Illustration1) VEHICLE STARTED STALLING 2) COOLANT LEAKED INTO OIL 3) HAD TO HAVE REPAIRED AT MY OWN COST $780.00 AND NOT SURE THAT THIS WILL TAKE CARE OF IT. *NM
1996 Oldsmobile Silhouette
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Oldsmobile Silhouette are lower than the model-year median of 40.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silhouette years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 7 of 20 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
8 reportsWHILE DRIVING 45 MPH VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT SHOP, AND TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE ENGINE. BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
INTAKE GASKET LEAKED INTERNALY AND ALLOWED OIL AND COOLANT TO INTERMIX AND DESTROYED THE ENGINE. THERE WAS NO WARNING. I\\\\\\'M STILL GETTING ESTIMATES FOR THE ENGINE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT BUT IT LOOKS TO BE $4000+.
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WOULD LOSE ACCELERATION WITHOUT WARNING. CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO WAIT 2 MINUTES BEFORE RESTARTING VEHICLE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER ON SIX OCCASION S,AND PROBLEM IS REOCCURRING.*AK
COOLANT LEAK DESTROYED THE ENGINE - THERE WAS NO WARNING - SUDDEN STOP ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WAS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. *JB
INTAKE GASKET FAILED ALLOWING OIL AND COOLANT TO INTERMIX AND DESTROY THE ENGINE. THERE WAS NO WARNING. ENGINE HAD ONLY 84000 MILES ON IT AND WAS WELL MAINTAINED.
LIFTERS COLLAPSED, MY MECHANIC IS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING THE GASKETS TO PUT IT BACK TOGETHER.
ALTHOUGH I ONLY REPORTED SIX PROBLEMS THERE ARE MORE JUST NOT ENOUGH ROOM ON THE FORM. THE WINDSHIEL CRACKED WHILE BEING WASHED RIGHT AFTER WE PURCHASED IT. THE SEAL STILL LEAKS OVER THE PASSENGER SIDE. BOTH MOTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED ON THE POWER WINDOWS. IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY SO THEY WERE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION F…
Read full complaint
ALTHOUGH I ONLY REPORTED SIX PROBLEMS THERE ARE MORE JUST NOT ENOUGH ROOM ON THE FORM. THE WINDSHIEL CRACKED WHILE BEING WASHED RIGHT AFTER WE PURCHASED IT. THE SEAL STILL LEAKS OVER THE PASSENGER SIDE. BOTH MOTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED ON THE POWER WINDOWS. IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY SO THEY WERE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND ALSO WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE WIPER MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. NOT UNDER WARRANTY. BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVERS SIDE DOORS DO NOT OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE. THE POWER WINDOW ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IS BROKE AGAIN. THE BACK GATE WON'T UNLOCK, NEED TO USE A KEY EACH TIME. THE ENGINE WENT WITH NO WARNING WHAT SO EVER. NO WARNING LIGHTS, NOTHING. THE FUEL PUMP WENT SHORTLY AFTER.*AK
Official recalls
102V286000 · Steering:rack And Pinion
Nov 4, 2002
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES AND MINI VANS HAVE LOWER PINION BEARINGS IN THE POWER RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IN WHICH THE RETAINER TABS WERE NOT CRIMPED PROPERLY. THESE AND SOME OTHER RETAINERS USED IN VEHICLES ASSEMBLED BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 1996 AND OCTOBER 31, 1997, COULD FAIL AND PERMIT THE BALL BEARINGS TO ESCAPE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS, THE PINION SHAFT CAN BE FORCED UPWARD DURING LEFT TURNS AND BACK DOWN AS THE STEERING WHEEL IS MOVED BACK AND TO THE RIGHT. IF THE PINION SHAFT MOVES FURTHER, THE DRIVER WILL NEED TO EXERT MORE EFFORT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, SIMILAR TO A VEHICLE WITHOUT POWER ASSISTED STEERING. IF THE PINION SHAFT MOVES EVEN FURTHER, THE DRIVER WILL REQUIRE MUCH HIGHER EFFORT TO TURN LEFT AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL AS MUCH AS INTENDED. WITH THE MAXIMUM PINION SHAFT MOVEMENT, WHICH REQUIRES INTERNAL GEAR COMPONENT DAMAGE, THE DRIVER CAN ENCOUNTER HIGH RESISTANCE TO TURNING LEFT, FOLLOWED BY UNINTENDED POWER ASSIST TO THE RIGHT. IN ANY OF THESE CONDITIONS, A CRASH COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW LOWER PINION BEARING UNLESS INSPECT OF THE EXISTING BEARING INDICATES THAT REPLACEMENT OF THE GEAR ASSEMBLY IS NECESSARY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JANUARY 24, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, PONTIAC AT 1-800-762-2737, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.