AI Damage1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette filed 149 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 149
- involving a crash
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 31% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 12% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 5 Latches, locks, linkages 7% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 46 complaints (31% of all).
- Structure: 18 complaints (12% of all).
- Powertrain: 16 complaints (11% of all).
- Air bags: 12 complaints (8% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Latches, locks, linkages: 11 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.4 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 3 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 149 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 46 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 12 | 6 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
When the fire department came & turned the van off I was told the van had been on fire it was trying to stop itself but was being over powered, the tow guy came & towed the van away. This is a blessing know one was hurt, but something needs to be done about this, & for the auto company not to investigate is a tragedy.
No injuries were reported due to the occupants being retrained in the seat belts.
In a parking lot while slowing to a stop with my foot on brake, car suddenly accelerated, jumped parking curb and continued forward for approximately 30 ft. Before stopping. Foot was on brake so hard that you could smell burnt brakes for another 10 minutes.
Total brake failure without a warning while trying to park. This caused vehicle to go over a curb and run into bushes.
Consumer was broadsided and door side airbags did not deploy. The entire family in the automobile was hurt.
While driving 55 mph had a direct frontal impact, and driver/ passenger's air bags did not deploy which did not protect the occupants in this crash. Please provide further information.
And the seat belt clicks in but sometimes slips out if I stop quickly if someone cuts me off. Not good at all.the power train is erratic at best. I wonder if I'm going to make it home quite a lot and I am disabled.
It moans and shudders when it takes off..kind of like me when I get up in the morning. Could kill me though. Airbag light can't decide if it alive or not. One headlight is frosted.will cost $325.00 to fix it. Who has this money??!!that is half of my months income!!!!!!!!!are you crazy?????
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 2,649 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Silhouette has 60 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 149, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
- Silhouette 199043 sources
- Silhouette 199137 sources
- Silhouette 199227 sources
- Silhouette 199322 sources
- Silhouette 199436 sources
- Silhouette 199546 sources
- Silhouette 199620 sources
- Silhouette 1997104 sources
- Silhouette 1998170 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 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, structure, powertrain. Total complaints: 149. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: engine failure or replacement (7%), knocking, grinding or other noise (7%), seat belts (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 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 1999 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 1999 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 2026-11-05.