1997 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VOLTAGE DROPPING WHILE VEHICLE IN STOPPED CAUSING HEADLIGHTS TO DIM. *LD *JS
1997 Oldsmobile Bravada
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 58.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Bravada years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
33 reports with mileage · 71 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
18 reportsWHILE DRIVING MY 1997 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA THE CAR SHUT OFF UNEXPECTEDLY AND CONTINUED TO STALL. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF OF THE ROAD AND RESTART THE CAR. I DROVE TO MY MECHANICS GARAGE AND HE REPLACED THE IGNITION HARNESS. THIS HAS HAPPED TO ME A TOTAL OF ( 4) FOUR TIMES. THE FREQUENCY HAS BEEN ABOUT EVERY 6 MONTHS TO 1 YEAR. THE …
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WHILE DRIVING MY 1997 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA THE CAR SHUT OFF UNEXPECTEDLY AND CONTINUED TO STALL. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF OF THE ROAD AND RESTART THE CAR. I DROVE TO MY MECHANICS GARAGE AND HE REPLACED THE IGNITION HARNESS. THIS HAS HAPPED TO ME A TOTAL OF ( 4) FOUR TIMES. THE FREQUENCY HAS BEEN ABOUT EVERY 6 MONTHS TO 1 YEAR. THE MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE WAS ABOUT 100,000 THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USEDWITH ABOUT 95,000 MILES. PLEASE HELP. *TR
1997 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA BECAME COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES AFTER THE DRIVER PULLED OVER AFTER SEEING SMOKE. *KB OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0002-89 UPDATED LETTER 04/29/10 *BF
BRAVADA SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING. WHILE ON HIGHWAY I WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH. THEN THE TRUCK IS COMPLETELY DEAD. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND SAT FOR 5 TO 10 MINUTES TRYING TO RESTART IT. IT FINALLY STARTED. (NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON) AFTER I LET IT SIT FOR A FEW MONTH I DECIDED TO REPLACE THE EGR VALVE GASKET AND CLEAN TH…
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BRAVADA SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING. WHILE ON HIGHWAY I WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH. THEN THE TRUCK IS COMPLETELY DEAD. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND SAT FOR 5 TO 10 MINUTES TRYING TO RESTART IT. IT FINALLY STARTED. (NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON) AFTER I LET IT SIT FOR A FEW MONTH I DECIDED TO REPLACE THE EGR VALVE GASKET AND CLEAN THE CARBON OUT OF THE THROTTLE BODY. A FEW MONTHS GO BY I WAS DRIVING ON A ROAD OFF OF A HIGH WAY GOING 40 MPH. SAME THING OCCURRED. I GOT IT STARTED IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME AND IT WILL RUN FINE LIKE NOTHING EVER HAPPENED. AFTER READING THE OTHER COMPLAINTS I AM GOING TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH EVEN THOUGH THE DEALER SAID IT COULD BE NUMEROUS OF OTHER THINGS AND NOT THE IGNITION SWITCH. IN FACT THEY NEVER HEARD OF AN IGNITION SWITCH DOING THIS. *TR
ON JULY 31, 2005 MY FAMILY AND I WERE TRAVELING HOME FROM MICHIGAN WE WERE 29 MILES FROM HOME WHEN OUR 1997 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA CAUGHT FIRE. WE HAD BEEN TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH A FIRE UNDER OUR SUV FOR SOME TIME AND WAS NOT AWARE OF IT. PARTS LITERALLY BEGAN TO FALL FROM UNDER THE TRUCK WHEN WE STOPPED THE TRUCK TO SEE WH…
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ON JULY 31, 2005 MY FAMILY AND I WERE TRAVELING HOME FROM MICHIGAN WE WERE 29 MILES FROM HOME WHEN OUR 1997 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA CAUGHT FIRE. WE HAD BEEN TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH A FIRE UNDER OUR SUV FOR SOME TIME AND WAS NOT AWARE OF IT. PARTS LITERALLY BEGAN TO FALL FROM UNDER THE TRUCK WHEN WE STOPPED THE TRUCK TO SEE WHAT HAD WENT WRONG WE NOTICED THE FIRE. EYE WITNESSES SAID THEY SAW FLAMES COMING FROM OUR VEHICLE BEFORE WE EVEN STOPPED. WHEN WE GOT OUT AND SAW THE FIRE WE BEGAN REMOVING OUR CHILDREN AS FAST AS WE COULD. WHEN THE LAST CHILD WAS REMOVED WE BEGAN TO RUN AWAY FROM THE TRUCK. BY THIS TIME THE TRUCK WAS FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THERE WAS NO SMELL OF GAS OR ANY WARNING TELLING US THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG. WE WERE BLESSED TO COME OUT OF THIS ALIVE, BUT THAT MAY NOT BE THE CASE FOR OTHER FAMILIES. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT CONSUMERS NEED TO BE AWARE OF IT COULD SAVE LIVES. ITS NOT RIGHT FOR MANUFACTURES TO PUT PEOPLES LIVES AT RISK FOR THE SAKE OF A FEW DOLLARS. I CAN NOT OR WILL NOT PUT THIS OUT OF MY MIND AS IF IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. PLEASE HELP ME GET THIS INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC SO THAT THEY ARE AWARE. *JB
