Problems · NHTSA complaints

2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette problems

Owners filed 11 complaints about the 2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette with NHTSA between Sep 2004 and Nov 2018. The most-cited component is tires (4).

Complaints
11
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Tires4
  2. Electrical system2
  3. Structure2
  4. Air bags1
  5. Latches/locks/linkages1
  6. Parking brake1
  7. Seats1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20041
20053
20061
20070
20082
20090
20101
20110
20121
20130
20140
20150
20160
20171
20181

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Tires

4 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH MASTERCRAFT STRATEGY TIRES (N/A), TIRE SIZE 225/60/16. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE FOUR TIRES WERE BALANCED AND THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE TIRES HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,963.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 16, 2012TiresODI 10465802

Electrical system

2 reports
“2004 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE LUXURY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE RADIO, LOCKS, SLIDING DOORS AND INSTRUMENT PANEL ALL MALFUNCTION. *JS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 13, 2018Electrical systemODI 11150548

Structure

2 reports
“MY 10 YEAR OLD NIECE ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE POWER SLIDING DOOR ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF OUR 2004 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE OUTSIDE THE MALL. THE MOTOR WAS ALREADY RUNNING, IN PARK, AS I HAD COME TO PICK UP MY DAUGHTER AND NIECE FROM THE MALL. THE DOOR APPEARED TO BE LOCKED SINCE IT WOULD NOT OPEN, SO I PUSHED 'UNLOCK' A FEW TIMES AS SHE AND MY GROWN DAUGHTER TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR. I JUST HEARD A CLICKING SOUND OF THE UNLOCK MECHANISM AS IF IT WAS LOCKING AND UNLOCKING. THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN, SO MY NIECE ENTERED THROUGH THE MANUAL SIDE DOOR ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VAN. WE DROVE ABOUT 3 BLOCKS FROM THE MALL TO THE STOPLIGHT OF A MAJOR CITY STREET. ABOUT HALF A BLOCK OR LESS AFTER TAKING A LEFT AT THE INTERSECTION STOPLIGHT, THE POWER SLIDING DOOR ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VAN JUST OPENED. MY NIECE LOUDLY EXCLAIMED THAT THE DOOR OPENED AND TRIED TO REACH ACROSS FROM HER BUCKLED POSITION ON THE LEFT BUCKET SEAT. MY DAUGHTER AND I BOTH SHRIEKED AND SAID FOR HER NOT TO GET NEAR IT. MY DAUGHTER WAS SEATED UP FRONT ON THE PASSENGER SEAT AND REACHED BACK TO THE WINDOW LEDGE OF THE OPEN SLIDING DOOR AND TRIED TO PULL IT SHUT. IT SHUT MOST OF THE WAY, BUT NOT FULLY. I PULLED…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 22, 2017StructureODI 11056021

Air bags

1 report1 crash
“THE IMPACT OF THE CRASH OF MY CAR INTO THE SIDE OF THE OTHER CAR AS I WAS GOING WEST & HE WAS GOING NORTH,AS HIS CAR KEPT ON GOING, ROLLED OVER, MY CAR WAS PULLED NW THE BUMPER PULLED OFF - BUT THE AIR BAG DID NOT BLOW, WHY? *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 10, 2008Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10251299

Latches/locks/linkages

1 report1 related recall
“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SLIDING DOOR ON THE LEFT SIDE OPENED WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, THE DOOR CHIME ALARM SOUNDED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE FUSE TO DOOR ALARM COULD NOT BE REMOVED BECAUSE IT WAS A SAFETY FEATURE. THE DEALER CLEANED THE DOOR CONTACTS AND REPLACED THE LOCKS. THE PROBLEMS PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 15, 2006Structure, Latches/locks/linkagesODI 10159926

Parking brake

1 report1 crash
“DT: LAST WEEK WHILE IN PARK THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON FLAT GROUND. THE CAR WAS PARKED OUTSIDE OF HOME.THERE ARE NO WARNING LIGHTS TO INDICATE A PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN AND IMBANKMENT.THE PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT SET. . IT SHOWED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN PARK WHEN THE OWNER GOT BACK IN IT. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED, WHO WAS CONSULTING GM TO SEE IF THEY WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH OWNER. OWNER HAS NOT SPOKEN WITH GM. THE OWNER IWAS NOT AWARE OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE WILL BE COSTS INCURRED BY THIS INCIDENT. OWNER FOUND AN OLD RECALL ON INTERNET, BUT HAS ALREADY CHECKED, AND THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. THE OLD RECALL NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE.*AJK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 18, 2005Parking brakeCrash reportedODI 10129080
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.