1998 Oldsmobile Bravada

TOTAL ELECTRICAL LOSS CAUSING ENGINE SHUTDOWN. WHILE DRIVING WITH THE AC ON AND THE RADIO ON DURING THE DAY, WITHIN A 3 MILE TRIP WE EXPERIANCED TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE 2 TIMES. THE IDIOT LIGHTS WILL FLASH, THE DASH BOARD NEEDLES WILL BOUNCE AND JUMP, AND THEN EVERYTHING SHUTSDOWN. ENGINE, BRAKES, POWER STEARING, LIGHTS EVERYTHING. WE WERE ABLE TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHIFT INTO PARK AND RESTART THE ENGINE WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. IF THIS HAD HAPPEND WHEN WE MADE THE LAST LEFT TURN, WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN NAILED BY A SEMI. THE DEALER HAS HAD THE BRAVADA FROM 2 DAYS WITHOUT FINDING ANYTHING. THEY CAN NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. THE BATTERY IS FINE, THE TERMINALS ARE FINE, THEY TESTED THE COMPUTER AND THAT IS FINE. I REFUSE TO LET ANYONE DRIVE THIS UNTIL SOMETHING IS FOUND AND FIXED.

MY LEASED 1998 BRAVADA WHICH I ACQUIRED IN 10/00, USED, BEGAN INDICATING BRAKE PAD WEAR AND NEED FOR REPLACEMENT IN LATE APRIL 2001. MUELLER TIRE IN STRONGSVILLE, OHIO HAD TO REPLACE ALL 4 ROTORS DUE TO UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNTS OF RUST AND PITTING IN THE ROTORS. IN ALL VEHICLES I HAVE EVER HAD, I HAVE NEVER SEEN ROTORS IN SUCH A DETERIORATED CONDITION AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. I HAVE SAVED THE ROTORS AND SERIOUSLY WONDER IF THERE HAVE BEEN A RECALL OR DEFECT BULLETIN ON THESE INCREDIBLY DILAPIDATED (AND DANGEROUS) TYPE OF ROTORS!*AK

THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND 6 DIFFERENT TRANSMISSIONS TROUBLE CODES ARE SET IN THE COMPUTER CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO GO INTO A DEFAULT MODE THAT CAUSES IT NOT TO HAVE A FIRST GEAR OR HIGH GEAR. THE ELECTRICAL DASH GAUGES MOY OR MAY NOT WORK AT TIMES AND THE KEY MAY OR MAY NOT COME OUT OF THE SWITCH WHEN YOU TRY AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. I CHECKED WITH A GM DEALER AND TALKED TO THE MECHANIC AND AS SOON AS I SHOWED HIM THE TROUBLE CODES AND THE NUMBER OF TIMES THEY HAD CAME UP HE TOLD ME WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AS HE HAD SEEN IT ON MANY OTHER GM CARS BEFORE.

THE VEHICLE DESCRIBED PULLS TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT DEPENDING ON THE LAY OF THE ROAD. IT WILL NOT GO STRAIGHT AT ANY TIME WITHOUT APPLYING CORRECTION WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. I RESEARCHED THE "CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS" FOR THE 1998 GM SERIES (OLDS BRAVADA, GMC JIMMY, CHEV BLAZER). THE CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS ARE STAGGERING. THE TREND ON THIS SAFETY ISSUE IS PROFOUND. GM HAS A PROBLEM AND SO DO THE CONSUMERS. HAVE YOU PICKED UP ON THIS TREND? ARE THERE STUDIES? GM HAD A RECALL TO RE-TORGUE A STEERING LINKAGE BOLT. THAT'S NOT THE PROBLEM OVERALL. IT EXTENDS INTO NEWER MODELS TOO. I THINK WE NEED HELP BEFORE WE HAVE ANOTHER FIRESTONE/FORD EXPLORER LIKE PROBLEM. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. PLEASE ADVISE ON RESULTS. THANKS FOR HELPING BECAUSE IT IS EVIDENT THAT GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS NOT FIXED IT. THERE ARE LOTS OF FAILURES, LOTS OF CRASHES, LOTS OF INJURIES, AND I'M SURE SOME LOSS OF LIFE. AND I'M ONLY SEEING WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO YOU. I WOULD BET IT IS A VERY BIG PROBLEM. THANKS AGAIN. DON SELLARS. *AK

CALLED DEALERSHIP REFERRED TO CUSTOMER SERVICE IN FLA., ON PROBLEM WITH STEERING COLUMN TALKED TO CENTRAL FLA. CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY WERE GOING TO CHECK AND CALL ME BACK. CLAIMED LEATHER WEARING OFF THE STEERING COLUMN WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, BUT WOULD LOOK INTO IT. NEVER HEARD FROM THEM AGAIN. PROBLEM WITH AC DELCO BATTERY OCCURRED WHILE I WAS ON VACATION. BATTERY WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE A 7 YEAR LIFESPAN. WHILE AT SHOPPING CENTER, BATTERY DIED AND HAD TO CONTACT TRIPLE AAA TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO GARAGE. EVIDENCE OF CORROSION WAS ON THE BATTERY CABLES AND BATTERY WAS DEAD. HAD TO PUT IN NEW BATTERY AND HAVE CABLES CLEANED. THIS WAS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. WHEN I CONTACTED DEALER, I WAS ADVISED TO CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE OF OLDS. THEY INVESTIGATED THE CASE #0CO2791144 AND ADVISED THEY WOULD NOT REFUND FOR REPAIR BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T PHYSICALLY SEE THE BATTERY. AS STATED, THIS HAPPENED ON THE ROAD WHILE ON VACATION. I HAVE WITNESS TO TRIED TO HELP AND OBSERVED CONDITION OF THE CABLES AND SAW THAT BATTERY WAS DEAD. I INTEND TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH GM, OLDSMOBILE; HOWEVER, BASED ON CONVERSATION AFTER I WENT THROUGH THIS PROBLEM, IT APPEARS THAT MANY AC DELCO BATTERIES HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM, BELIEVE THE AC DELCO BATTERY INSTALLED IN 1998 CARS TO BE DEFECTIVE. REQUEST YOUR HELP IN INVESTIGATING AND HELPING CONSUMERS. THANK YOU. *AK