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1998 Oldsmobile Bravada

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1998 Oldsmobile Bravada do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 58.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

39 reports with mileage · 59 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.

  • Visibility. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports2 fire reports2 injury reports

Exterior Lighting complaints

4 reports
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86,000 miles · Oct 1, 2014
Electrical SystemEngineExterior Lighting

VEHICLE HAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING. IT HAPPENS NUMEROUS TIMES WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING TO WORK 3RD SHIFT 55-60 MPH ON A COUNTRY ROAD... VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN. WITH NO LIGHTS, POWER STEERING, ECT... I WOULD HAVE TO TRY AND PULL OVER IN THE PITCH BLACK OF NIGHT. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES IT WOULD START…

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VEHICLE HAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING. IT HAPPENS NUMEROUS TIMES WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING TO WORK 3RD SHIFT 55-60 MPH ON A COUNTRY ROAD... VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN. WITH NO LIGHTS, POWER STEERING, ECT... I WOULD HAVE TO TRY AND PULL OVER IN THE PITCH BLACK OF NIGHT. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES IT WOULD START BACK UP AND ON I WOULD GO, PRAYING IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN AT THE CURVES. AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS OF THIS AND NOBODY HAVING ANY ANSWERS, MY HUSBAND DISCOVERED IT IS A CONNECTOR IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT GETS CORRODED AND HE HAS TO CLEAN IT. AS LONG AS WE CLEAN THE CORROSION OFF OF THE CONNECTOR ABOUT TWICE A YEAR, THE VEHICLE DOES FINE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10640372

35 miles · Mar 29, 2007
Engine And Engine CoolingEquipmentExterior Lighting

I PURCHASED A USED 1998 OLDS BRAVADA. IT HAS BEEN AN OK CAR EXCEPT. THE HEATER/AIR CONDITIONER DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY. MY DEALER SAYS YOU HAVE TO SWITCH IT BACK AND FORTH FROM HEAT TO COOL IN THE DASH SOMEWHERE (MY QUESTION WAS, WHAT IS THE THERMOSTAT BUTTON FOR THEN???). ALSO, THE TRANSMISSION OR MOTOR AT 3000 RPMS CUTS OUT BAD …

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I PURCHASED A USED 1998 OLDS BRAVADA. IT HAS BEEN AN OK CAR EXCEPT. THE HEATER/AIR CONDITIONER DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY. MY DEALER SAYS YOU HAVE TO SWITCH IT BACK AND FORTH FROM HEAT TO COOL IN THE DASH SOMEWHERE (MY QUESTION WAS, WHAT IS THE THERMOSTAT BUTTON FOR THEN???). ALSO, THE TRANSMISSION OR MOTOR AT 3000 RPMS CUTS OUT BAD AND JUMPS AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF YOU ARE IN THE PASSING ZONE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. ALSO, THE DIMMER SWITCH DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO AND THE SIGNALS DO BUT NOT THE DIMMER?? *JB

NHTSA ODI #10186511

71,000 miles · Jan 31, 2006
Engine And Engine CoolingExterior LightingFuel System, Gasoline

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, WINDSHIELD WIPERS NOT WORKING, HEADLIGHTS NOT WORKING, AWD PROBLEMS, COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEMS, FUEL PUMP, CONTROL ARM & BALL JOINT PROBLEMS ARE JUST SOME OF THE MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES ON 96-99 GM BLAZERS, BRAVADA'S, & JIMMYS. THESE PROBLEMS SHOULD REALLY BE LOOKED INTO AND RECALLED. MOST PROBLEMS STARTING RI…

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TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, WINDSHIELD WIPERS NOT WORKING, HEADLIGHTS NOT WORKING, AWD PROBLEMS, COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEMS, FUEL PUMP, CONTROL ARM & BALL JOINT PROBLEMS ARE JUST SOME OF THE MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES ON 96-99 GM BLAZERS, BRAVADA'S, & JIMMYS. THESE PROBLEMS SHOULD REALLY BE LOOKED INTO AND RECALLED. MOST PROBLEMS STARTING RIGHT AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED. CAN'T BELIEVE GM IS GETTING AWAY WITH THIS. TRANSMISSION WENT BAD AT 71000 MILES AND DEALER SAYS THAT THEY KNOW THERE WAS A DEFECT WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS ALSO PROBLEM (CODE 1870) BUT THEY WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10149153

Mileage unknown · Jan 10, 2000
Exterior Lighting

ADVERTISED SAFETY FEATURE "DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS" WERE NOT INSTALLED ON BRAVADAS, WITH A VIN NUMBER OF "[XXX]," AND LATER, DURING THE 1998 MANUFACTURING SEASON. I WAS INFORMED BY OLDSMOBILE ON 10/16/1998 THAT THEY WERE WORKING ON CORRECTING THIS SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. TO DATE, 01/10/2000, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THIS S…

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ADVERTISED SAFETY FEATURE "DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS" WERE NOT INSTALLED ON BRAVADAS, WITH A VIN NUMBER OF "[XXX]," AND LATER, DURING THE 1998 MANUFACTURING SEASON. I WAS INFORMED BY OLDSMOBILE ON 10/16/1998 THAT THEY WERE WORKING ON CORRECTING THIS SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. TO DATE, 01/10/2000, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THIS SITUATION. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI #717159

Official recalls

2

98V053000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm

Mar 9, 1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH 4-WHEEL DRIVE OR ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE. ONE OR BOTH OF THE ATTACHING NUTS FOR THE RIGHT-HAND LOWER CONTROL ARM ARE UNDER TORQUED. THIS CAN ALLOW THE ATTACHMENT BOLT TO LOOSEN AND SUBSEQUENT BREAK RESULTING IN SEPARATION OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM FROM THE FRAME.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND RETIGHTEN THE RIGHT-HAND LOWER CONTROL ARM NUTS TO THE PROPER TORQUE SPECIFICATION.

97V218000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

Nov 24, 1997

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES. A FATIGUE FRACTURE OF THE REAR AXLE RIGHT-HAND BRAKE PIPE CAN OCCUR CAUSING A SLOW BRAKE FLUID LEAK RESULTING IN A SOFT BRAKE PEDAL. IF THE BRAKE PIPE BREAKS, THE DRIVER WOULD EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN DROP IN THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BRAKE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE, AND THERE WOULD BE A LOSS OF REAR BRAKE PERFORMANCE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: PARTIAL LOSS OF BRAKING AT A TIME WHEN MINIMUM STOPPING DISTANCE WAS REQUIRED COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE BRAKE PIPE.

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

1

RQ02012 · Front Control Arm Ball Joints

Opened Sep 10, 2002 · Closed Mar 7, 2003

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension; Suspension:front; Suspension:front:control Arm; Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm; Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint; Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Arm; Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint

SEE ATTACHED PAGE.

Additional source detail variants (7)

Suspension:front:control Arm

SEE ATTACHED PAGE.

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm

SEE ATTACHED PAGE.

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint

SEE ATTACHED PAGE.

Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Arm

SEE ATTACHED PAGE.

Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint

SEE ATTACHED PAGE.

Suspension:front

SEE ATTACHED PAGE.

Suspension

SEE ATTACHED PAGE.