Your vehicle report

1997 Oldsmobile Bravada

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
104
Received Jun 1997 to Jul 2018
Official recalls listed
2
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail13 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly8 complaints · 7.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Vehicle catches fire from wiring6 complaints · 5.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #03V117000Certain sport utility vehicles were built with a driver's seat belt buckle assembly that contains an energy-absorbing loop. Sustained loads of sufficient magnitude and duration on the belt in severe crashes could fully deploy the buckle energy-absorbing loop, introducing a total of 10 additional inches of webbing into the seat belt system. The free falling latch plate used in this system may allow webbing to dynamically distribute between the lap and shoulder belt as the driver's position changes during a multiple rollover event.
  • Recall #01V200000On certain sport utility vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin, and in the district of columbia. Failure of an upper control arm ball joint assembly could occur due to corrosion.
View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 6 crashes, 7 fires, 6 people injured, 0 deaths.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 13 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

1 more problem

Brakes

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Electrical & lights

Airbags, belts & seats

Steering, suspension & tires

Body, doors & glass

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada
32
Show as a table
YearComplaints
19975
19983
19997
20006
200114
200215
200332
20048
20055
20062
20072
20080
20091
20101
20110
20120
20131
20141
20150
20160
20170
20181
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 (to Oct 2026)0
Total104

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail1313%–
Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly87.7%–
Vehicle catches fire from wiring65.8%–
Ball joints wear out and fail65.8%–NHTSA recall #01V200000
Seat belt fails to latch or retract54.8%–NHTSA recall #03V117000
Airbags fail to deploy in crashes43.9%–
Engine suddenly shuts off while driving43.9%–
Ignition key sticks or will not turn32.9%–
Trailer frame, axle, or hitch fails while towing32.9%–
Headlights dim or fail at night32.9%–
Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches32.9%–
Head gasket leaks coolant into engine32.9%–
Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power32.9%–

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

  • NHTSA recall #03V117000March 31, 2003312,715 vehicles affected

    seat belts: front: buckle assembly

    Certain sport utility vehicles were built with a driver's seat belt buckle assembly that contains an energy-absorbing loop. Sustained loads of sufficient magnitude and duration on the belt in severe crashes could fully deploy the buckle energy-absorbing loop, introducing a total of 10 additional inches of webbing into the seat belt system. The free falling latch plate used in this system may allow webbing to dynamically distribute between the lap and shoulder belt as the driver's position changes during a multiple rollover event.

    If the energy-absorbing loop fully deploys in a severe multiple rollover crash, it is possible that a belted driver may experience partial or even complete ejection from the vehicle.

    Remedy

    Dealers will replace the energy-absorbing seat belt assemblies with one that does not have the energy-absorbing loop. Owner notification began on august 8, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Gmc at 1-800-462-8782, or Oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.

  • NHTSA recall #01V200000June 28, 200148,600 vehicles affected

    suspension: front: control arm: upper ball joint

    On certain sport utility vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin, and in the district of columbia. Failure of an upper control arm ball joint assembly could occur due to corrosion.

    This Can result in impaired steering or steering loss, or a partial or complete collapse of the front suspension, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will replace both upper ball joints. Owner notification began september 4, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Gmc at 1-800-462-8782, or Oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.

Other model years

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN