Page 2 of 2 · complaints 51–57 of 57

2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2002 record →

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Dec 9, 2002NJ

CONSUMER STATED THAT THE SLIDING DOOR REMOTE WOULD NOT WORK CAUSING IT TO BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO ENTER OR EXIT THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. PH

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Oct 22, 2002NY

VERY STRONG RAW GAS FUMES ARE ENTERING THE COMPARTMENT AFTER INITIAL START FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. THE DEALERSHIP HAS LOOKED AT THE VAN (3) TIMES WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS PERFORMED BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSIST. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TS

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Oct 22, 2002GA

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT GEARS ERRATICALLY W/O WARNING. DLR HAS REPLACED VEHICLE'S VALVE BODY AND KICK DOWN CABLE, BUT PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURING. MR

Structure › Body › Door1 injured
Filed Oct 11, 2002OH

VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR ELECTRICAL DOOR SLIDE OPEN AND CLOSE INTERMITTENLEY. AND HER ARM GOT CAUGHT INSIDE OF THE DOOR. MR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 28, 2002PA

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION; VEHICLE DRIFTS BACKWARDS DOWN A HILL IN WHEN IN DRIVE. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 28, 2002PA

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

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jan 25, 2002PA

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

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

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