1990 Oldsmobile Silhouette problems & reliability
43 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Oldsmobile Silhouette. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts → | 17 | 40% |
| Steering | 9 | 21% |
| Structure | 7 | 16% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 5% |
| Equipment | 2 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 5% |
| Seats | 2 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Dt: the contact put the vehicle in drive and was heading for intersection when he realized that accelerator pedal was stuck. He had to turn right to avoid hitting oncoming traffic. He then turned the vehicle off, and the vehicle kept going. He did not contact the dealer. *ak”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Nov 8, 2005
“The steering wheel severed from the steering rack, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. Consumer contacted the dealer and the manufacturer. Neither was able to locate the correct vin to identify the vehicle, and to be able to determine whether the recall work has been done. *ak”
Steering · filed Dec 13, 2004
“Speedometer isn't functioning properly. When I got this van from my grandfather (who was the original owner) the speedometer had not been working for a long time and is still not working. *la”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Dec 10, 2003
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE CRADLE SEPARATION
Engineering Analysis EA00011 · opened Apr 10, 2000 · closed Jan 12, 2001 · led to recall 00V189000
- ENGINE CRADLE SEPARATION
Recall Query RQ99002 · opened Mar 4, 1999 · open · led to recall 97V058000
- CRADLE BOLT FAILURES
Recall Query RQ97017 · opened Oct 2, 1997 · open · led to recall 97V058000
- FRONT SEAT BACK COLLAPSE
Engineering Analysis EA97019 · opened Sep 30, 1997 · closed Jun 8, 1999 · led to recall 99I003000
- FRONT SEAT BACK COLLAPSE
Preliminary Evaluation PE97016 · opened Apr 7, 1997 · closed Sep 30, 1997
- ALLEGED ENGINE SUBFRAME MOUNT/INSULATOR
Preliminary Evaluation PE96065 · opened Nov 15, 1996 · closed Apr 8, 1997 · led to recall 97V058000
- APV FUEL LINE FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA92035 · opened Oct 30, 1992 · closed Nov 30, 1993
- APV FIRES
Defect Petition DP92012 · opened Jun 9, 1992 · closed Jun 25, 1992
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Oldsmobile Silhouette.
No tcc apply, malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on, tcc surge, possible p0740, p1870, or 39 after installation of a reman (srta) 4t60/4t60e. *tt
01880 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
Some v6 engines may, on a very infrequent basis, have an oil odor condition that is generally encountered after the engine's oil has been changed.typically the odor lasts approximately 1000 miles after the change of oil…
876002A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 1998
FUEL TANK THUD/CLUNK. *TW
436303 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 1995
Sliding door rattles. *tw
431051 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1994
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1990 Oldsmobile Silhouette in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1990 Oldsmobile Silhouette?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.