1998 Oldsmobile Bravada

Typical pattern

3.4% of complaints about the 1998 Oldsmobile Bravada came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 1998 vehicle — around the middle of the 180 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 5.5 yr in service. The most-reported system is visibility (30 complaints), typically at 6.1 yr or about 60,000 miles.

Complaints: 119
Median age at failure: 5.5 yr
Median mileage: 71,000 n=56
Crash / fire / tow: 7.6% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

98V053000 1998-03-09

Suspension:front:control arm:lower arm

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.

THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.

97V218000 1997-11-24

Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

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.

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

In owners’ own words

Electrical system mileage not reported 1.4 yr in service crash / fire / tow

DUE TO DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WINDOWS WENT UP AND DOWN/ HEADLIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED, AND BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING A CRASH. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING BATTERY CABLE FELL APART WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. *AK

Electrical system mileage not reported 1.4 yr in service crash / fire / tow

DUE TO DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WINDOWS WENT UP AND DOWN/ HEADLIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED, AND BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING A CRASH. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING BATTERY CABLE FELL APART WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. *AK

Electrical system mileage not reported 2.1 yr in service

CAR WOULD NOT START AT TIMES. WHEN CAR WOULD START IT WOULD NOT GO OUT OF FIRST GEAR. ALL DASH LIGHTS WOULD LIGHT UP. TOOK TRUCK IN 3 TIMES BEFORE PROBLEM WAS FOUND.TRUCK LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. OLDMOBILE DID NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR RENTAL CAR WHILE TRUCK WAS BEING LOOKED AT 3 TIMES. *AK

Visibility mileage not reported 1.4 yr in service crash / fire / tow

DUE TO DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WINDOWS WENT UP AND DOWN/ HEADLIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED, AND BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING A CRASH. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING BATTERY CABLE FELL APART WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. *AK

Other Bravada model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

1998 Oldsmobile Bravada

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Bravada model years

How to read this