IllustrationTHE TRACTION CONTROL LIKE DISENGAGES AND THE ABS LIGHT STICKS ON WHEN YOU GO THROUGH SNOW . THE MESSAGE CENTER TELLS YOU TO SERVICE TRANCTION CONTROL SYSTEM. AND THE VEHICAL DOSEN'T WANT TO STOP.
2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 40.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silhouette years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
80–25K
625–50K
550–75K
375–100K
7100–150K
0150K+
29 reports with mileage · 7 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Equipment. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Wheels. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports0 fire reports9 injury reports
What owners actually said
36 reportsVEHICLE WAS MAKING A LOUD CREAK WHILE DRIVING DUE TO FOUR SUB-FRAME BOLTS BEING LOOSE AS WELL AS THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BOLTS.*MR (NAR) *CB
CONSUMER NOTICED AN OIL LEAK. TOOK VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER, AND DEALER STATED OIL GASKET WAS LEAKING ,AND GASKET NEEDED REPLACING.*AK
DRIVING AT APPROX 25 MPH AND THE CAR JUST CUT OFF. TOOK CAR TO BILL ESTES CHEVROLET. AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, THE SERVICE RECORD READS AS FOLLOWS. COULD NOT DUPLICATE GOOD FUEL PRESSURE GOOD SPARK, NO DTC'S, NO NEW PCM UPDATES, NO BULLETINS, TEST DROVE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE. 2) HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HA…
Read full complaint
DRIVING AT APPROX 25 MPH AND THE CAR JUST CUT OFF. TOOK CAR TO BILL ESTES CHEVROLET. AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, THE SERVICE RECORD READS AS FOLLOWS. COULD NOT DUPLICATE GOOD FUEL PRESSURE GOOD SPARK, NO DTC'S, NO NEW PCM UPDATES, NO BULLETINS, TEST DROVE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE. 2) HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HARD START OCCASIONALLY...INVOICE FROM DEALER READS AS FOLLOWS. START UP AT TIMES VEHICLE IS HARD TO START SEEMS TO CRANK TO LONG CAUSE: 33 ELECTRICAL ALL. *NLM
ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. AS A RESULT THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES AND A TORN LIGAMENT TO THE HAND AND ARMS. PRIOR TO THESE INCIDENTS THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAUSE OF THE AIR BAG FAILURE HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *PH *CB *JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT AT 45 MPH THE CONSUMER T-BONED ANOTHER VEHICLE AND NONE OF THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CONTACTED DEALER
Official recalls
204V597000 · Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Dec 22, 2004
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
02V222000 · Air Bags:frontal
Aug 9, 2002
CERTAIN PASSENGER, MINI VANS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE AN AIR BAG INFLATOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE THAT COULD FRACTURE AT A WELD DURING A DEPLOYMENT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: PIECES OF THE INFLATOR COULD STRIKE AND INJURE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AND THE AIR BAG CUSHION WOULD NOT INFLATE FULLY, REDUCING THE CAPABILITY OF THE BAG TO PROTECT THE DRIVER.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT, AND REPLACE, IF NECESSARY, THE AIR BAG MODULE ASSEMBLY ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 15, 2002. 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 BUICK AT 1-800-521-7300, CADILLAC AT 1-800-458-8006, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537, OR PONTIAC AT 1-800-762-2737.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE04064 · POWER-SLIDING Door
Opened Sep 17, 2004 · Closed Dec 22, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure:body:door
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.