1997 Oldsmobile Bravada V6-262 4.3L

Summary:

Great SUV if you have the money

Faults:

Upper Ball Joints have been replaced on both sides.

Original tires were replaced at 76,000 miles.

Rear windsheild wiper has stopped working and have yet to replace it since it is a minor luxury.

Front windsheild wipers stopped working had to have wiper motor replaced.

A/C had to be recharged at 82,000 miles.

Brakes (rear & front) were replaced after 73,000 miles, which is not bad considering they were the original brakes.

General Comments:

Overall, this has been a very good vehicle. I have over 84,000 miles on it and have had some minor setbacks. Luckily for me the Upper ball joints were covered due to a GM recall, so this was not something I had to pay for. But the bearings was a hard one to swallow, but with the way these GM SUVs are built this is a common problem because of the way the body of the truck is built.

It is wonderful in the snow and ice. if you live up north or in a snowy region this is a huge plus. The Smart Trac System is a "hand saver" because you never have to take your hands off the wheel, since it monitors the road for you. I find this a good tool for those who are nervous driving in the snow.

Its also very comfortable to sit in on those long road trips. The driver seats are lumbar and really support your back.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 11th August, 2003

10th Oct 2005, 10:43

I agree. While there are a few setbacks to owning a Bravada, they are generally a good Sports Utility Vehicle. I use mine in town, and recently purchased it for 5 thousand, with 81,000 miles on it and have yet to have a problem. I had two mechanics check it out, and the sum of it all was that if you take good care of it, it's a good vehicle to own.

9th May 2006, 20:42

I agree it's a very good suv if you don't abuse it.

1997 Oldsmobile Bravada

Summary:

Pretty looking Garbage

Faults:

Coolant turned to sludge and had to have my entire cooling system repaired at a cost of $2000.00 when there was only 50,000 miles on it. They claim the dex-cool which is supposed to last 150,000 miles was bad. After spending all this money, the coolant went bad again 10,000 miles later. At this point we got rid of the car. It also had many electrical problems and would just shut off for no reason.

General Comments:

The Bravada is a very comfortable car, but unreliable. GM wouldn't help with the coolant problems even though many other bravada owners also had the same problems.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 29th May, 2002

10th Jun 2003, 14:01

After having an Olds dealer service manager tell me I had "a little rust" in my radiator and it wasn't a big deal I was very surprise to find, 3 weeks later, that a rusty sludge had developed in the radiator and spread through the entire cooling system. The repair bill?...

$3000!

My '97 Bravada had 90,000 miles at that point. It just recently turned 100,000 miles and started making another strange noise. The problem? The AWD transfer case. The Olds dealer wanted $500 just to remove the case for inspection.

My solution to this problem? Junk it. I loved my Bravada and I refused to listen to people telling me that American cars were junk. Now it is junk. I will never buy a GM car again.

David Anthony

dael@sbcglobal.net.

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