Problems · NHTSA complaints
1996 Oldsmobile Bravada problems
Owners filed 80 complaints about the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada with NHTSA between Oct 1997 and May 2018. The most-cited component is service brakes, hydraulic (29).
Complaints
80
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
5
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Service brakes, hydraulic29
- Visibility15
- Engine and engine cooling10
- Suspension9
- Electrical system8
- Fuel system, gasoline6
- Power train4
- Structure3
- Wheels3
- Equipment2
- Engine1
- Seats1
- Seat belts1
- Air bags1
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 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
7
8
14
12
13
7
11
1
4
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 7 |
| 1998 | 8 |
| 1999 | 14 |
| 2000 | 12 |
| 2001 | 13 |
| 2002 | 7 |
| 2003 | 11 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 4 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Service brakes, hydraulic
29 reports3 crashes
“PULLING OFF FROM A STOP CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD POP. CONSUMER PROCEEDED TO DRIVE VEHICLE, HEARD ANOTHER POP, AND ABS KICKED IN. WHILE TURNING A CURVE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER'S TIRE FLOPPED INWARD. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK”
Visibility
15 reports1 related recall
“DT*: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 03V159000 REGARDING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL, BUT IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. IN ADDITION, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FUSE WAS REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES. *AK”
Engine and engine cooling
10 reports1 fire
“THE VEHICLE BEGAN OVERHEATING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND SAID THAT THE COOLANT BECAME MUDDY AND THAT HAPPENS A LOT WHEN THE COOLANT GETS A LITTLE LOW. THE THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH A FLUSH AND FILL ON THE RADIATOR AND COOLING SYSTEM. THE DEALER WANTED TO PUT THE SAME COOLANT IN THE RADIATOR AND THIS WAS UNUSUAL TO ME. I HAD THEM PUT IN PRESTON AND HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE. *LA”
Suspension
9 reports1 crash2 related recalls
“OLDSMOBILE, BRAVADA, 1996. HAD TO REPLACE BOTH UPPER BALL JOINTS ON THE FRONT SUSPENSION. GMC HAS A RECALL FOR THESE COMPONENTS. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 01V200000. GMC REFUSED TO REPAIR. THEIR RECALL IS FOR VEHICLES WITH VIN #'S T2705034-T2708364 (LAST EIGHT DIGITS) MY VIN # IS T2710395. THE BALL JOINTS ARE OBVIOUSLY FAILING IN OTHER VEHICLES THAN THOSE THEY LISTED.*AK”
Electrical system
8 reports
“MY VEHICLE WILL NOT START HAVING TROUBLE GETTING ENGINE TO START I WAS AT A GAS STATION WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED THEN MANAGED TO START IT MADE IT HOME THEN DIED AT MY HOUSE AND HAS NOT MOVED SINCE.”
Fuel system, gasoline
6 reports2 related recalls
“THE 1996 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA CONTAINS A FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM WHICH CAN CAUSE THE POPPET VALVES TO LOCK-UP. THERE WAS A COMPLETELY REDESIGNED SYSTEM FOR THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM WHICH DOES NOT HAVE POPPET VALVES. THIS REDESIGN IS THE SIGNIFICANT ADMISSION OF THIS BEING A DESIGN FLAW. THE RECORDS OF THE COMPANY NEED TO BE EXAMINED TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF PROBLEMS. THE MECHANICS WHICH I HAVE INTERVIEWED VIEW THIS AS A SIGNIFICANT PERSISTENT AND WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. *JB”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.