1997 Oldsmobile Bravada Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Bravada years
- More complaints than other years 2nd of 10 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 104 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada. That ranks 2nd out of 10 Bravada model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (18 complaints, 17%), typically at around 80,000 miles. Complaints mention 6 crashes, 7 fires, 6 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 104owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 6complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 18 | 17% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 18 | 17% | 59,654 | — | — |
| Suspension | 17 | 16% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 15 | 14% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 14 | 13% | 44,936 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 8% | 58,750 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 7 | 7% | 122,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 6 | 6% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 6 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 5% | 85,729 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 4% | 64,179 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 3 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 3% | 57,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 2% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 160,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Oldsmobile Bravada recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:front:buckle assembly
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
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.
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
- 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.
1997 oldsmobile bravada. Consumer writes in regards to voltage dropping while vehicle in stopped causing headlights to dim. *ld *js
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…
While driving i would hear like a motor running sound that would last approx 5/10 sec. And during this time the brake pedal would rise and get hard and i would have to apply lots of pressure in order for vehicle to stop which does so with grind. I replaced both rotors,calipers,brake…
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…
Other Oldsmobile Bravada years
← 1996 Bravada · 1998 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 | 104 | 2 |
| 1996 Bravada | 77 | 3 |
| 1995 Bravada | 2 | 0 |
See all Oldsmobile Bravada problems by year, every Oldsmobile model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Oldsmobile models
Embed this 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada?
Owners most often report electrical system, power train, suspension problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 18 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 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 1997 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.