Most common 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada problems
Share of the 27 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 →
2003 Oldsmobile Bravada recalls (7)
Exterior lighting › Turn signal
On certain trucks and sport utility vehicles, the driver wishing to signal a turn by moving the directional signal lever, (up or down) May cause the front marker/turn lights and rear turn lights to flash in a manner similar to hazard warning, rather than flashing on the desired side only.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the suspect flasher modules with a new flasher module designed with sealed relays and more durable contact material inside of the relays free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2005.
Exterior lighting › Brake lights
On certain sport utility vehicles, vibration and heat May cause the tail lamp/stop lamp bulb to loosen in its socket. If this occurs, the bulb May flicker and eventually become inoperative.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the tail lamp/stop lamp assemblies, and if necessary, replace them. The recall began on November 22, 2004.
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer
Certain sport utility vehicles have windshield wiper systems that will not turn on, cease operation while in use, fail to turn off/on by themselves (moisture sensitive wiper system), or have continuous windshield washer pump operation because the presence of water within the wiper modules can either cause a short circuit or can…
Remedy: Dealers will cover the windshield wiper module vent hole with a patch. Also, the wiper motor, circuit board, and electrical connector will be inspected to signs of water intrusion and/or corrosion and be replaced as…
Equipment › Other › Owners/service/other manual
Certain minivans, passenger and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage system." the owner's manual does not explain the meaning of the location symbols for the child restraint lower universal anchorage system.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with a supplement for their owner's manual. This supplement describes and shows the location symbols for the child restraint anchors that are located in the vehicle and on the child restraint or…
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Certain sport utility vehicles were built with a left-front brake pipe with a circumferential score at a random location along the length of the pipe as the result of the manufacturing process.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left-front brake pipe. Owner notification began on May 29, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
Power train › Automatic transmission
Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 114, "theft protection." these vehicles are equipped with a mechanical override that could allow the ignition key to be removed with the shift lever in a position other than park.
Remedy: Dealers will eliminate these conditions by disabling the overrides. Owner notification began on May 29, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the…
Show 1 more recall
Air bags › Frontal
Certain passenger, Mini vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect, and replace, if necessary, the air bag module assembly on the driver's side. Owner notification began August 15, 2002.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 6 possible defects involving the 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada:
Loss of Headlights
The subject vehicles are model year (MY) 2002-2009 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2004-2007 Buick Rainier, 2003-2008 Isuzu Ascender, 2005-2009 Saab 9-7X, 2002-2004 Oldsmobile Bravada, 2003-2006 Chevrolet SSR, 2005-2009 Buick Lacrosse, and 2006-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix. This scope includes the Trailblazer/Envoy variants: 2002-2006 Envoy XL/Trailblazer EXT and 2004-2005 Envoy XUV.
Fuel spillage during refueling
This investigation was opened on the model year (my) 2003 Chevrolet trailblazer.based on GM's information request (ir) response, odi added to its analysis the my 2003 GMC envoy and Oldsmobile bravada vehicles.these vehicles share the same vehicle platform (GM 360/370) and fuel fill components.incident summary numbers reported above include these vehicles.epa regulates the fuel dispensing rates at filling stations…
Windshield wiper failure
The subject vehicles (Chevrolet trailblazer (ext), GMC envoy (xl), and Oldsmobile bravada) are built on the gmt360 and gmt370 platforms and were originally equipped with a windshield wiper assembly referred to as the ?family? Design module (p/n 15171306 base, p/n 15171307 for vehicles equipped with rainsense automatic moisture sensitive wipers).the windshield wiper assembly is located inside the plenum at the base…
Fuel pump module leaks gasoline
During the course of this ea investigation, odi observed that the majority of the complaints (88%) and warranty claims (94%) were reported for vehicles that are registered for use in the salt belt region of the us.this area includes 20 states in the northeast, mid atlantic and the midwest regions and the district of columbia.consumers in the salt belt region reported to odi that they could smell fuel vapors in their…
Brake lamp failure
GM states that some brake/tail lamp bulbs can prematurely become inoperative due to malfunctioning brake/tail lamp sockets.on March 2, 2004, GM initiated a 6-year/72,000 mile special policy for 989,487 subject vehicles to inspect and replace the rear brake/tail lamp bulb socket assemblies.on April 4, 2004, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe04-032) based on consumer…
Windshield wiper failure
On September 17, 2003, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe03-042) to investigate alleged windshield wiper failure in certain model year (my) 2002 and 2003 Chevrolet trailblazer and trailblazer ext, GMC envoy and envoy xl, and Oldsmobile bravada vehicles.the investigation was upgraded to an engineering analysis on January 6, 2004, and the scope was expanded to include certain…
What 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada owners say
Electrical system
Heading west on emerald parkway between riverside drive and dublin road in dublin, oh my Bravada stalled, the gauges went wild, the power steering went out and the brakes would not work. I managed to avoid other traffic and coast the Bravada onto dublin road (turning left) and get it stopped off the road under the overpass. The Bravada would not restart, and the key would not release from the ignition switch. Crestview Cadillac could not diagnose the problem. Decosky motors in mount vernon, oh (where the vehicle was purchased new) knew right away what the problem was because they had had multiple incidents of the same issue on quite a few GM vehicles already at that time (May, 2006). My vehicle is not among the vehicles being recalled by GM. It should be, and GM knew of the issue way back in 2006!! I am wondering if my vehicle will do it again. …
The speedometer quit registering properly (sticky, showing 25mph when at standstill) and the oil pressure gauge pegged to the right. It has been doing this sporadically ever since (still to this day) with both the speedometer and oil gauge. You never know how fast (or slow) you are going and you fear the engine is about to blow because cannot know what the actual oil pressure reading is. As of today the actual mileage is only 57661.
Transmission & drivetrain
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada. The contact stated that the transmission would slip when shifting gears and the vehicle hesitated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who was unable to replicate the failure. The vehicle then was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the fuel filter and the catalytic converter. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
Oldsmobile 2003 Bravada AWD complete transmission failure at 53,000 miles. Required new transmission. No warranty coverage from GM. I see ion the internet that many owners of the same GM vehicles have had the same problem. Clearly this is a manufactures defect that requires a recall.
Fuel & propulsion system
Failure/rusting of the fuel pump supply line and return line. This is part of the fuel pump assembly located in the fuel tank itself. Upon inspection after removing the tank from vehicle, the fuel pump lines were found to be rusted through. This was discovered after noticing a fuel odor, and upon further investigation, saw fuel gushing from the tank while the engine was running. Fuel was coming out at such a rate as to be a great danger to anyone around, and there was enough that if it occurred while waiting at a long traffic light or traffic jam, could have very easily resulted in a massive fire and subsequent damage, possibly deaths. The fuel tank is under the vehicle, just behind the seating areas, on the drivers side. The resulting fire May prevent the driver and drivers side rear passenger from escaping. …
Tl contact owns a 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada. While filling up the vehicle with fuel, the contact began to smell gas. He drove home and smelled gas inside of the passenger compartment. The dealer discovered a crack on top of the fuel tank. The current mileage is 86,150 and failure mileage was 86,148. Updated 10/16/08 updated 10/20/08.
2003 Oldsmobile Bravada engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
| 4.2L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 19 / 15 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada a good car?
Based on 27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Bravada rates better than average: 76% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Bravada at the same age. It is one of the best Bravada years by this measure. 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 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada?
The electrical system — 7 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year, most often about instrument cluster/panel. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (6) and fuel & propulsion system (4).
How many recalls does the 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada, the most recent from May 5, 2005 (turn signal). 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 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 56,000 miles; 35% 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.