Most common 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada problems
Share of the 104 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 →
1997 Oldsmobile Bravada recalls (2)
Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
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…
Remedy: 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.
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…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada:
ABS braking system
This investigation resulted in a safety recall, 99v-193, and a service campaign, 99i-006.
What 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
I just had the transfer case and differential on my 1997 olds Bravada repaired and was driving when I heard a pop sound and saw flames shooting out from the bottom center and rear of my vehicle. I stopped immediately and got everyone out just before the whole thing went up in flames.
The transmission went out at 72000 miles, cost me $2400 to get a new one installed. I babied this car from the moment I bought it off the lot at a certified GM dealership, only 32000 miles when I purchased it. I feel that this vehicle was a lemon.
Electrical system
On July 31, 2005 my family and I were traveling home from michigan we were 29 miles from home when our 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada caught fire. We had been traveling down the highway with a fire under our SUV for some time and was not aware of it. Parts literally began to fall from under the truck when we stopped the truck to see what had went wrong we noticed the fire. Eye witnesses said they saw flames coming from our vehicle before we even stopped. When we got out and saw the fire we began removing our children as fast as we could. When the last child was removed we began to run away from the truck. By this time the truck was fully engulfed in flames. There was no smell of gas or any warning telling us that anything was wrong. We were blessed to come out of this alive, but that May not be the case for other families. …
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 EGR valve gasket and clean the carbon out of the throttle body. A few months go by I was driving on a road off of a high way going 40 MPH. Same thing occurred. I got it started in the same amount of time and it will run fine like nothing ever happened. After reading the other complaints I am going to replace the ignition switch even though the dealer said it could be numerous of other things and not the ignition switch. In fact they never heard of an ignition switch doing this.
Suspension
I had been experiencing excessive vibration on the front end of my 1997 old's Bravada. I took it in and was told it required ball joints but apparently there is a NHTSA campaign id # of 01i018000 in reference to it and that GM had decided to conduct a customer satisfaction campaign to replace them for a peiod of 8yr's or 100,000 miles whichever comes first from the date the vehicle was placed in service. Well, I did that and was told after a total run around as well as the service garage going thru the run around as well calling on it, that it does not affect my 97' old's Bravada. So here I am with a truck that is under the stated time of repair by GM with front end work that will cost me over $800.00 to fix and GM does not care. So what was the purpose of having a campaign on the vehicle if GM had not intention of doing anything about it? …
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 pads,mastercylinder and brake booster.ABS light would come on when hit bump and go off after awhile .finally I removed fuse from ABS and problem ceased.in processes of diognosing problem.discovered suspension in front falling apart replaced inner/outer tierods,pitman arm,both upper/lower ball joints,passenger upper control arm and wheel hub.rear windsheild wiper no longer works and windshield wiper freezes during rain which has caused wiper motor to be replaced.driver side door hinges replaced numerous times causing door not to shut properly and doesnt sit level,fuel gauge doesnt read properly when full it …
1997 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 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada a good car?
Based on 104 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Bravada rates use caution: 1.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Bravada at the same age. It is one of the Bravada years we suggest avoiding. 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 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada?
The transmission & drivetrain — 18 complaints, 17% of all complaints for this model year, most often about driveline › differential unit. Next are the electrical system (18) and suspension (17).
How many recalls does the 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada have?
There are 2 recalls for the 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada, the most recent from March 31, 2003 (buckle assembly). 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 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 71,000 miles; 12% 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.