22nd Aug 2004, 00:08
I own a 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada and it has been a great vehicle for 6 years. the only problems I have had is that my A/C stopped working. Other than that, no real problems have occurred. I plan on keeping my Bravada for years to come. It only has 65,000 miles on it. It is a very comfortable car, and no "sludge" has ever appeared as a result of my coolant. I love my car, and it has held up very good the past few years.
26th Oct 2004, 11:05
Bought my 97 Bravada in Feb-Mar 04, it had just over 100,000 miles on it. Not long after it started to suffer. Ended up replacing wiring harness behind ignition, now she runs like a dream. Transmission fluid level was very low when I got it, hard shifted from 1-2 on one occasion. Had transmission basic service, now no problem. Fuel gauge went out, but info center tells me consistantly within.2 gallons, so not in a hurry to fix it. Look, some people have good luck with cars some don't. I've had a Buick 4-banger that went over 200,000 miles with only minor maint., I currently own a 1992 Camaro RS with 150,000 miles (all are mine), and she runs as smooth as day one. Again no major events, just maintaining. Am I confident in my Bravada? Yes, because I have had EXCELLENT results with GM so far. Can't explain your problems any more than my lack of them, I am sure that in the grand scheme of things it all evens out.
5th Jul 2006, 18:51
I own a 1997 Olds Bravada. The vehicle ran extremely well. I had a blowout and placed the donut on the car. I drove it 35 miles at below normal speeds on my way to the tire store. The tire caught on fire. People waved me to the side of the road and yelled "fire". I retrieved my daughter from the back seat just before the vehicle was engulfed in flames. Unfortunately the vehicle was paid for so I only had liability insurance. The Bravada was a total loss. Sign me, very sad, in Idaho.
31st Jul 2006, 11:27
I also have a 97 Olds Bravada. It drove well for the first 5 years or until it hit 90,000 miles... Now I have 141,000 miles on it, but I can't get it out of the driveway. I took it to a mechanic because it wouldn't shift... so they replaced the gear shift assembly.. then the key got stuck in the ignition, so I took it back to the mechanic and they replaced the switch, but then said that they couldn't get it to start.. they kept it for a couple of days trying to troubleshoot it as it appears that the ignition problem is recurrent in this vehicle.. finally the mechanic called me and said to take the "piece of junk" out of there... So, I had to have it towed to my house... they put the old ignition switch in.. key won't come out, so the battery is dead.. Haven't used it in a month.. I've seen other 97-98's being sold for parts.. I also have a 93 Camry Le that I have little or no problems with at 146,000 miles.. I will never buy another GM car.. must be a reason why they stops making Olsmobiles...
6th Nov 2006, 18:07
I own a 1996 Bravada. It looks nice. That's the best thing I can say about it. Twice I had to replace the heater core. Once at 80,000 miles and again at 125,000 miles. THEN the radiator went out, followed by the waterpump. I replaced all of that and was OK until it failed to start last week. That's a new one on me. Also, the AC leaks freon since I bought it in the winter of 2000. Now I can't keep freon in it. Did anyone look at the ball joints on this SUV??? It looks like the same ones used on my cavalier! What type of engineer would under design a truck like that? The SUV looks nice in the driveway. Too bad it doesn't run. I will fix it and sell it. Its winter and maybe no one else will find the AC doesn't work. GM... I use to swear by it. Now... I will have to go buy an import. GM... You did it to yourselves. I sure hope the government doesn't bail them out when they go bankrupt!
16th Nov 2006, 14:03
I have a '97 Olds Bravada. I have loved the car since I bought it in January of 2003. It had about 75,000 miles on it. I did a carfax on it & it had only been owned two times previously to me buying it. I paid a lot of money for the car as well. Within a couple of months owning it, the heater core went bad. The next year, we drove it to Florida (I live in SC) & on the way home, the front end went out. That was scary. I had to do some minor repairs after that here & there. Then, in March of 2005 there was a knocking in the bottom of the engine. Went to see several mechanics & they all said to stop driving it & get a new engine. So, the car sat for almost a year & now I have a slightly used engine in it. The engine is fine now, but the compressor went out & my key is stuck in the ignition. Sometimes the dinging won't go off & my battery goes dead. : (Also, sometimes when I am going down the road the car cuts off. Very disappointing.
3rd Jul 2007, 07:51
My elderly father bought a 1997 Bravada new in 1997. He averages about 3000 miles per year. The car only has 36,000 miles on it now. Not long after purchasing the car the problems started. He would often complain about the windshield wipers not working and occasionally the battery would appear to die for no apparent reason. The dealer never found a problem. I would drop by to check the car after each complaint, but each time the car seemed to work properly. The electrical problems were so varied and intermittent that I thought, due to his age and eye sight he was having problems operating the controls. I recently had to drive this car on an extended road trip and now I understand his complaints. First the seat belt alarm started buzzing and would not stop, the interior light would randomly flash, the front or rear wipers would occasionally not work. This electrical problem has existed from the first day... I wished I would have listened to my father's complaints years ago!!! And by the way, he also had to have the cooling system replaced ($2000) due to the type of cooling that was installed at the factory.
4th Mar 2004, 11:26
I also have a 97 Bravada and I will never purchase another Oldsmobile again. Luckily, I do most of the repairs myself. I have had the rear bearing (in the transfer case) on the output shaft to the front go bad. (2 day job) I have replaced the alternator, front wheel bearings twice, brake lines, front c/v shafts, rear wiper motor, ball joints, every universal on the vehicle, hoses to the remote oil filter are leaking, idler arm is bad, idler pulley was replaced twice, and it seems like every month something else goes. When we had purchased the vehicle, the monetary value of the vehicle was high. In the three years that we have had it, the price has went through the floor. So, we cannot trade it in because we will take such a loss. There is 95,000 miles on the vehicle at the present time and I just hope that it lasts 2 more years until it is paid off.
P.s. There isn't a dealer around that wants to take a Bravada in on trade. If they do, you're not going to get anything out of it.