AI Damage2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette: common problems
Owners of the 2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette filed 36 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and equipment. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 36
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 2 Equipment 11% of all complaints
- 3 Wheels 11% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 8% of all complaints
- 6 Latches, locks, linkages 8% of all complaints
- 7 Engine 6% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- Air bags: 5 complaints (14% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Equipment: 4 complaints (11% of all).
- Wheels: 4 complaints (11% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (8% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 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.
- 3.4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 36 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Equipment | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 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.
T-boned crossing a 4way due to view obstruction. Other person hit us at 60 miles per hr. Air bags deployed approx. 10 seconds after initial impact.
``it looks more like an airplane crash scene than a car crash,'' said jim johnson of the flomaton volunteer fire department. ``the van's front end just disintegrated. I've never seen so much debris.
Most of the day may 8,2010 been doing some city but mostly highway driving totaling approximately 100 miles. Stopped for an hour after the first 50 then drove another 40 stopping again for about 15 minutes. Drove the last 10 home and left car idling to go into my house for approximately 8 minutes.
On may 27, 2009 I hit a tree on the back side of the van and then hit another tree head on. The air bags in the front and on the side did not deploy. I was wearing my seatbelt and thankful there were no major injuries.
Upon impact, the frontal and side airbags failed to deploy. There was a police report filed at the scene. Although, all three of the occupants were wearing seat belts minor injuries were sustained. The vehicle was determined totaled by the insurance company.
The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was restarted and operated as normal. The failure occurred on multiple occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Head lamps on this vehicle have started to haze. The haze has been getting progressively worse restricting the amount of light. I have found that it is getting increasingly difficult to see the road at 40mph or higher in the evening.
On 2/26/11, my 2003 oldsmobile silhouette stalled on interstate I-75. I was able to coast to the shoulder, but it was a dangerous situation in the dark, with family & kids in the car, with icy, snowy roads. The fuel level reading indicated more fuel availability than what was actually in the fuel tank.
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 6,253 of 36,656 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 36, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
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 1999149 sources
- Silhouette 2000114 sources
- Silhouette 200178 sources
- Silhouette 200257 sources
- Silhouette 200411 sources
- Silhouette 99998 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, equipment, wheels. Total complaints: 36. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (11%), warning lights, check engine (11%), A/C or heater (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 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 2003 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 2003 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.