Used 1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette Consumer Reviews
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Good, Reliable Van @ 140,000 Miles
j.roper, 01/16/2006
1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette GLS 3dr Ext Minivan
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I bought my 1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette from my parents when it was 2.5 years old with 54,000 miles. Now it has 140,000 miles and still looks great. The dark blue paint has held up exceptionally well even in the Texas sun. Unfortunately, this is not so with tan dash, which has turned a greenish hue. Also, the leather seats have not fared well, with a significant tear in the driver's seat. The reliability has been excellent, but rattles have increased with age and the rear power vent window motors went out around 120,000 miles. The air conditioning has been subpar since I had to replace the compressor. I also replaced the intake manifold gasket. Overall this is a nice vehicle. The actual in-town gas mileage that I have been getting, 15 mpg, is below this model's rating of 18, but the highway mileage is right on at 25 mpg. It does a nice job towing trailers and is great on cross-country trips.
Excellent Vehicle
Tommy Caldwell, 03/26/2009
1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette GLS 3dr Ext Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Purchased this van from an individual with 114000 miles. This was an excellent auto for the money. Only problem was intake manifold gasket at about 180000 miles. Still drives good and handles great on long trips. Did not appreciate the roll down seats. Did like 29 MPG highway and 22 mpg around town. Now we have 210000 miles and it still starts everytime. Only uses 1/2 quart of oil between changes at 5000 miles. Actually probably leaks the oil. Engine still performs without smoking and transmission seems strong. Would buy this again if it were available.
People Friendly Transportation
JJMAG92161, 11/14/2002
1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette GLS 3dr Ext Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I never thought that I would consider being a mini-van owner. But the dealer let us take it out for the day, and I was very impressed with the drivability of the van, very good throttle response. I really enjoyed driving the van, it practically drives itself. I have three kids, and they love the seating arrangements, its very comfortable.
Regrets of almost ten years
danbo, 08/31/2010
1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette GLS 3dr Ext Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I guess the tip-off to why I shouldn't have bought this stems back to the day I test drove it. The day I looked at buying it, fluid was leaking from the power steering unit. He really wanted to sell it, so he had that fixed and then I shelled out $14k for it. It performed with reasonable reliability over the first few years, though phantom noises from the engine and misfires were common. But a broken camshaft at 90k forced a $4500 engine rebuild, to be followed by a rebuilt transmission at 95k, followed by another engine overhaul at 123k - now at 141k the engine just seized. So, I would say, with certainty, though it's been a decent car overall, mechanically, this van is terrible.
Always in the shop
SickofSilhouette, 03/06/2004
1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
We bought our Silhouette off a lease in 2000. We are lucky that we bought the extended warranty because it has been in and out of the shop constantly for a variety of electrical problems. Last spring on a trip back from Florida the engine threw a ball bearing into the cylinder. We had to tow it from GA to IN. We just paid it off this week and the engine started acting up just like it did in GA. We are going to get rid of it as soon as possible!
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