2002 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA Complaints

THE 2002 BRAVADA AWD SYSTEM HAS SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEMS.PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT I WAS COMMENTING TO MY WIFE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT HANDLING WELL IN SNOWY CONDITIONS. THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE ENGAGES ONLY AFTER A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF REAR TIRE SPIN FOLLOWED BY A LURCH AS THE FRONT TIRES KICK IN. THE AWD LURCHES (ENGAGING AND DIS-ENGAGING MANY TIMES AS I TIRED TO GET UNDER WAY AT A STOP LIGHT). THE VEHICLE WOULD EASILY FISH TAIL WITHOUT ANY ERRATIC OR PROVOKED ACTIONS BY THE DRIVER. WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED I WAS TURNING RIGHT ONTO A 4 LANE DIVIDED MAIN STREET THAT WAS ICY/SNOW PACKED  I WAS TIP TOEING AROUND THE CORNER WHEN BACK TIRES SPUN WHICH ENGAGED THE AWD WITH A LURCH. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO FISH TAIL TO THE LEFT, TO THE RIGHT AND BACK TO THE LEFT AS THE DRIVER TRIED TO SAVE THE VEHICLE FROM DISASTER. I REACHED A TOP SPEED OF 17 MPH (BARELY ABOVE IDLE). EACH TIME THE VEHICLE FISH TAILED IT WAS MADE WORSE BY THE AWD SYSTEM THAT LURCHED (AGAIN AND AGAIN) UPSETTING THE VEHICLE IN ITS ALREADY PRECARIOUS STATE. THE VEHICLE SLOWED TO 6 MPH BEFORE IMPACT INTO A LIGHT POLE.I NOW HAVE MAJOR SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT DRIVABILITY OF THIS VEHICLE IN SLIPPERY CONDITIONS. GIVEN THE LURCHING AND TAIL HAPPY NATURE OF THIS AWD SYSTEM I WOULD RATHER NOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE IN WINTER (SNOW/ICY) CONDITIONS (WHICH IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT I GOT THIS VEHICLE). I ALSO FEEL THAT I CANNOT SELL OR TRADE THIS VEHICLE IN FOR FEAR THAT THE NEXT OWNERS WILL EXPERIENCE THE SAME LURCHING AND FISH TAILING CONDITIONS WITH THE AWD BUT HAVE MORE DAMAGING/DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES. TO HAVE GM SAY THAT THIS VEHICLE IS WORKING WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS IS JUST PLAIN INSULTING AND IS THE BIGGEST LIE IVE EVER HEARD. IF ANYONE ELSE HAS EXPERIENCED THESE DRIVABILITY PROBLEMS PLEASE OPEN A NHTSA CASE SO WE CAN GET GM TO FIX OR RECALL THE VEHICLE.*AK

2002 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA - VISIBLITY-MEMORY MIRRORS HAVE NOT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE. HAVE RETURNED FOR SERVICE NUMEROUS TIMES. THIS IS A HAZARDOUS SITUATION. NEEDING TO MAKE A FORCED LANE CHANGE TO FIND YOUR MIRRORS NOT IN PLACE CAN BE FATAL. I AM IN AND OUT OF MY CAR 3 TO 4 TIMES A DAY AND OCCASIONALLY FAIL TO SET MY MIRRORS WITH EACH ENTRY TO VEHICLE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER THE VEHICLE. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE ENGINE STALLED. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK 2002 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE BEING DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH AND THE ENGINE STALLED. VEHICLE WOULD NOT START BACK UP SO IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.*MR

NOT ONE MONTH AFTER WE BOUGHT OUR BRAVADA, WE STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. FIRST, WHEN BACKING UP, THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE OR SHUDDER. SECOND, WHEN GOING AROUND CORNERS, VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE OR SHUDDER. THIRD, WHEN AT A STOP, I WOULD FEEL A THUMP LIKE SOMEONE TAPPED ME FROM BEHIND. THIS HAPPENS ON FIRST START UP. FOURTH ITEM , & THE MOST ANNOYING, WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE, FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR, YOU CAN FEEL THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS THUMPING . ITS DRIVING ME NUTS! PLUS I DON'T THINK THAT THE MEMORY IN THE SIDE MIRRORS WORK. DEALER SAYS THEY ARE WAITING FOR FIXES FROM GM. HMMM, I WONDER ABOUT THAT. *LA

VEHICLE HAS SELF ADJUSTING MIRRORS WHICH ADJUST WHEN REVERSING. AFTER REVERSING THE MIRRORS DO NOT GO BACK TO THEIR ORIGINAL POSITION. DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT A REMEDY FOR THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

2002 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA UNSAFE VEHICLE.*MR THE CONSUMER STATED THAT ALL 2002 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADAS OWNERS WERE NOTIFIED BY THE MANUFACTURER IN JUNE 2003 OF RECALL NOTICE 003019. THE NOTICE STATED THAT THE ENGINE MAY BE DEFECTIVE AND SUBJECT TO TOTAL AND COMPLETE UNEXPECTED FAILURE. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT OLDSMOBILE BRAVADAS SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED ON THE ROAD UNTIL THE ORIGINAL ENGINES ARE REPAIRED/REPLACED. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED AN UPDATE ON 4 RELATED INVESTIGATIONS. *PH *NLM *SC *JB

I HAVE AN OLDS BRAVADA AWD 2002 THAT HAS A STEERING PROBLEM. WHEN I TURN HARD RIGHT OR LEFT OR BACK UP AND TURN HARD RT OR LT THERE IS A SHUTTER IN THE STEERING. I HAVE CALLED OLDS AND THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND IT APPEARS THAT IT IS COMING FROM THE TRANSFER CASE. OTHER OLDS OWNERS HAVE DESCRIBED THE EXACT SAME CONDITIONS. IT HAPPENS AT LOW SPEEDS WITH SHARP TURN. *JB

WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND STALLED. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LOSE STEERING AND BRAKING CAPABILITY. THE VEHICLE SLOWED TO A COMPLETE STOP, WITH SEVERAL VEHICLES BEHIND HONKING THEIR HORNS AND BEING FORCED TO COME TO RAPID STOPS. UPON GRADUALLY COMING TO A STOP, LUCKILY AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE BRAVADA WOULD NOT RESTART AND REQUIRED IT TO BE TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER.*AK

THE RELAY BLEW, AND STARTED A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR. *MR THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THE CONSUMER UPDATE THE SECURITY SYSTEM WHICH WAS ADDED TO THE EXISTING GM SYSTEM FOR EXTRA PROTECTION. THE SYSTEM LEFT THE VEHICLE DOWN AND COULD NOT BE STARTED. THE RELAY HAD BLOWN AND STARTED A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE DEALER WOULD NOT REMOVE THE SYSTEM. *SCC *JB

MANUFACTURER HAS DECLARED DEFECTIVE ENGINE AND WILL NOT REPAIR/ REPLACE.FFICIAL OLDSMOBILE NOTICE # 003019 SENT JUNE 2003. WHY DOES NHTSA NOT FORCE MANUFACTURE TO REPAIR/REPLACE DEFECTIVE ENGINE ?*AK VERY UNSAFE, WILL CAUSE TRAFFIC DEATHS.