1991 Oldsmobile Silhouette

Defect. THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINIVANS EQUIPPED WITH FRONT BUCKET SEATS. THE FRONT SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM LOWER BOLTS CAN LOOSEN. A LOOSE BOLT COULD FATIGUE AND BREAK, RESULTING IN THE SEAT BACK FALLING REARWARD.

Risk. THE SEAT COULD SUDDENLY FALL BACKWARD, DISTRACTING THE DRIVER, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN OR REPLACE THE BOLTS AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNERS. THIS POLICY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL JUNE 30, 2002.

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES AND MINI VANS ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: CONNECTICUT, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT AND WISCONSIN. THE REAR CRADLE BOLTS PULL THROUGH THE RETAINERS DUE TO CORROSION OF THE RETAINER. IF BOTH BOLTS PULL THROUGH, THE REAR CRADLE WOULD NOT LONGER BE SUPPORTED AT THESE MOUNTING LOCATIONS AND THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT CAN SEPARATE FROM THE STEERING GEAR.

Risk. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD RESULT.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR CRADLE BOLTS AND RETAINERS.

Defect. THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT DOOR WILL NOT REMAIN CLOSED DURING CERTAIN LOAD FORCES ASSOCIATED WITH A VEHICLE CRASH. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 201.

Risk. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT DOORMAY OPEN AND RESULT IN OCCUPANT(S) INJURIES FROM CONTACT WITH THE GLOVECOMPARTMENT DOOR.

Remedy. REPLACE THE CURRENT UPPER GLOVE COMPARTMENT DOOR WITH A REDESIGNED UPPER GLOVE COMPARTMENT DOOR WHICH INCORPORATES A POSITIVE LATCH TO KEEP THE DOOR CLOSED SHOULD A VEHICLE CRASH OCCUR.

DT: CONTACT STATED REAR CRADLE BOLTS AND RETAINERS RUSTED AND DISCONNECTED THE STEERING WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING. CONTACT NOTICED THIS AROUND JUNE. WAS AT A STOP SIGN AND STARTED TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN AND NOTICED THERE WAS NO STEERING. DEALER SAID THAT CRADLE BOLTS RUSTED AND FIXED IT. GM STATED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 97V058000 DUE TO VIN ALTHOUGH IT HAD THE SAME FAILURE AS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL.*AK

DT: CONSUMER STATES 1991 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE WAS HAVING MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. IT WAS A LEASED BY THE CONSUMER. THE VEHICLE NEEDED THE SPARK PLUGS FOR THE ENGINE, POWER STEERING LINE, SHOCKS, BRAKE WORK, AND A TUNE UP. THE ENGINE HAD TO HAVE THE MODULE REPLACED. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE UNDER A WARRANTY THAT THEY PURCHASED FROM THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR ANY OF THE PARTS. DEALER SAID THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS OR THE VAN ANYMORE. DEALER A COULD DO THE REPAIRS, BUT HE WAS NOT LICENSED TO DO THE WORK. THE VAN HAD BEEN IN THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS 3 TIMES. CONSUMER SAID THE VAN NEEDED TO GO BACK RIGHT NOW FOR MORE WORK, BUT IT WILL COST $971.34 FOR THE WORK. THE OWNER CALLED THE DEALER, AND THE DEALER KEPT YELLING AND COMPLAINING THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO DO THE WORK ANYMORE. THIS HAD BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE THE DAY CONSUMER BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER YESTERDAY TO TAKE THE CAR SOMEWHERE ELSE. THE WIRING HARNESS ALSO NEEDS REPLACEMENT.*AK

