2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Silhouette years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 8th of 10 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 36 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette. That ranks 8th out of 10 Silhouette model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (5 complaints, 14%), typically at around 115,500 miles. Complaints mention 6 crashes, 15 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 36owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 6complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 5 | 14% | 115,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 11% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 11% | 29,416 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 8% | 46,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 8% | 67,641 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 8% | 29,675 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 6% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 6% | 98,705 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 6% | 22,800 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 6% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 6% | 39,416 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 3% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 3% | 4,600 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 3% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 3% | 5,261 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 3% | 29,580 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 3% | 1 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 3% | 59,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: On certain minivans equipped with second-row bucket seats or captain's chairs and a power sliding door on the passenger side of the vehicle, a passenger using the interior handle to open the power sliding door could be injured.
Risk: If a passenger uses the interior handle to open the power sliding door and holds onto the handle while it is being opened by the motor, the passenger's arm may be pushed into the seat back or armrest and a wrist or lower arm injury may result.
Fix: Dealers will replace the power sliding door interior handle on the passenger-side. If the vehicle is equipped with a power or manual sliding door on the driver-side, the interior handle will also be replaced for appearance reasons. Note: before the vehicle is serviced, gm advises owners to not use the interior door handle to open the door. The driver can open and close the door from switches at the driver's position or by using the remote key fob. The driver should tell passengers to use the switch located in front of the door to open or close it. The driver should use the override switch to prevent operation of the power door by children or by others who are not familiar with its use. The owner notification letter mailing will be conducted in phases with the first phase beginning on may 31, 2005. The second phase mailing began on july 18, 2005. The recall began on may 31, 2005. Phase 2 began on july 18, 2005. Phase 3 (final phase) began on august 24, 2005, to all remaining customers. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; pontiac at 1-800-620-7668; or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Certain passenger, mini vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment.
Risk: Pieces of the inflator could strike and injure vehicle occupants and the air bag cushion would not inflate fully, reducing the capability of the bag to protect the driver.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and replace, if necessary, the air bag module assembly on the driver's side. Owner notification began august 15, 2002. 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 buick at 1-800-521-7300, cadillac at 1-800-458-8006, chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, gmc at 1-800-462-8782, oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537, or pontiac at 1-800-762-2737.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Power-sliding door (PE04064) — opened Sep 17, 2004, closed Dec 22, 2004, led to recall 04V597000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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. *tr
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 oldsmobile silhouette. 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…
Flomaton, ala. (ap) - a van crossed the median of a highway in southern alabama and collided with a pickup truck, killing six people and injuring three others in a crash local authorities described as one of the worst they had ever seen. The force of the collision ripped the van's transmission from…
I was eastbound on a two lane road, and an escalade ran the stop sign on the driver side , as i was continuing driving i t-boned the suv, my whole front end was completely ripped and damaged, and dashboard cracked and lifted, my daughter was on the passenger side, and either bags deployed. Know…
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. The turn signals have a clear lens over them and do not appear to…
Other Oldsmobile Silhouette years
← 2002 Silhouette · 2004 Silhouette →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 Silhouette | 11 | 1 |
| 2003 | 36 | 2 |
| 2002 Silhouette | 57 | 2 |
| 2001 Silhouette | 78 | 6 |
| 2000 Silhouette | 114 | 5 |
| 1999 Silhouette | 149 | 4 |
| 1998 Silhouette | 170 | 7 |
| 1997 Silhouette | 104 | 6 |
| 1996 Silhouette | 20 | 1 |
| 1995 Silhouette | 46 | 2 |
See all Oldsmobile Silhouette problems by year, every Oldsmobile model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Oldsmobile models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette?
Owners most often report air bags, equipment, wheels problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 5 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Silhouette model years, the 2003 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.