MY 1997 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA HAD A PROBLEM WHERE THE CAR WOULD "DIE" ANYTIME AND THEN OUTOMATICALLY TURN BACK ON WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE SAME WOULD HAPPEN DURING CITY DRIVING BUT I WIOULD HAVE TO RE-START THE CAR. A VERY DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE IF I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING A TURN WHEN THE CAR WOULD SUDDENLY STOP. IT …
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MY 1997 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA HAD A PROBLEM WHERE THE CAR WOULD "DIE" ANYTIME AND THEN OUTOMATICALLY TURN BACK ON WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE SAME WOULD HAPPEN DURING CITY DRIVING BUT I WIOULD HAVE TO RE-START THE CAR. A VERY DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE IF I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING A TURN WHEN THE CAR WOULD SUDDENLY STOP. IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE IGNITION SWITCH THAT NEEDED REPLACEMENT AND THE DEALER SAID THAT THIS WAS BECOMING A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS KIND OF AUTOMOBILE (BRAVADA, BLAZER, JIMMY). I WAS FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT BEFORE I TURNED INTO THE DEALERSHIP.*AK
THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AT LEAST FOUR TIMES FOR STALLING AND CUTTING OFF. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. *JB *NM
FAULTY DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT.*MR THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 03V-117000 RELATED TO A FAULTY DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED BUT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONSUMER RETURNED AT A LATER DATE TO HAVE IT DONE. THE VEHICLE WAS WORKING FINE WHEN IT WAS DROPPED OFF. WHEN D…
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FAULTY DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT.*MR THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 03V-117000 RELATED TO A FAULTY DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED BUT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONSUMER RETURNED AT A LATER DATE TO HAVE IT DONE. THE VEHICLE WAS WORKING FINE WHEN IT WAS DROPPED OFF. WHEN DEPARTING THE FACILITY AFTER REPAIR, THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT SEAT WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. THE DRIVER'S DOOR LOCKS WOULD NOT OPEN OR LOCK AUTOMATICALLY. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS FLICKERED ON AND OFF. THE SERVICE REP WAS CONTACTED AND REQUESTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE RETURNED TO THE DEALER. UPON INSPECTION THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THE MALFUNCTIONS WERE NOT THE DEALERS PROBLEM AND THAT THEY WOULD BE BILLED FOR ANY REPAIRS MADE. *NLM
ALTERNATOR BLEW OUT AT 58524 MILES, NEEDED TO REPLACE. THIS IS WAY TOO SOON FOR AN ALTERNATOR TO GO OUT. *NLM
INTERIOR LIGHTS FLASH AND FLICKER. ANYTIME THE DRIVERS POWER SEAT CONTROLS OR LUMBAR SWITCH'S ARE PRESSED THE FLASHING AND FLICKERING INCREASES AS WELL AS BATTERY VOLTAGE DROPPING. TESTED BY REMOVING THE FUSE FOR THE POWER SEATS, FLICKER STILL REMAINS AND VEHICLE STILL LOSES BATTERY VOLTAGE RANDOMLY. VEHICLE ALSO RESPONDS LI…
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INTERIOR LIGHTS FLASH AND FLICKER. ANYTIME THE DRIVERS POWER SEAT CONTROLS OR LUMBAR SWITCH'S ARE PRESSED THE FLASHING AND FLICKERING INCREASES AS WELL AS BATTERY VOLTAGE DROPPING. TESTED BY REMOVING THE FUSE FOR THE POWER SEATS, FLICKER STILL REMAINS AND VEHICLE STILL LOSES BATTERY VOLTAGE RANDOMLY. VEHICLE ALSO RESPONDS LIKE IT HAS A DEAD BATTERY EVERYTIME IT'S STARTED (REPLACED BATTERY WITH NEW ONE AND HAD SAME PROBLEM).*JB
Official recalls
203V117000 · Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly
Mar 31, 2003
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
01V200000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint
Jun 28, 2001
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA94038 · Abs Braking System
Opened Oct 31, 1994 · Closed Feb 28, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
THIS INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN A SAFETY RECALL, 99V-193, AND A SERVICE CAMPAIGN, 99I-006.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
THIS INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN A SAFETY RECALL, 99V-193, AND A SERVICE CAMPAIGN, 99I-006.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
THIS INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN A SAFETY RECALL, 99V-193, AND A SERVICE CAMPAIGN, 99I-006.
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