Most common 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada problems
Share of the 77 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Oldsmobile Bravada complaints by model year
Best Bravada years: 2004, 2003, 2001. Years to avoid: 2002, 1997, 1998. Compare all years →
1996 Oldsmobile Bravada recalls (3)
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer
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.
Remedy: 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…
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Upper ball joint
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…
Remedy: 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…
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
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."
Remedy: Dealers will install additional shielding of the fuel tank. This will be added without removing or disassembling the fuel system.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada:
Upper and lower control arm ball joint
There is no summary currently available
ABS braking system
This investigation resulted in a safety recall, 99v-193, and a service campaign, 99i-006.
Windshield wiper failure
As a result of this, and the precedinginvestigation, rq99-003, GM has expanded the population of safety recall 98v-150 (replacement of the windshield wiper control module) to include an additional 1.77 million vehicles.included are various 1994-1997 my m/l vans, s/t trucks and suvs, & c/k trucks and suvs.see attached technical report for details.
What 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada owners say
Brakes all 31 →
Multiple occasions if applying brakes pedal will go to the floor, not responding to pedal application which resulted in a rear collision. Failure is intermittent, making difficult to duplicate. Consumer states that brakes simply do not apply, no matter what amount of pressure is applied to the brake pedal, consumer also states that it feels as though vehicle is skidding on ice, one person was injured in the accidnt mentioned above.
Ea94-038/ABS braking system: ongoing problem with ABS brake failure. When applying brakes intermittently pedal would go to the floor. Dealer notified, and informed consume rthat they were unable to duplicate the problem. Vehicle was involved in two accidents because of ABS failure.
Windows, wipers & sunroof
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 not). When I first encountered it in June of 2005, I replaced the fuse and everything worked fine for a week or two. Then the problem occurred again, replaced the fuse and everything worked fine for a while. This cycle kept occurring until christmas day 2005 when even replacing the fuse did not help. I do not understand how the same exact problem can be covered on some 96 bravadas but not on others.
The windshield wipers worked intermittently or stopped working during operation. Manufacturer was contacted. Feel free to provide any further information. The Bravada's were recalled for faulty windshield wipers. The consumer was not aware that the motor had to be replaced. Also, the rear windshield wiper motor had to be replaced recently. Recall# 98V150000. The drivers seat had come loose due to the pin coming out of the motor bracket, and steam had come from the windshield and there was wetness on the right side floor, and the A/C was replaced.
Engine & cooling
The vehicle began overheating. The check engine light appeared. It was taken to the dealer and said that the coolant became muddy and that happens a lot when the coolant gets a little low. The thermostat was replaced along with a flush and fill on the radiator and cooling system. The dealer wanted to put the same coolant in the radiator and this was unusual to me. I had them put in preston and had no problems since.
Driver stopped at toll booth to pay toll and saw smoke coming from rear of vehicle. Consumer got out of vehicle to investigate where the smoke was coming from, and determined that vehicle caught on fire from the exhaust.driver had vehicle towed to the dealership.
1996 Oldsmobile Bravada engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 20 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada a good car?
Based on 77 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1996 Bravada rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Bravada at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada?
The brakes — 31 complaints, 40% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the windows, wipers & sunroof (15) and engine & cooling (11).
How many recalls does the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada have?
There are 3 recalls for the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada, the most recent from April 28, 2003 (windshield wiper/washer). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Oldsmobile Bravada?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2004, 2003 and 2001. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2002, 1997 and 1998. See the full Oldsmobile Bravada years comparison.
At what mileage do 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 89,000 miles; 0% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.