My vehicle will not start having trouble getting engine to start I was at a gas station when it first happened then managed to start it made it home then died at my house and has not moved since.
The worst 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes31
- Visibility15
- Engine11
- Electrical8
- Suspension8
- Fuel system6
- Transmission4
- Body3
- Wheels3
- Airbags1
- Seat belts1
- Seats1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada
Recalls 3
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- If this were to occur during bad weather, driver visibility would be reduced, which could result in a crash.
- 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 remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782, or oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537.
Recall number 03V159000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm: upper ball joint
- What is wrong
- 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 district of columbia. Failure of an upper control arm ball joint assembly could occur due to corrosion.
- Risk
- This can result in impaired steering or steering loss, or a partial or complete collapse of the front suspension, increasing the risk of a crash.
- 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 reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782, or oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537.
Recall number 01V200000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- 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."
- Risk
- If an ignition source is present, and there is a fuel leak, a fire could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install additional shielding of the fuel tank. This will be added without removing or disassembling the fuel system.
Recall number 96V234000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada
Defect investigations
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.
EA02006
Upper and lower control arm ball joint
There is no summary currently available
EA99022
Abs braking system
This investigation resulted in a safety recall, 99v‑193, and a service campaign, 99i-006.
EA94038
Technical service bulletins for the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada 73
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Fuel system, gasoline
- Equipment: electrical: anti-theft devices
- This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy...
- Equipment
- This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information with the field action courtesy...
- Equipment: electrical: anti-theft devices
- Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
- Antilock brake (ABS) activation at low speeds
- Power door mirror inoperative after replacing mirror
- Diagnosis of cracked or broken transmission case
1996 Oldsmobile Bravada fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 15 | 20 | 16 |
What 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Abs sensors failed causing brake pulsation and failure. Rear wiper motor failed (still on vehicle).
I had a failure of the upper and lower ball joints in the front end of my vehicle - I had replacement done which cost $1326.00.
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.
Dt*: the contact states there is a the federal safety agency recall campaign 03v159000 regarding the windshield wipers. This vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall, but it is not included in the recall due to the VIN. In addition, the windshield wipers fuse was replaced multiple times.
Dt: the contact was referred to the federal safety agency by consumer affairs. She purchased the vehicle oct.1 2004. The contact was in las vegas and her car broke down. She had to have a new driveshaft. The mechanics from three different shops told her that the front end should have been salvadged. The mechanic told her that the car had been welded together. The vehicle while she was driving she noticed that one part of the car would go one way and another part another way. When she got back from las vegas she contacted the person she bought the car and they wouldn't do anything about the driveshaft because it was not covered on her warrenty. A previous owner of the car said that he was having the same problems with the front end that she was having. The contact put another driveshaft in the vehicle and three weeks later the driveshaft went out again. This made the second driveshaft in the vehicle. The alignment of the front end is crooked. The second driveshaft was installed on may 5, 2005.
After coming to a complete stop the tailgate glass exploded without warning or cause. Vehicle will be taken to the dealership for inspection, and repaired later on.
While driving on the highway vehicle vibrated. Driver pulled the vehicle to the side of the road and found that only one lug, nut was holding the right rear tire on the vehicle. The other lugs, nuts sheared off. This was the third time this happened to the right rear section of the vehicle.
Oldsmobile, bravada, 1996. Had to replace both upper ball joints on the front suspension. Gmc has a recall for these components. The federal safety agency campaign id # 01v200000. Gmc refused to repair. Their recall is for vehicles with VIN #'s t2705034-t2708364 (last eight digits) my VIN # is t2710395. The ball joints are obviously failing in other vehicles than those they listed.
Engine overheating ud-like coolant (dex-cool).
Compare the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada
Other model years
Questions about the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada
Is the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada reliable?
Owners have filed 77 complaints about the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada, 2.3 times a typical Bravada model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada?
Brakes, with 31 complaints. Next is visibility (15).
How many recalls does the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada have?
3 recalls, covering visibility, suspension and fuel system, gasoline.
What year does the Oldsmobile Bravada have bad brakes?
The Oldsmobile Bravada model years with the most brakes complaints are 1994 (66 complaints), 1992 (50 complaints) and 1996 (31 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada get?
Official estimates for the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada range from 16 mpg combined. The most efficient version (4.3L 6-cyl, 4WD) gets 15 city and 20 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history