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD CAME TO A STOP SIGN, MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN TRIED TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEELS OUT. THE STEERING WHEEL JUST KEPT SPINNING AROUND AND AROUND. WAS ABLE TO MANUEVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. FAILURE WAS: THE REAR CRADLE BOLTS THROUGH THE RETAINERS DUE TO CORROSION OF THE RETAINER AND THE REAR CRADLE DROPPED DOWN AND CAUSED THE STEERING SHAFT TO DISCONNECT FROM THE STEERING GEAR. THEREFOR THE CAR WOULD NO LONGER STEER. WE AVE A FOUR YEAR OLD AND A SIX YEAR AND HAD WE BEEN GOING 50 MPH THIS COULD HAD BEEN A SERIOUS CATASTROPHE. I CALLED GM AND INFORMED THEM OF THIS PROBLEM AND ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON THIS, THEY SAID NO BUT TOOK THE INFORMATION AND WOULD KEEP IT ON RECORD IN CASE THERE ARE MORE OCCURANCES OF THIS SITUATION. I THEN WENT TO THE COMPUTER AND CHECKED THE NHTSA RECALL INFORMATION, AND FOUND THAT THERE THERE WAS ONE ON THE 1990 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX AND MINIVANS. WE HAVE THE OLDESMOBILE EQUIVALENT OF THE PONTIAC TRANSPORT. THE RECALL DATE WAS 4/8/1997, THE VEHICLE COMPONENT AFFECTED IS THE STRUCTURE AND THE NHTSA RECALL NUMBER IS 97V058000. I THEN CALLED GM BACK WITH THIS INFORMATION, BECAUSE THE PONTIAC TRANSPORT THAT WAS RECALLED IS THE SAME VEHICLE AS THE OLDESMOBILE SILHOUETTE THAT I AM DRIVING. THEY SAID THAT BECAUSE ITS AN OLDS AND NOT A PONTIAC IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE IDENTICAL VEHICLES. ONE ADDITIONAL CONCERN, IS THAT THERE MAY BE MANY OTHER SIMNILAR OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE AND CHEVROLET LU

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT BACK INTO ITS HOLSTER. THIS RESULTED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER NOT BEING RESTRAINED IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

FRONT SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. *LA

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND MAKE A LEFT TURN THE STEERING COLUMN BROKE. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 45MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, GOING AROUND IN CIRCLE.*AK

PROBLEM #1 - ON THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR THE DOOR SHUTS AROUND A METAL KNOB THAT IS PART OF THE DOOR. THE METAL KNOB COMES OFF OF THE VEHICLE MAKING THE DOOR IMPOSSIBLE TO SHUT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE. PROBLEM #2 - THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT WILL NOT RETRACT INTO THE HOLDER AND SO IT IS LOOSE AND WILL NOT PROTECT THE PASSENGER ADEQUATELY. NLM

I HAVE NOT RECEIVED RECALL #97V058/MANUFACTUER'S RECALL NO 97016 NOTICE CONCERNING REAR CRADLE BOLTS. I WOULD LIKE TO NOW IF YOU ARE EVER GOING TO TAK E CARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN MINNESOTA I WOULD REALL LIKE TO GET THIS DONE . THANK YOU.*AK

TREAD SEPARATED OFF RIGHT REAR KELLY TIRE CAUSING VAN TO LOSE CONTROL AND ROLL, KILLING ALL THREE PASSENGERS ON BOARD, ON 7/16/99, WHERE LEGAL SPEED LIMIT WAS 75 MPH. *AK( DOT NUMBER: C2T9K FAR TIRE SIZE: 20570R14 )

15 INCH TIRES, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WITH OLDSMOBILE SILHOUTTE 1991. CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH WHEN FRONT PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT ,TREAD COMPLETELY SHREDDED,AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO SIDE OF VEHICLE. NEXT DAY FRONT DRIVER'S TIRE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT. IT ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE SIDE OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD ALL FOUR TIRES REPLACED WITH FIRESTONE ST70C. *AK

FRAME SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING, PULLING THE STEERING SHAFT OUT, RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

THE SLIDING DOOR ON THE RIGHT SIDE WILL NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE, LEAVING THE BACK AND REAR PASSENGERS NO WAY TO QUICKLY ESCAPE IN AN EMERGENCY. I UNDERSTAND THIS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM ON GM MINIVANS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT. *AK

IN A PARKING LOT WENT TO OPEN THE SLIDING DOOR AND THE DOOR WOULD NOT SLIDE OPEN. WAS TRYING TO GET INSIDE THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND WAS NOT ABLE TO. MADE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS THEMSELVES. IT APPEAR THAT THE LOCK MECHANISM BROKE OFF INSIDE THE DOOR. *AK

WHEN TRAVELING 35 MPH THE H FRAME, WHICH IS ATTACHED TO THE MAIN FRAME, WASHER AND NUTS RUSTED OUT, CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS REPLACED PARTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CRACKING AND FATIGUE. DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE DOOR HANDLES. *AK

DRIVER'S OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE. DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHILE DRIVING @ 30MPH, SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. FIRE ORIGINATED UNDER THE HOOD. FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT FIRE OUT, DETERMINED THAT CARBURETOR/T HAD TOO MUCH GAS. REPAIRWORK NOT DONE. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

MOST OF THE SEAT BELTS HAVE FAILED ON VEHICLE. SEAT BELTS WILL NOT RETRACT AND ARE USELESS. BOLTS ARE SO DIFFICULT TO REMOVE THAT I AM NOT REPLACING THE EXPENSIVE FRONT PASSENGER BELT.

BOTH FRONT DOORS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM