TO POWER WINDOWS FUNCTIONING IMPROPERLY, THEN THE TEMPERATURE/MPG/OIL DISPLAY STOPPED FUNCTIONING, THEN I HAD TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR AND THE PROBLEMS GOT EVEN WORSE. I HAVE ALSO HAD ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE DRIFTING UP TO 3 FEET BACKWARDS IF ON A SLIGHT INCLINE AND IN DRIVE. PLEASE CHECK INTO THESE ISSUES AND RESOLVE. I AM SCARED FOR MY FAMILY'S SAFETY DUE TO THE INCREASING ELECTRICAL ISSUES. I AM BEGINNING TO THINK THIS MAY BE A FIRE HAZARD. WE HAVE TRIED REPLACING THE SWITCHES FOR THE WINDOWS, THE BULBS AND TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE ISSUES WITH THE WINDOWS GET BETTER WHEN THE SWITCH IS REPLACED AND THEN GET EVEN WORSE THAN BEFORE IN NO TIME FLAT. IN ADDITION TO THESE ISSUES WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BEARINGS REPEATEDLY. *TR

2002 SILHOUETTE, 39000 MILES. FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED. HAD REPAIRED, WITHIN 50 MILES AFTER PICKING UP FROM DEALERSHIP, THERE WAS A GRINDING WHEN TURNING RIGHT. BOTH HEATED SEATS DIDN'T HEAT. DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW OPERATED EXTREMELY SLOW. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET NEEDED REPLACEMENT!, $1000!, 39000 MILES FOLKS! AIR SUSPENSION DID NOT OPERATE CRACKLED. POWER DOORS DID NOT OPEN WHEN SOMETHING GOT IN THE WAY. BRUISED SHOULDER BECAUSE OF THIS. PREMATURE TIRE WEAR, REPLACED TIRES AT 30,000 MILES. ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE DONE. STORED IN A GARAGE MORE HIGHWAY MILES THAN CITY. HOW DID GM WANT TO HELP ME? DEALER DID PAPERWORK WHEN PURCHASING, TRIED TO PUSH OFF A CHEAPER MODEL ON AN ELDERLY WOMEN, AND CHANGED THE PROMISED 5 YEAR WARRANTY TO A 3 YEAR WARRANTY. MOTHER WAS JUST SO HAPPY SHE GOT THE RIGHT VEHICLE TO TAKE HOME, SHE NEVER NOTICED THE CHANGE IN THE WARRANTY. TRIED TO WORK WITH THE DEALER ON REPAIRS SINCE THERE WERE ONLY 39000 MILES, AND WE GOT A 'GEE, REALLY SORRY MA'AM, I UNDERSTOOD, BUT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING WE COULD DO ABOUT IT. WENT TO THE GM SERVICE LINE, AND DID NOT GET ANY HELP THERE EITHER, BUT SHE HAD A REAL PURDY FIRST NAME! SEEMED TO ME THESE WERE ALL RECURRING PREMATURE KNOWN FAILURES , YET GM DID NOT CARE TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT! IT WAS A SHAME THEY PUSHED THE 5 YEAR WARRANTY SO EXTENSIVELY WHEN THEY HAD ALL THESE VEHICLES ON THEIR LOTS. PEOPLE, WE'VE BEEN HAD. I GREW UP IN OLDSMOBILE, BUT THE MORE I READ ABOUT GM - THE MORE LIKELY I AM TO BUY TOYOTA! THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT I FOUND A DEALER (NOT CLOSE TO HOME THOUGH) THAT WAS WILLING TO AT LEAST REPAIR THE FIRST SET OF WHEEL BEARINGS FOR $100. GOT THAT ON MY OWN, NOT THROUGH GM SERVICE HELP. I JUST HOPE THEY WILL BE AS NICE FOR THE NEXT SET OF WHEEL BEARINGS THAT NEED REPLACEMENT AND FOR THE GASKET THAT WAS JUST DISCOVERED. STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM GM ON THE OTHER ISSUES. (NOT AS AN IMMEDIATE NEED AS THE WHEEL BEARINGS) I'M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH.*AK

AWD DISABLE AND ABS LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING AND HUB ASSEMBLY FAILED AND WERE REPLACED (FOUR TIMES).*AK THE EVAP SOLENOID, FUEL SENDER AND PUMP ASSEMBLY WERE REPLACED. THE HEATING ELEMENT FOR THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT FAILED TWICE. THE RIGHT REAR SEAT BELT FAILED. THE RIGHT POWER SLIDING DOOR ACTUATOR MODULE FAILED. REAR WIPER FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. A/C CONDENSER FAILED. ENGINE FAILED. *NM

JUST PRIOR TO 40,000 MILES, MY SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON AND MY ABS DISABLED LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AFTER I STOPPED THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT, THE LIGHTS WENT AWAY. THEN A FEW DAYS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND I BEGAN TO NOTICE A RUMBLING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE NOISE CHANGED PITCH DEPENDING ON THE SPEED OF THE CAR. IT ALMOST SOUNDED LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WAS ROARING PRIOR TO CHANGING GEARS, BUT IT WASN'T THE TRANSMISSION ITSELF BECAUSE THE NOISE DID NOT CORRELATE TO ACTUAL GEAR CHANGES. I TOOK THE CAR TO A CHEVY DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE WHEEL BEARINGS (WHICH IS A WHOLE HUB ASSEMBLY THAT INCLUDES ABS AND AWD COMPONENTS) IN THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL BEARINGS (AND THE WHOLE HUB ASSEMBLY)HAD TO BE REPLACED. AS SOON AS I GOT THE CAR BACK, THE NOISE WAS STILL AUDIBLE IN THE FRONT AND THEY REPLACED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE HUB ASSEMBLY. WHEN THE CAR REACHED 54,000 MILES, THE RUMBLING NOISE WAS AGAIN AUDIBLE FROM THE REAR AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE FINAL HUB ASSEMBLY IN THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR. THE DEALER TOOK THE CAR FOR A TEST DRIVE AND THE NOISE WAS STILL PRESENT AND THEY DETERMINED THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE RIGHT REAR HUB ASSEMBLY FOR THE 2ND TIME. THIS IS 5 HUB ASSEMBLIES BETWEEN 40,000 AND 54,000 MILES ON THE CAR. THERE IS NO WAY THAT ANYONE WILL CONVINCE ME THAT THIS IS NOT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THIS CAR HAS ALL WHEEL DRIVE. AT THIS POINT, IT SEEMS THAT THE REPLACING OF THESE HUB ASSEMBLIES WILL BE AN ONGOING MAINTENANCE ISSUE THAT COULD AFFECT THE WHEEL BEARINGS, ABS OR THE AWD SYSTEM, OR ALL OF THE ABOVE. *JB

MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION; SILHOUETTE DRIFTS BACKWARDS DOWN A HILL IN WHEN IN DRIVE. 1. TAKE THE CAR TO A MEDIUM TO STEEP HILL (PREFERABLY STEEP SO YOU SEE THE FULL EFFECT). 2. COMPLETELY STOP THE CAR. 3. TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE BRAKE BUT DO NOT TOUCH THE ACCELERATOR. NOTICE THAT THE CAR DRIFTS BACKWARDS AND IF YOU ARE ON A SLIGHT HILL IT WILL STOP AFTER ABOUT A FOOT. IF YOU ARE ON A STEEP HILL IT WILL DRIFT ALL THE WAY DOWN THE HILL PICKING UP SPEED AS IT GOES. THIS IS VERY MUCH A SAFETY PROBLEM AND IF IT IS ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR THEN I BELIEVE OLDSMOBILE WILL BE IN FOR LAW SUITES. I BOUGHT THIS VAN BECAUSE I HAVE KIDS. THE SCHOOL I PICK MY CHILDREN UP HAS A STEEP HILL AND I CAN'T BE WORRIED EVERY DAY THAT I MAY DRIFT BACKWARDS INTO SOME PARENT AND CHILD WALKING BEHIND MY CAR BECAUSE OF THIS FLAW. THEY PARK OUR CARS CLOSE TO EACH OTHER DURING PICK UP TIME TO GET AS MANY CARS INTO THE LOT. I'M FINDING MYSELF TWO FOOTING OR KEEPING MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR TO KEEP FROM DRIFTING BACKWARD INTO THE CAR BEHIND ME AND THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! I REFUSE TO CONTINUE DOING THAT. THIS WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER, WHO SAID THAT IT IS WORKING AS DESIGNED, AND WE WILL NEED TO PUT UP WITH IT, EVEN IF IT MEANS USING ONE FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND ONE ON THE GAS!!! GM CUSTOMER SUPPORT SAID THIS WAS A "SAFETY FEATURE" OF THE VAN!!!! SO THAT IT WOULD NOT GO FORWARD WHEN YOUR FOOT WAS REMOVED FROM THE BRAKE!!! I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ONE OF THEM STAND BEHIND MY VAN WHEN I'M SITTING ON A HILL, AND THEN LET THEM TELL ME HOW MUCH OF "SAFETY FEATURE" IT IS!!!*AK

TRANSMISSION DOES NOT HOLD THE VAN WHILE IN DRIVE, EVEN ON A SLIGHT INCLINE. CAR WILL DRIFT BACKWARDS CAUSING A SAFTY ISSUE. IT'S LIKE DRIVING A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. IF YOU ARE SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, FOOT ON THE BRAKE, AS SOON AS YOU REMOVE YOUR FOOT FROM THE BRAKE, THE VAN DRIFTS BACKWARDS. IF A CAR HAPPENS TO BE BEHIND YOU, OR EVEN WORST IF SOMEONE IS WALKING BEHIND YOU, THEY COULD BE POTENTIALLY HIT OR RUN OVER. DEALERS RECOMMENDATION OF USING ONE FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE OTHER ON THE GAS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THEY SAY THAT THIS VAN DOES NOT HAVE A HILL HOLDING FEATURE IN THE TRANSMISSION, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE WITH. *AK