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 MY LIFE TO DRIVE MY NIECES TO SCHOOL NOW. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY HAVE BEEN CATCHING THE CARTA BUS. IT HURTS MY HEART I HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH SUCH A RELIABLE GM CAR. PLEASE HELP. I'M TERRIFIED IT MAY EVEN CATCH FIRE IN THE DRIVEWAY!
1999 Oldsmobile Bravada
Owners filed 60 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › automatic transmission. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train › Automatic Transmission | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Exterior Lighting › Headlights | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Air Bags | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | |
| Suspension › Front › Control Arm | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension › Front | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsTHE 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
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 VEHICLE, BUT I SAW A NOTICE THAT THIS SAME ISSUE IS OCCURRING WITH OTHER GM VEHICLES OF THIS AGE AND WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I EXPERIENCED THIS AS WELL. THE CAR HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND IS A VERY LOW MILEAGE CAR WHICH SHOULD NOT BE SUFFERING FROM BRAKE LINES WHICH RUST THROUGH FROM THE INSIDE OUT. IF YOU DO REQUIRE A RECALL OF THE VEHICLES FOR THIS PURPOSE, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE OLDSMOBILES OUT JUST BECAUSE THE BRAND HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED. THANK YOU *TR
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 LIKE SOMETHING TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I NEED MY VEHICLE FIXED. *TR
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.
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.
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
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 HAS THIS EVENT CAUSED OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS? I WOULD BELIEVE AT LEAST ONE AND GM HAS ESCAPED THE RECALL THIS PART FAILURE DESERVES. CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY DEALER IN ACCORDANCE WITH REQUIRED INTERVALS. TRANSMISSION FLUSH IS NOT RECOMMENDED UNTIL 100,000 MILES, BUT THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD FLUID FLUSHES; BY THE DEALER, @ 35K AND 78K. FAILURE OCCURRED 4 MONTHS AFTER SERVICE @ 82K.*JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE AT ANY SPEED, THERE WAS AN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE BRAKES, REPLACED THE BRAKE CALIPERS AND MASTER CYLINDER, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.
ON 11 APR 2005, I PURCHASED A 1999 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA FROM A NH DEALER, WITH APPROX. 74000 MILES ON IT. WITHIN ONE WEEK, THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED FOR A BAD WATER PUMP, AND DRIVER'S WINDOW SWITCH. DURING THE WEEK OF 21 APRIL, I HAD THE ALTERNATOR REPLACED. THIS VEHICLE HAD A NH STATE INSPECTION STICKER, BUT IT HAS YET TO PASS A MA STATE INSPECTION. THE AIR INJECTION PUMP THAT ASSISTS IN THE AIR/FUEL MIX HAS BEEN UPDATED BY GM, BUT THEIR "UPDATE" ALLOWS THEM TO CALL IT SOMETHING OTHER THAN A RECALL, SO, IT WOULD COST ME AN ADDITIONAL $400-500. FOR THIS "UPDATE". IN SEP OF 2005, I NOTICED A GRADUALLY GROWING NOISE FROM THE FRONT END. I WAS TOLD THE ENTIRE FRONT END WAS WIPED OUT. THE SAFETY ISSUES ALONE WERE EXHAUSTIVE. THE FOLLOWING HAD TO BE REPLACED, AND WERE DONE, TO THE COST OF $1700.: PITMAN ARM / IDLER ARM / UPPER, LOWER BALL JOINTS / CV JOINTS,AXLES,BOOTS/ ENTIRE FRONT HUB ASSEMBLIES / FRONT BRAKES (ROTORS,PADS,CALIPERS) / 4 TIRES CURRENTLY, THE DRIVER'S FRONT DOOR IS SAGGING DUE TO POOR DOOR PINS AND BUSHINGS. MAACO WANTS $1200. TO REPLACE THE HINGES, PINS, AND BUSHINGS, AND REPAIR/REPLACE THE STRIKER PLATE AND SURROUNDING AREA. THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL SOUNDS CONSTANTLY EVEN WITHOUT USING THE SIGNAL, AND GOES AWAY WHEN YOU STEP ON THE BRAKE (!?) THE KEY FREQUENTLY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND WON'T COME OUT. LAST MONTH YET ANOTHER ALTERNATOR HAD TO GO IN AS THE OTHER FAILED. I HAD THIS BACK IN THE SHOP YESTERDAY 01FEB06 FOR A BANGING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT END, AN
VEHICLE MADE A LOUD SOUND. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT ENGINE WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK
WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY 1999 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA FELT LIKE A TIRE HAD GONE FLAT.. AFTER NOTICING THE PROBLEM I WENT TO PULL OVER AND THE ENTIRE SUV PULLED TO THE RIGHT ALMOST HITTING A PARKED BOAT. WHEN I EXITED THE VEHICLE I NOTICED THE PASSANGERS SIDE TIRE WAS SIDEWAYS.. HALF UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK. I CHECKED WITH THE DEALERSHIP WHO I BOUGHT THE TRUCK FROM AND THERE NOT WILLING TO HELP FOR FREE AS I DONT HAVE A WARRANTY.. EVEN THOUGH THIS IS THE SECOND PROBLEM IVE HAD WITH THE VEHICLE SINCE I BOUGHT IT 8 MONTHS PRIOR. I CHECKED WITH A MECHANIC AND THEY SAID THE AXLE WAS BROKEN AND THE BEARINGS AND BALL JOINTS COULD BE BUSTED. LUCKY FOR ME I WASN'T ON THE HIGHWAY WHERE I HAD BEEN 20 MINUITES PRIOR AND HEADING BACK TO.*AK
TRANSMISSION SHUTTER, FAILURE OF DASH CONTROLS, REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH 46800 MILES BRAKES OUT TWICE IN 4 MONTHS PAINT ON LUGGAGE RACK CHIPPING 54562 AT 70 MPH ON CRUISE SHIFTED BY SELF TOLOW GEAR BACK TO HIGH GEAR THEN BACK TO LOW REPLACED TRANNY
THE HEATER HAS FAILED TO WORK THIS YEAR AT ALL. THE SYSTEM WAS FLUSHED AND RADIATOR FLUID CHANGED WITH OLDSMOBILE RATED FLUIDS. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD NO MAJOR PROBLEMS AND HAS BEEN GOOD OTHER THAN SEATBELTS NOT LOCKING AND DOME LIGHTS ARE INOPERABLE. I AM GOING TO ASSUME IT COULD BE THE HEATER VALVE AND GET THAT REPLACED SO HOPEFULLY THAT DOES THE TRICK.
PAINT IS PROGRESSIVELY PEELING OFF THE LUGGAGE RACK. BODYSHOP COMMENTED "IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT WAS COATED/SEALED PROPERLY, THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING." TRANSMISSION: DRIVING ON HWY CAR STARTED SMOKING OUT EXHAUST, EXITED HWY AND CAR SHIFTED "HARD" FROM STOP THRU ACCELERATION. GOT TO AAMCO SHOP, THEY SCANNED AND GOT AN "1870 CODE". UPON INSPECTION DISCOVERED THE PUMP ASSY WAS "CHEWED UP AND BURNT STEEL." FLUID WAS BEING FORCED OUT THE FILLER TUBE AND THE FLUID WAS BLACK. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A HIGH DANGER THAT THE FLUID COULD HAVE IGNITED. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING SIGNS THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION UNTIL THE CAR STARTED SMOKING. I AM A STREET DRIVER, NEVER HAVE TOWED OR GONE OFF ROADING IN THIS VEHICLE SO NO UNDUE STRESS OR WEAR HAS BEEN PUT ON THE TRANS. THE RESPONSE I GET FROM THE FINANCE COMPANY AND THE DEALER IS "IT'S BAD LUCK, A FLUKE, ETC. AND THE CAR ISN'T UNDER WARRANTY." I AM GOING TO PERSERVERE IN MY EFFORTS TO GET GM INVOLVED AND HOPEFULLY THEY WILL DO THE RIGHT THING.
TRANSMISSION FAILED. TRANSMISSION SHOP HAS SEEN NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH 1999 GMC TRANSMISSIONS. THEY SAID THAT GMC KNOWS THAT THE 1999 TRANSMISSION IS WEAK. PROBLEM STARTED OUT WITH THE CAR NOT WANTING TO SHIFT INTO SECOND. THE CAR EVENTUALLY LOST 4TH AND REVERSE.
HEATER CORE MALFUNCTIONED. AS A RESULT, COLD AIR BLEW THROUGH THE VENTILATION SYSTEM, AND THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. *AK
I HAVE A 1999 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA THAT HAS DEVELOPED A SERIOUS LEAK IN THE OIL LINES (HOSES) GOING TO THE OIL COOLER. I ALSO OWNED A 2000 GMC SONOMA THAT DEVELOPED THE SAME LEAKS WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. MY MECHANIC SAID THEY HAVE REPLACED THE OIL LINES ON SEVERAL VEHICLES WITH THE 4.3 AND 350 ENGINES. THEY HAVE ALSO REPLACED 3 ENGINES WHERE THE OIL LINES FAILED AND THE ENGINE LOST ALL OIL. IT SEEMS THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ON NEARLY ALL IF NOT ALL OF GM'S PRODUCTS USING THE RUBBER OIL LINES. CAN ANYTHING BE DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM OR REIMBURSE OUR REPAIR COSTS DUE TO AN APPARENT DEFECT? NOT TO MENTION THE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINES AND GARAGE FLOORS. THANK YOU RON. *LA
WHILE DRIVING T AT 25 MPH AND WITH NO WARNING ACCELERATOR PEDAL GOT STUCK TO THE FLOORBOARD, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PRESS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. CONSUMER TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER.*AK
VEHICLE STALLED BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT. UPON ATTEMPTING TO RESTART, VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDER HOOD. FIRE DEPT RESPONDED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. *AK
20 of 60 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Across model years
Worst on record: 2002Reading this record
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.