10 of the 155 complaints about the 1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette are about the electrical system — 6% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 120,000 miles.
10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
ROOF LEAKS, DESPITE ATTEMPTS TO BLOCK LEAKAGE, WATER HAS INFILTRATED THE FUSE PANEL REPEATEDLY, SHORTING THE HORN, CAUSING IT TO HONK AT RANDOM FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.
NHTSA complaint #10114483 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
ROOF LEAKS, DESPITE ATTEMPTS TO BLOCK LEAKAGE, WATER HAS INFILTRATED THE FUSE PANEL REPEATEDLY, SHORTING THE HORN, CAUSING IT TO HONK AT RANDOM FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.
NHTSA complaint #10114483 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF, THE HORN CONTINUOUSLY SOUNDED AND ALL THE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY LOCKED. THE DOORS COULD NOT BE MANUALLY OPENED. THE CONSUMER HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE ON AND WAIT FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE TO TEN MINUTES AND THEN TURN THE VEHICLE OFF TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, POWER STEERING FLUID HAD TO BE ADDED EVERY 10,000 MILES AND THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED DUE TO FAULTY GASKETS. THE ENGINE HAD BEEN REPLACED TWICE. *AK WHEN THE DOORS LOCKED, THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT OPEN, THE DASH LIGHTS AND OVERHEAD LIGHTS WOULD GO OUT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, THE POWER LOCKS WOULD CHATTER WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN THE DASH, THE DRIVER DOORS WOULD UNLOCK WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, ALL THE DOORS WOULD LOCK WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND COULD NOT BE OPENED MANUALLY OR OPEN THE WINDOWS, ALL OF THE DOORS WOULD UNLOCK WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND WAS INTERMITTENT, THE LEFT DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF, THE STEERING PUMP WENT DRY WHILE DRIVING AND THE PUMP WENT DRY 5 ADDITIONAL TIMES AFTER 1005K MILES, THE DOORS LOCKED WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF AND WOULD BE UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR(S) OR WINDOW, THE POWER WINDOWS WERE INOPERATIVE, THE DRIVER MIRROR WOULD SHAKE, THERE WAS MOISTURE IN THE HEAD LAMP, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO DIM AT NIGHT WHEN THE HEATER WAS TURNED ON, THE LEFT REAR WINDOW RATTLED, THE WIRING CHAFFED ON THE STUD UNDER THE CARPET IN THE VEHICLE, AND THE ELECTRICAL REMOTE DID NOT WORK UNTIL THE CONSUMER WAS CLOSE TO THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN THE DOORS WERE LOCKED AFTER THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS OFF, THE HORN WOULD START BLOWING AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF UNTIL THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS TURNED BACK ON. *SC THE POWER MIRROR WERE INOPERATIVE.
NHTSA complaint #10064708 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
THE CAR DID NOT CATCH FIRE BUT THE DASH STARTED SMOKING. THE DASH WAS MELTED IN A COUPLE OF PLACES. A FRIEND OF OURS HAD THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL OF VAN THAT STARTED FIRE IN THEIR GARAGE AND BURNT DOWN THE GARAGE. THE PERSON WHO WORKED ON THIS SAID IT WAS GETTING VERY HOT AND IF IT STARTED SMOKING AGAIN TO GET OUT BECAUSE IT WOULD PROBALBY CATCH FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #751868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY HAS HAD TO BE JUMPED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITHOUT ACCESSORIES BEING LEFT, YET BATTERY TESTS ADEQUATE AT DEALERSHIP. FUEL INJECTOR NUMBER ONE NEEDED REPLACEMENT AT 33,600 MILES.
NHTSA complaint #716082 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR WIRE FAILED CAUSED BATTERY TO DIE. YH
NHTSA complaint #549150 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR WIRE FAILED CAUSED BATTERY TO DIE. YH
NHTSA complaint #549150 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR WIRE FAILED CAUSED BATTERY TO DIE. YH
NHTSA complaint #549150 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VEHICLE HAS NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. DUE TO THIS PROBLEM, THE VEHICLE HAS NO POWER, IT WON'T START, THE HORN AND AIR BAG SYSTEM HAVE BEEN REWIRED, AND THE BRAKE LIGHT HAS AN ERRATIC OPERATION. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. RETURNED TO DEALER FOR DEFECTIVE BRAKE LIGHT AND THE REAR ELECTRICAL WINDOWS HAVE FAILED AGAIN.
NHTSA complaint #846905 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY FAILED. NLM
NHTSA complaint #608174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.