Awd disable and ABS lights illuminated. Left rear wheel bearing and hub assembly failed and were replaced (four times).*ak the evap solenoid, fuel sender and pump assembly were replaced. The heating element for the front driver's seat failed twice. The right rear seat belt failed. The right power sliding door actuator module failed. Rear wiper failed intermittently. A/c condenser failed. Engine failed.
Oldsmobile Silhouette seat belt problems
31 of the 950 owner complaints about the Oldsmobile Silhouette describe seat belt won't latch or retract, most of them for the 1990 model year.
- owner complaints
- 31
- worst model year
- 1990
- typical mileage
- 64,442
Is there a fix? There are 6 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20021
- 20003
- 19992
- 19981
- 19971
- 19953
- 19941
- 19931
- 19922
- 19914
- 199012
Often reported together
Wipers 2Airbag light 2Won't start 1Fuel gauge 1Engine failure 1Door locks 1ABS 1
What owners say
The right side seat belt will not engage or retract. Driver noticed that the front seat belt would engage and retract an its own. Took vehicle to the dealer, and mechanic determined that seat belt neeeded to be replaced.
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.
First issue: the windshield wipers fail to operate correctly. I replaced the blades and theres no improvement. They might go up/down 2 or 3 times then get stuck in up position, soon discovered that hitting bumps corrected for few seconds then again, they would fail to work properly. I took the vehicle to the repair shop & they said that it looked like the bearing was loose & later I replaced the wiper motor. #2: the fuel gauge is inaccurate & floats with acceleration or turns. The fuel warning light only illuminates after you've ran out of gas, you are out of gas when needle is slightly above 1/4 tank mark. #3: the front driver seatbelt fails to retract & often is shut in door b/c of failure. Also the seatbelt warning light/signal will only operate after you wiggle floor attached buckle. #4: the service engine soon light illuminates & remains lit. When attempting to retrieve trouble code the PCM does not communicate w/ scope diagnoster or when using aldl jumper wire method the service engine soon light never flashes the codes. #5: the driver electric window jumps when lowering & often falls from 1/2 up position & the passenger window rools only 1/2 down then must be pulled up by hand. Also, it makes a loud vibrating noise. #6: driver exterior door handle is broken & liftgate lock/latch does not lock & is loose. #7: transmission just suddenly went into neutral while exiting highway @55mph. When I kill the engine momentarily, the restarting problem subsided temporarily & also safety swithches did not function properly (would not start in neutral). I rebuilt the transmission & replaced all associated switches/modules.
Consumer stated that once child safety seat was installed seat belt retracted, allowing the child safety seat to be removed. When trying to reinstall the child safety seat the seat belt remained locked, making it impossible to reinstall the child safety seat once it had been removed.
Front seat belt will not retract.
The seat belt for the right side 2nd row passenger seat kep tightening up on the passenger leading to releasing it for comfort. Eventually the seat belt locked up. Had it replaced twice, but the same problem kep recurring after a few days of use. The dealer now refuses to honor the warranty to replace the defective seat belt.
The driver's side seat belt is broken. Also, the vehicle had a electrical short which caused the air bag light to come on. Dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was out of warranty and that there was nothing that they can do about it. Ph
Driver's seat belt broke. Also had an electrical short which turned air bag light on. Dealer was contacted, and stated that vehicle was out of warranty and they couldn't do anything about it. Ts. ...
The middle row seatbelt will not stay locked. Consumer stated when securing child seat in the middle outboard rear seat, the seatbelt will not stay locked, and popped loose. Child was not properly restrained. Ts seat belt buckle and retractor was replaced.
Related recalls
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and mini vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load bearing requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies."
- Risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant may not be properly restrained.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the vehicle's safety belt buckle assembly date codes and, if necessary, will replace any safety belt buckle assembly.
Recall number 00V228003 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: webbing
- What is wrong
- The second row, right hand shoulder belt can become "pinched" between the seat and the door frame pillar trim. The shoulder belt may not retract properly, which does not comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the 1994 vehicles have an optional integral (built in) childseat installed next to the power sliding side door. The 1993 involved vehicles have standard seats in that same position.
- Risk
- Improper shoulder belt retraction does not provide adequate protection to the seat occupant in the event of a sudden stop or collision.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the door frame pillar trim panel with a redesigned trim panel. Also, a caution label will be applied to the child seat advising the owner not to install the seat to the passenger side of a vehicle with a power sliding side door.
Recall number 94V100000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: retractor
- What is wrong
- The third row safety belt retractors may be installed incorrectly and may lock-up when the vehicle is on slopes of less than 15 degrees, which does not comply with fmvss no. 209, "seat belt assemblies."
- Risk
- Consequence of non-compliance: passengers seated in these positon maybe unable to extract and fasten their seat belts until the vehicle is moved to a more level surface. Unbelted occupants are more at risk of injury in the event of a collision than those using safety belts.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove third row safety belt retractors and reinstall them properly.
Recall number 94V015000 · Recall details
Seat belts: rear/other
- What is wrong
- Vehicle fails to conform to fmvss no. 209, "seat belt assemblies." the safety belt of the left third row seat on the six passenger van and the center second row seat of the seven passenger van may lock up and cannot be withdrawn from the retractor.
- Risk
- Consequence of non-compliance: the occupants of these seats will not be able to use the affected belt. In the event of a vehicle crash, unbelted occupants are at increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Owners are being asked to inspect their vehicles to determine if the suspect retractor exhibits a lockup condition. Based on this inspection, dealers will replace the safety belts if the belt locks up. Replacement of the suspect safety belt will be available to consumers for the life of the vehicle.
Recall number 94V027000 · Recall details
Seat belts: rear/other
- What is wrong
- The safety belt retractors for the rear center position are missing a pawl spring and in case of an accident, will allow the safety belt webbing to extend beyond the minimum requirements of fmvss no. 208, "occupant crash protection."
- Risk
- In the event of an accident the safety belt would notrestrain the occupant, subjecting the occupant to increased risk of injuries.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the safety belt retractor assembly and replace the retractor if the pawl spring is missing.
Recall number 93V212000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: anchorage
- What is wrong
- A right hand seat/shoulder belt retractor may have been installed in the second row left hand seat position (directly behind driver).
- Risk
- The incorrect retractor may cause the belts to lock upif the van is parked on a steep grade. As a result of this, the occupant couldnot extend the belt for use.
- Remedy
- Replace shoulder belt assembly.
Recall number 91V046000 · Recall details
Questions about the Oldsmobile Silhouette seat belt
Which Oldsmobile Silhouette years have seat belt won't latch or retract problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1990 (12 complaints), 1991 (4 complaints) and 1995 (3 complaints).
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