Model year record
1999 Oldsmobile Bravada recalls & problems
The 1999 Oldsmobile Bravada has no safety recalls on file with NHTSA, and 60 owner complaints. The most-reported problem area is power train (15 complaints).
Safety recalls
No safety recalls have been filed for the 1999 Oldsmobile Bravada.
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
Crash test ratings
1999 Oldsmobile Bravada 4-DR. 4x4
| Frontal crash | Not Rated |
|---|---|
| Side crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover | Not Rated |
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.
Fuel economy
Bravada AWD
| City / highway | 14 / 19 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
4.3 L · 6 cyl · Automatic 4-spd · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive · about $4,200/year to fuel
EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.
What owners report
| Problem area | Complaints | Typical mileage* |
|---|---|---|
| Power trainAutomatic transmission; Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Column shift | 15 | 60,500 mi |
| SuspensionFront; Front › Control arm | 12 | 74,190 mi |
| Engine and engine coolingEngine › Gasoline; Exhaust system | 11 | 74,595 mi |
| Service brakes, hydraulicAntilock/traction control/electronic limited slip; Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings | 9 | 97,000 mi |
| Electrical systemHorn; Wiring › Interior/under dash | 7 | 60,712 mi |
| StructureBody; Body › Bumpers | 7 | — |
| Vehicle speed controlAccelerator pedal | 6 | — |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights | 5 | — |
| Air bags | 4 | — |
| Unknown or other | 4 | 65,000 mi |
| VisibilityDefroster/defogger/hvac system › Fan/motor; Defroster/defogger/hvac system › Heater core | 3 | — |
| SteeringHydraulic power assist system; Linkages › Arm › Idler and attachment | 2 | — |
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
- Engine
AS I WAS ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AND I CAME TO A STOP I DOWNED MY WINDOWS. I REALIZED A BURNING SMELL. A LITTLE LATER, AS I PULLED UP TO MY HOUSE THE SMELL SEEMED TO HAD GOTTEN WORSE AND I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND UPPED MY HOOD. THERE HAD SEEM TO BE OIL LEAKAGE BUT I'M NOT SURE IT WAS LATE. I'M NOT A MECHANIC BUT I KIND OF KNOW A BIT. FROM MY INSPECTION I MAY HAVE OIL LEAKING ON A HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE BURNING SMELL IS NOT THE STRONGEST BUT ITS SENSIBLE. I AM VERY SCARED TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE AND I HOPE FOR IT NOT TO CATCH FIRE. I SERVICE MY VEHICLE FOR REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND THINGS AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE. MAY IT BE MY VALVE COVER GASKET? I'M SCARED FOR…
- Engine
THE VEICHLE WANTS TO FLIP OVER BY ITSELF WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE SEAT BELTS ARE TWISTED THE RADIATOR LEAKS HERE AND THERE ALONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND SOMETIMES THE OIL LEAKS
- Service brakes
ON OR ABOUT APRIL 17TH, AS I WAS TURNING OF THE MAIN ROAD ONTO MY CUL-DE-SAC, I TAPPED THE BRAKES TO SLOW AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE SHIFTER INTO LOW TO SLOW DOWN AND THEN TO NEUTRAL AS I CAME TO MY DRIVEWAY. TURNED INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO COME TO A STOP. UPON EXAMINING THE VEHICLE, I DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE LINE FOR THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR CALIPER HAD RUSTED OUT AND WAS LEAKING PROFUSELY. THE TIMING WAS VERY FORTUNATE AS I WAS ON A MAIN ROAD BEFORE THE BRAKES WENT OUT AND IF I HAD THE NEED TO COME TO A RAPID STOP A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER, I WOULD HAVE MORE THAN LIKELY BEEN INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I KNOW THIS IS AN OLDER…
- Power train
I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE I HAVE COME ACROSS SOME ISSUES WITH MY TRANSMISSION AND CRUISE CONTROL. I GOT TO LOOKING INTO IT AND SEEN WHERE THERE WERE SOME RECALLS FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS ON THE SAME YEAR MODEL OF MY VEHICLE. I HAVE CALLED AROUND AND THEY ARE TELLING ME BECAUSE OF MY VIN NUMBER THEY CANT DO ANYTHING, BUT IT IS THE SAME YEAR MODEL AND I AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUES. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WONT GO OFF, IT WONT SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE, IT DOESN'T SHIFT RIGHT, IT FEELS LIKE IT SHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL ON ITS ON. SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE IT DOESN'T REGISTER IT BEING IN DRIVE WHEN I GO TO TAKE OFF, SEEMS LIKE IT HAS A ROUGH IDLE, AND THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK ANYMORE. I WOULD…
- Structure › Frame and members
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME CAUSED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE CROSS MEMBER THAT WAS CONNECTED TO THE FRAME, BELOW THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, HAD RUSTED AND FRACTURED IN HALF. THE MANUFACTURER REQUESTED THAT THE CONTACT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 145,000.
- Service brakes, hydraulic
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT SHIFTED THE GEAR SELECTOR INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN INTO THE PARK POSITION TO COMPLETELY STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND BRAKE FLUID WAS DISPENSED INTO THE RESERVOIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY DETECTED A FRACTURED BRAKE LINE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 97,000.
- Equipment
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A THUMP. HE LOOKED OUT HIS REAR VIEW MIRROR AND NOTICED A TIRE ROLLING DOWN THE STREET IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. HE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND DISCOVERED THAT THE CABLE UNDERNEATH HIS VEHICLE, WHICH HOLDS THE SPARE TIRE, FAILED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,900. UPDATED 07/16/08. *LJ
- Power train › Automatic transmission
TRANSMISSION REACTION SUN SHELL FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN ENTERING HIGHWAY AT LEGAL SPEED. AVOIDED ACCIDENT, BUT CONDITION IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND SOMEWHAT COMMON TO ALL GM 4L60E TRANSMISSIONS. DEALER DIAGNOSED FAILURE AND STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON FAILURE IN THIS TRANSMISSION DUE TO A DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF THE REACTION SUN SHELL. PART IS IMPROPERLY WELDED/HEAT-TREATED. GM HAS REDESIGNED THE PART AND OFFERS GOODWILL REPAIRS AT THEIR DISCRETION. GM DECIDED THAT MY DEALER-MAINTAINED VEHICLE WAS NOT WORTHY OF A GOODWILL REPAIR?, ALTHOUGH THE SERVICE MANAGER RECOMMENDED TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT DUE TO THE PRISTINE CONDITION OF MY VEHICLE. COST $2152 TO REPAIR, BUT HOW MANY ACCIDENTS OR DEATHS…
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.
NHTSA defect investigations
- FRONT CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTSClosedLed to recall 01V200000
SEE ATTACHED PAGE.