1998 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA Electrical System Problems

VEHICLE HAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING. IT HAPPENS NUMEROUS TIMES WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING TO WORK 3RD SHIFT 55-60 MPH ON A COUNTRY ROAD... VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN. WITH NO LIGHTS, POWER STEERING, ECT... I WOULD HAVE TO TRY AND PULL OVER IN THE PITCH BLACK OF NIGHT. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES IT WOULD START BACK UP AND ON I WOULD GO, PRAYING IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN AT THE CURVES. AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS OF THIS AND NOBODY HAVING ANY ANSWERS, MY HUSBAND DISCOVERED IT IS A CONNECTOR IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT GETS CORRODED AND HE HAS TO CLEAN IT. AS LONG AS WE CLEAN THE CORROSION OFF OF THE CONNECTOR ABOUT TWICE A YEAR, THE VEHICLE DOES FINE. *TR

Mileage: 86,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 45-55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED NUMEROUS TIMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TOA DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR. THE REPAIR FAILED TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 42,000.

Mileage: 40,000

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH MY 1998 OLDS BRAVADA. FIRST THE BLINKER SOUND WON'T SHUT OFF. WHEN THE AC IS ON FOR MORE THAN 25 MINUTES THE MOTOR GETS REALLY LOUD AND THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE STARTS JUMPING. FINALLY MY BRAKES GET STICKY WHEN IT'S HOT OUTSIDE THEN THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND IT FEELS AS IF THE BRAKES AREN'T GOING TO ENGAGE AND THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE STARTS GOING CRAZY AGAIN. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHUTS OFF AND STARTS ALL OVER AGAIN EVERY TIME I START THE VEHICLE. *JB

Mileage: 91,400

THE DASH GUAGES AND THE LIGHTS FLASHED ON/OFF THEN WENT OUT COMPLETELY. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS BAD. AT 33000K MILES THE CONSUMER WENT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE CHECKED DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTING ROUGH AND STARTING IN SECOND GEAR, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE IGNITION HAD GONE BAD AGAIN. *SCC *JG

Mileage: 23,000

IGNITION SWITCH CAUSED KEY TO GET STUCK IN IGNITION, ALSO CAUSSED GAUGE CLUSTER TO SHUT OFF. VEHICLE IS DRIVABLE BUT WITHOUT SPEEDOMETER. *AK

IGNITION SWITCH CAUSED KEY TO GET STUCK IN IGNITION, ALSO CAUSSED GAUGE CLUSTER TO SHUT OFF. VEHICLE IS DRIVABLE BUT WITHOUT SPEEDOMETER. *AK

CONSUMER TRIED TO TURN KEY TO START VEHICLE, AND WAS THEN UNABLE TO TURN KEY OR TAKE IT BACK OUT OF IGNITION. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER AND THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED.*YH

BATTERY POSITIVE POST FELL COMPLETELY OUT OF BATTERY

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

TOTAL ELECTRICAL LOSS CAUSING ENGINE SHUTDOWN. WHILE DRIVING WITH THE AC ON AND THE RADIO ON DURING THE DAY, WITHIN A 3 MILE TRIP WE EXPERIANCED TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE 2 TIMES. THE IDIOT LIGHTS WILL FLASH, THE DASH BOARD NEEDLES WILL BOUNCE AND JUMP, AND THEN EVERYTHING SHUTSDOWN. ENGINE, BRAKES, POWER STEARING, LIGHTS EVERYTHING. WE WERE ABLE TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHIFT INTO PARK AND RESTART THE ENGINE WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. IF THIS HAD HAPPEND WHEN WE MADE THE LAST LEFT TURN, WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN NAILED BY A SEMI. THE DEALER HAS HAD THE BRAVADA FROM 2 DAYS WITHOUT FINDING ANYTHING. THEY CAN NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. THE BATTERY IS FINE, THE TERMINALS ARE FINE, THEY TESTED THE COMPUTER AND THAT IS FINE. I REFUSE TO LET ANYONE DRIVE THIS UNTIL SOMETHING IS FOUND AND FIXED.

TOTAL ELECTRICAL LOSS CAUSING ENGINE SHUTDOWN. WHILE DRIVING WITH THE AC ON AND THE RADIO ON DURING THE DAY, WITHIN A 3 MILE TRIP WE EXPERIANCED TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE 2 TIMES. THE IDIOT LIGHTS WILL FLASH, THE DASH BOARD NEEDLES WILL BOUNCE AND JUMP, AND THEN EVERYTHING SHUTSDOWN. ENGINE, BRAKES, POWER STEARING, LIGHTS EVERYTHING. WE WERE ABLE TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHIFT INTO PARK AND RESTART THE ENGINE WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. IF THIS HAD HAPPEND WHEN WE MADE THE LAST LEFT TURN, WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN NAILED BY A SEMI. THE DEALER HAS HAD THE BRAVADA FROM 2 DAYS WITHOUT FINDING ANYTHING. THEY CAN NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. THE BATTERY IS FINE, THE TERMINALS ARE FINE, THEY TESTED THE COMPUTER AND THAT IS FINE. I REFUSE TO LET ANYONE DRIVE THIS UNTIL SOMETHING IS FOUND AND FIXED.

THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND 6 DIFFERENT TRANSMISSIONS TROUBLE CODES ARE SET IN THE COMPUTER CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO GO INTO A DEFAULT MODE THAT CAUSES IT NOT TO HAVE A FIRST GEAR OR HIGH GEAR. THE ELECTRICAL DASH GAUGES MOY OR MAY NOT WORK AT TIMES AND THE KEY MAY OR MAY NOT COME OUT OF THE SWITCH WHEN YOU TRY AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. I CHECKED WITH A GM DEALER AND TALKED TO THE MECHANIC AND AS SOON AS I SHOWED HIM THE TROUBLE CODES AND THE NUMBER OF TIMES THEY HAD CAME UP HE TOLD ME WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AS HE HAD SEEN IT ON MANY OTHER GM CARS BEFORE.

CALLED DEALERSHIP REFERRED TO CUSTOMER SERVICE IN FLA., ON PROBLEM WITH STEERING COLUMN TALKED TO CENTRAL FLA. CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY WERE GOING TO CHECK AND CALL ME BACK. CLAIMED LEATHER WEARING OFF THE STEERING COLUMN WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, BUT WOULD LOOK INTO IT. NEVER HEARD FROM THEM AGAIN. PROBLEM WITH AC DELCO BATTERY OCCURRED WHILE I WAS ON VACATION. BATTERY WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE A 7 YEAR LIFESPAN. WHILE AT SHOPPING CENTER, BATTERY DIED AND HAD TO CONTACT TRIPLE AAA TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO GARAGE. EVIDENCE OF CORROSION WAS ON THE BATTERY CABLES AND BATTERY WAS DEAD. HAD TO PUT IN NEW BATTERY AND HAVE CABLES CLEANED. THIS WAS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. WHEN I CONTACTED DEALER, I WAS ADVISED TO CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE OF OLDS. THEY INVESTIGATED THE CASE #0CO2791144 AND ADVISED THEY WOULD NOT REFUND FOR REPAIR BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T PHYSICALLY SEE THE BATTERY. AS STATED, THIS HAPPENED ON THE ROAD WHILE ON VACATION. I HAVE WITNESS TO TRIED TO HELP AND OBSERVED CONDITION OF THE CABLES AND SAW THAT BATTERY WAS DEAD. I INTEND TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH GM, OLDSMOBILE; HOWEVER, BASED ON CONVERSATION AFTER I WENT THROUGH THIS PROBLEM, IT APPEARS THAT MANY AC DELCO BATTERIES HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM, BELIEVE THE AC DELCO BATTERY INSTALLED IN 1998 CARS TO BE DEFECTIVE. REQUEST YOUR HELP IN INVESTIGATING AND HELPING CONSUMERS. THANK YOU. *AK

ALCO BATTERIES HAVE FAILED THREE TIMES. NLM

ALCO BATTERIES HAVE FAILED THREE TIMES. NLM

ENGINE STALLING / SHUTTING DOWN INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER'S SHOP ON FOUR OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH THE ENGINE STOPPED, POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES FAILED. THE TRUCK WOULD NOT RESTART. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER SAID A CHAFFED WIRE CAUSED THE COMPUTER FUSE TO BLOW. THIS WAS THE SECOND OCCURANCE IN 6 WEEKS.

WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH THE ENGINE STOPPED, POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES FAILED. THE TRUCK WOULD NOT RESTART. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER SAID A CHAFFED WIRE CAUSED THE COMPUTER FUSE TO BLOW. THIS WAS THE SECOND OCCURANCE IN 6 WEEKS.

WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS THE ENGINE STOPPED, POWER STEERING FAILED, AND POWER BRAKES FAILED. I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND PARK SAFELY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER SAID THE COMPUTER FUZE WAS BLOWN.

LOST ALL GUAGES AFTER ALL DASHBOARD LIGHTS CAME ON THEN WENT OUT; ALSO LOST POWER, ENGINE RPM'S SHOT UP TO 3000 FROM NORMAL 2000

WHILE DRIVING FROM THE GAS STATION DRIVER NOTICED DASHBOARD LIGHTS WERE NOT ON. ABOUT 15 MINUTES AFTER THAT, KEY WAS STUCK IN THE IGNITION. *AK

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

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

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