1996 Oldsmobile Bravada Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Bravada years
- More complaints than other years 4th of 10 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 77 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada. That ranks 4th out of 10 Bravada model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (30 complaints, 39%), typically at around 88,746 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 77owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 30 | 39% | 88,746 | — | — |
| Visibility | 15 | 19% | 88,746 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 10 | 13% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 8 | 10% | 177,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 8 | 10% | 88,746 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 8% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 4% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 1% | 177,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | 57,979 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 57,979 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 1% | 177,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Oldsmobile Bravada recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer
Problem: On certain minivans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles with certain model-engine combinations, the windshield wiper motor may fail due to cracked solder joints on the controller circuit board. The windshield wipers could work intermittently or not at all.
Risk: If this were to occur during bad weather, driver visibility would be reduced, which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the wiper motor circuit board and cover. Owner notification began on june 19, 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.
Suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Problem: Vehicle description: 4-door, 4-wheel drive and all-wheel drive multi-purpose passenger vehicles. During development testing, the prop shaft contacted the inboard side of the fuel tank allowing fuel leakage. This leakage was in excess of the amount permitted by fmvss 301, "fuel system integrity."
Risk: If an ignition source is present, and there is a fuel leak, a fire could occur.
Fix: Dealers will install additional shielding of the fuel tank. This will be added without removing or disassembling the fuel system.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Windshield wiper failure (EA02006) — opened May 31, 2002, closed Jul 23, 2003, led to recall 03V159000.
- Upper and lower control arm ball joint (EA99022) — opened Jul 30, 1999, closed Aug 28, 2001, led to recall 01I018000.
- Abs braking system (EA94038) — opened Oct 31, 1994, closed Feb 28, 2000, led to recall 99I006000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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.
I had a failure of the upper and lower ball joints in the front end of my vehicle - i had replacement done which cost $1326.00. *nm
Abs sensors failed causing brake pulsation and failure. Rear wiper motor failed (still on vehicle). *nm
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
The windshield wiper on my 1996 olds bravada started to work intermittently. The problem, as diagnosed by a gm dealer was a faulty wiper control board/module. This is the fault described on gm recall 03023. But i was told that only some of the 1996 bravadas are covered by this recall (and mine is…
Other Oldsmobile Bravada years
← 1995 Bravada · 1997 Bravada →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 Bravada | 13 | 2 |
| 2003 Bravada | 27 | 7 |
| 2002 Bravada | 238 | 10 |
| 2001 Bravada | 33 | 1 |
| 2000 Bravada | 76 | 3 |
| 1999 Bravada | 60 | 0 |
| 1998 Bravada | 98 | 2 |
| 1997 Bravada | 104 | 2 |
| 1996 | 77 | 3 |
| 1995 Bravada | 2 | 0 |
See all Oldsmobile Bravada problems by year, every Oldsmobile model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Oldsmobile models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, visibility, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 30 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Bravada model years, the 1996 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.