The 1993 Oldsmobile Silhouette has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 748,216 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 24 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the seat belts. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
POWER TRAIN96V0150001996-01-23585,182 affected
Defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 1991 THROUGH JULY 1995. THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINE CAN SEPARATE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN LOW TEMPERATURES IN COMBINATION WITH HIGH TRANSMISSION LOADS.
Consequence
VEHICLE FIRES CAN OCCUR DUE TO THE SPILLAGE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINES.
SEAT BELTS94V1000001994-05-245,294 affected
Defect
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…
Consequence
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.
SEAT BELTS94V0270001994-01-04157,740 affected
Defect
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ROW SEAT ON THE SIX PASSENGER VAN AND THE CENTER SECOND ROW SEAT OF THE SEVEN PASSENGER VAN MAY LOCK UP AND CANNOT BE WITHDRAWN FROM THE RETRACTOR.
Consequence
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.
Complaints by component
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
3
EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:CARRIER/RACK
2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES
2
1fires
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
2
1crashes
CHILD SEAT:HARNESS BUCKLE:INFANT
1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1
1fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
1
1fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
1
1fires
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
1
Total complaints24
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Both front seat belts have stopped retracting. There was no discernible precursor to this malfunction. *nm”
“The windshield wipers worked intermittently. *jb”
“The vehicle was parked when the interior caught on fire. The consumer had previously experienced a problem with the electrical system. *nlm”
“Windshield wipers would not start operating. The system appeared "frozen" yet would start operating again in a few hours. The dealer replaced the windshield wiper motor assembly and charged me for the repair work. The same problem appeared in my 1994 oldsmobile truck silhouette. There is clearly a…”
“Tread separation on left front tire. At high speed the tire felt like a balance weight had been lost and thumped. At lower speeds (below 30mph) the steering wheel would "rock" like the front end or steering mechanism was loose and would pull the vehicle to the right. Continued high speed driving…”
“When applying brakes vehicle appeared to be sliding. Brakes would grab/lock up intermittently. Vehicle taken to an independent repair shop on two occasions, and problem was reoccurring. Dealer notified, and informed consume rthat vehicle was not under a recall. Feel free to provide further…”
“We ran into a curb at about 40 mph. My 3 year old daughter's car seat which was attached to the seatbelt behind the driver, detached (the clasp from the buckle) and my daughter and the car seat were thrown forward into the back of the driver's seat. About 3 weeks after this incident, the seatbelt…”
“We ran into a curb at about 40 mph. My 3 year old daughter's car seat which was attached to the seatbelt behind the driver, detached (the clasp from the buckle) and my daughter and the car seat were thrown forward into the back of the driver's seat. About 3 weeks after this incident, the seatbelt…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationPE94070 Opened 1994-09-15 · closed 1995-01-18
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1993 Oldsmobile Silhouette as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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