Total Complaints
68 filings
OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE · model year
1990 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE
68 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990OLDSMOBILESILHOUETTE carries 68 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 4 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1990 SILHOUETTE is seat belts:front:retractor with 12 filings, followed by structure:body:door (4) and seat belts:front:anchorage (4). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1990 SILHOUETTE. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
68
Complaints
1
Crashes
4
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 12 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 4 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 4 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 3 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| STEERING:COLUMN | 2 |
| STEERING | 2 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20051108VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
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
20041213STEERING:COLUMN
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
Mileage: 130,464
20031210VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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
20031210SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
FRONT AND MIDDLE SEAT BELTS WON'T RETRACT. *LA
20020926STEERING
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING THE REAR CRADLE BOLTS PULLED THROUGH THE RETAINERS DUE TO CORRISON OF THE RETAINER. AS STATED IN RECALL # 97 V 058 000, BUT VEHICLE DOES NOT FALL WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE RECALL. *MR
20020918CrashSTEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK UP, AND CONSUMER WILL LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. IT COULD HAVE CAUSED CONSUMER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
20020226STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING COLUMN BROKE WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING, AND VEHICLE BECAME MORE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNT ON DRIVERS SIDE PULLED OUT OF THE FRAME DUE TO RUST CUSING THE BACK MOUNT BOLT TO BREAK OFF. THE STEERING GEAR BOX IS LOCATED ON THE SAME SIDE. HAS NOT CONTACTED A DEALER. *AK *JG
20001026SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
SEAT BELT RETRACTOR COIL SPRINGS COME OFF OF RETRACTOR ASSY. THIS HAPPENS BECAUSE THERE IS JUST A SOFT PLASTIC COVER CAP ON THE RETRACTOR ASSY. BELT IS THEN UNUSABLE. IVE HAD BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS COME APART AND ONE IN THE REAR.
20000810STRUCTURE
A BOLT FROM THE ENGINE CRADLE BROKE, WHEELS COULD FLOP TO THE SIDE BECAUSE OF BAD ENGINE CRADLE MOUNT. *AK
20000523SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
SEAT BELTS ON DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE DO NOT RETRACT. RETRACTOR MECHANISM ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WAS REPLACED ON FEB 5, 1999. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. SEAT BELTS HAVE NOT BEEN REPAIRED. DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR HAS BEEN BROKEN FOR OVER A YEAR, AND PASSENGER'S SIDE RETRACTOR HAS BEEN BROKEN FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS. DEALER WILL TRY TO REPAIRS SEATBELTS, BUT WILL CHARGE OWNER FOR REPLACEMENT. *AK *ML
20000208STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
FRONT DOOR HANDLES BROKE OFF ON TWO OCCASION. FIRST TIME ON DRIVER'S SIDE ,AND A YEAR LATER ON PASSENGER SIDE. UNABLE TO OPEN DOORS FROM OUTSIDE. REPAIRS WERE MADE AT CONSUMER'S COST. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. *AK
19991227SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
FRONT BRAKES FAILED. NLM
19991227TIRES
RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT. NLM
19991227SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT
FRONT STRUT FAILED. NLM
19991227ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
EXHAUST SYSTEM FAILED. NLM
19991227STEERING:RACK AND PINION
RACK AND PINIONS SYSTEM FAILED. NLM
19991227SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER
REAR SHOCKS BROKE IN HALF WHILE CONSUMER WAS ON THE WAY TO WORK. NLM
19991227STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS
A HOLE RUBBED INTO THE POWER STEERING HOLE BECAUSE IT WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK. NLM
19991227EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
A/C COMPRESSOR LOCKED UP AND BURNED THE FAN BELT CAUSING THE A/C UNIT TO ONLY BLOW HOT AIR. NLM
19991115EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:CARRIER/RACK
WHEN SHUTTING THE LIFTGATE IN REAR OF VEHICLE, THE SPARE TIRE FELL OFF THE VEHICLE. DEALER REPLACED THE CABLE. *AK *YC
Compare 1990OLDSMOBILESILHOUETTE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE have?▼
The 1990 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE has 68 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 4 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR with 12 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE.
Is the 1990 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.