NHTSA — Vehicle Speed Control Problems

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
36,250 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette engine problems

engine problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette Owner Comments

problem #4

Nov 012009

Silhouette

  • 100,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I am in army & while driving to work one morning at 5:30 am my van slowly started accelerating the more I pressed the brake the faster the van went, by the time I reached the street the van was up to 50 mph I was afraid so I call my husband, told him the situation & the street I was traveling, he was on the way. By then I was up to 60-65 mph, I called 911 stated the situation, asking for help & to have someone on the phone just in case. I almost hit a bus, looking ahead a few blocks I saw back-to-back traffic starting to build-up, I did not want to hurt myself or anyone else, then going 65-70 mph I looked over and saw a park I turned the van into the park & to stop it I decided to crash the van into a tree. I turned toward the tree and jumped out; the van crushed into the side of the tree & continued to keep going. I ran after it as I saw the van jump the curb and going 70mph towards the row of homes across the street crushed into a tree head on. The van engine after all that continued to roar as if trying to keep going. I flagged down a van and recalled the police to let them know where the van had stopped. When the fire department came & turned the van off I was told the van had been on fire it was trying to stop itself but was being over powered, the tow guy came & towed the van away. This is a blessing know one was hurt, but something needs to be done about this, & for the auto company not to investigate is a tragedy. What are they saying numerous people will have to die, before they will admit there maybe a problem" just to save money if that is the case shame on them" I am here by grace, but I can't help but think of those possibly in the same situation but not alive to tell their story. If this is what is happening god bless the roads we drive on that the next person might think to do what I did. Thank you for letting me posts my story.

- Round Rock , TX, USA

problem #3

Mar 012005

Silhouette 6-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
On two occasions in 2005, we had incidences of sudden acceleration. We own a 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette minivan and in general it has been a trouble-free vehicle. It is well-maintained by the Chevrolet-Oldsmobile dealer. In the first incident my wife was driving and easing into a parking place with her foot on the brake. When about 5 feet from a car parked in front of her, the car suddenly accelerated. Since she had her foot on the brake she managed to stop the vehicle before hitting it. About a month later, I was easing the car into our garage with my foot on the brake and as I approached racks at the back of the garage, the tires squealed forward but since I had my foot on the brake I managed to stop before hitting the rack. I measured the distance from the tire marks on the garage floor and determined that the bumper was about 3 feet from the rack when the tires spun. If I or my wife had pushed on the accelerator pedal accidentally, we could not have possibly stopped in time to prevent an accident. I am a retired mechanical engineer and I can assure that this information is correct. In both cases we were using our right foot on the brake when the acceleration occurred. We suspect the cruise control which was activated in both cases. We have since been careful to keep it deactivated. Because of the tire streaks on the garage floor, I can prove that I had my foot on the brake at the time of the sudden acceleration. We have not had a recurrence since we have kept the cruise control deactivated.

- Livermore, CA, USA

problem #2

Aug 302002

(reported on)

Silhouette

  • miles
In a parking lot while slowing to a stop with my foot on brake, car suddenly accelerated, jumped parking curb and continued forward for approximately 30 ft. Before stopping. Foot was on brake so hard that you could smell burnt brakes for another 10 minutes. Fortunately there were no pedestrians or other cars nearby or someone would have been hurt or could have been killed. This has never happened before. Has this been reported by anyone else? incidently, I am not a two footed driver. My right foot was on the brake. This all happened for a matter of seconds and the accelleration stopped and the car came to a halt.

- Dacula, GA, USA

problem #1

Apr 172002

(reported on)

Silhouette

  • miles
I have had this vehicle since 3/99. In which time I have had to bring it back for transmission problems, electrical problems, leaking fuel injectors, brakes, non working cruise control which led to the dealer replacing the compressor. Front end leaked anti freeze which led to another major job. I am not a happy motorist here. The steering column squeeked. They greased it. Turned out there was a problem with the rackinpinion. I know something about cars and I know that for the amount I pay for this vehicle, I shouldn't be having these major problems. Bandade fixes don't cut it with me. Nlm

- Lakeland, FL, USA

Not what you are looking for?