Your vehicle report
1997 Oldsmobile Bravada
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 104
- Received Jun 1997 to Jul 2018
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail13 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly8 complaints · 7.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Vehicle catches fire from wiring6 complaints · 5.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
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.
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 identifiedComplaint 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.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 13 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Head gasket leaks coolant into engine
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.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 5 |
| 1998 | 3 |
| 1999 | 7 |
| 2000 | 6 |
| 2001 | 14 |
| 2002 | 15 |
| 2003 | 32 |
| 2004 | 8 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 104 |
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.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 13 | 13% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 8 | 7.7% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 6 | 5.8% | – | |
| Ball joints wear out and fail | 6 | 5.8% | – | NHTSA recall #01V200000 |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 5 | 4.8% | – | NHTSA recall #03V117000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 3.9% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 4 | 3.9% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 3 | 2.9% | – | |
| Trailer frame, axle, or hitch fails while towing | 3 | 2.9% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 3 | 2.9% | – | |
| Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches | 3 | 2.9% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 3 | 2.9% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 3 | 2.9% | – |
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