AI Damage1991 Oldsmobile Silhouette: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Oldsmobile Silhouette filed 37 complaints with NHTSA, most often about structure and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 37
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Structure 30% of all complaints
- 2 Seat belts 24% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 24% of all complaints
- 4 Latches, locks, linkages 11% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 6 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 8% of all complaints
- 8 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- Structure: 11 complaints (30% of all).
- Seat belts: 9 complaints (24% of all).
- Steering: 9 complaints (24% of all).
- Latches, locks, linkages: 4 complaints (11% of all).
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (8% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.1 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 37 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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. ( dot number: c2t9k far tire size: 20570r14 )
Ea97019, in an accident, the defective driver's seatback collapsed backwards upon impact, causing injuries.
Right rear wheel, with axle, broke off while driving. Caused vehicle to flip 3 times.
While driving on highway right rear wheel disconnected, lost control, vehicle flipped over three times, resulting in an accident/injuries.
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.
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.
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.
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.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,176 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Silhouette has 60 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 37, below average.
What to check before buying
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Latches, locks, linkages. Door, hood and tailgate latches, especially near the impact.
Other years of this model
- Silhouette 199043 sources
- Silhouette 199227 sources
- Silhouette 199322 sources
- Silhouette 199436 sources
- Silhouette 199546 sources
- Silhouette 199620 sources
- Silhouette 1997104 sources
- Silhouette 1998170 sources
- Silhouette 1999149 sources
- Silhouette 2000114 sources
- Silhouette 200178 sources
- Silhouette 200257 sources
- Silhouette 200336 sources
- Silhouette 200411 sources
- Silhouette 99998 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Oldsmobile Silhouette?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: structure, seat belts, steering. Total complaints: 37. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (19%), steering or power steering problems (11%), door locks, latches, handles (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Oldsmobile Silhouette?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1991 Oldsmobile Silhouette from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1991 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.