AI Damage2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about tires and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 11
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Tires 36% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 18% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 9% of all complaints
- 5 Latches, locks, linkages 9% of all complaints
- 6 Parking brake 9% of all complaints
- 7 Seats 9% of all complaints
- Tires: 4 complaints (36% of all).
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (18% of all).
- Structure: 2 complaints (18% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Latches, locks, linkages: 1 complaints (9% 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 11 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 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.
The impact of the crash of my car into the side of the other car as I was going west & he was going north,as his car kept on going, rolled over, my car was pulled nw the bumper pulled off - but the air bag did not blow, why?
Dt: last week while in park the vehicle rolled backwards. The vehicle was parked on flat ground. The car was parked outside of home.there are no warning lights to indicate a problem. The vehicle rolled down and imbankment.the parking brake was not set. .
The consumer stated the radio, locks, sliding doors and instrument panel all malfunction.
The door would not open, so my niece entered through the manual side door on the left side of the van. We drove about 3 blocks from the mall to the stoplight of a major city street.
While driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle began to vibrate excessively. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the four tires were balanced and the failure continued to occur. The tires had not been replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 112,963.
Speedometer in 2004 oldsmobile silhouette malfunctions. Appears to show correct speed some of the time, other times is obviously off.
Goodyear tires on 2004 oldsmobile van defective (safety concern to other owners). Tires developed blisters then rubber split open causing tires to go flat. I had to buy tires immediately. Old tires are not here. I took them to dealer where I purchased the van new. No help from them or tire manufacture or van builder.
Dt*: the contact stated the sliding door on the left side opened without warning. Also, the door chime alarm sounded while driving various speeds. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer who determined the fuse to door alarm could not be removed because it was a safety feature.
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 10,521 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Silhouette has 60 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 11, below average.
What to check before buying
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- 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 1999149 sources
- Silhouette 2000114 sources
- Silhouette 200178 sources
- Silhouette 200257 sources
- Silhouette 200336 sources
- Silhouette 99998 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: tires, electrical system, structure. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: door locks, latches, handles (9%), rollaway, parking brake (9%), infotainment or screen glitches (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.