There are 14 owner-reported steering complaints for the 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
ENGINE STALLS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. LOST BRAKES, STEERING, NO CONTROL OF VEHICLE. LUCKILY WAS ON SMALL HIGHWAY, ABLE TO COAST TO STOP AND HAVE CAR TOWED. MECHANIC UNABLE TO REPLICATE PROBLEM AFTER KEEPING AND DRIVING VEHICLE FOR 10 DAYS. SEARCHED ISSUE ONLINE. HORRIFIED TO READ HUNDREDS OF SAME COMPLAINT; SAME VEHICLE, SAME YEAR. HORRIBLE STORIES OF RESULTING ACCIDENTS. NOW NEWS FULL OF "IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE" ISSUES. BELIEVE THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. GM NOT OFFERING ADVICE AND CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY. SAYS "TOO MANY KEYS ON KEY CHAIN." 2 KEYS ON MINE. VEHICLE NOT ON GM RECALL LIST. BOUGHT SECOND HAND IN 2011. NOW TOO SCARED TO DRIVE IT. STILL OWE $5,000 ON CAR. CANT AFFORD TO ADD THAT TO NEW LOAN. WILL NOT SELL IT TO UNSUSPECTING SOUL WHO MAY BE KILLED. *TR
WAS DRIVING AND LOST CONTROL WITH INABILITY TO STEER. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. I STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND FOUND THAT STEERING FLUID WAS DRAINING FROM MY CAR. TOOK IT TO THE BODY SHOP & THEY SAID THE STEERING PUMP BLEW. IM GLAD I WASN'T TRAVELING FASTER AND THAT NO ONE WAS STRUCK. *TR
POWER STEERING WENT OUT... *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 20 MPH AND ATTEMPTING A LEFT TURN WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED ABNORMALLY, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASH THROUGH A FENCE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CRASH, THE STEERING WHEEL UNLOCKED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE FAILURE AND THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.
WHILE DRIVING,THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED ROCKING BACK AND FORTH WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES,THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND SKIDDED INTO A CONCRETE BARRIER HEAD ON. BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB VEHICLE DID NOT SKID BUT WAS TAKEN QUICKLY AND SHARPLY TO THE LEFT INTO THE MEDIAN AND IMPACTED A CURB LIKE BARRIER DAMAGING VEHICLE. HOWEVER VEHICLE WAS NOT TOTALED. THOUGHT TO HAVE EXPERIENCED A BLOW OUT BUT NOT CONFIRMED. PROBLEMS WITH STEERING WAS ALSO EVIDENT. *TT
WHEN MAKING A SHARP TURN TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT THE BRAVADA WHEN ACT AS IF YOU ARE USING THE BRAKE WHEN YOU TURN SHARP INTO A PARKING SPOT CAUSE THE TRUCK TO STOP. I THINK THAT IT IS PUTTING TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON THE CV SHAFT THAT MAY CAUSE DAMAGE SOON. *AK ONCE WHEN THE TRUCK WAS RUNNING IN PARK IT ACT AS IF IT WAS GOING TO STALL FOR A SEC. I HAD JUST PARKED AND LEFT IT RUNNING, AND WALKED TO OTHER SIDE WHEN IT HAPPEN ON APRIL 9 2004.
WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN FROM A STOP POWER STEERING LAPSED UNTIL THE TURN WAS MADE. THIS POWER STEERING PROBLEM OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. DEALER REPLACED THE LOWER PINION BEARING. *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
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 DOWNHILL STEERING WHEEL WAS SPINNING WHEN CONSUMER TRIED TO CHANGE LANES. VEHICLE WENT ACROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC AND HIT A GUARDRAIL. DEALER DETERMINED A BOLT THAT ATTACHES STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING STEERING LOCKS UP. UNABLE TO STEER. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN STEERING LOCKS UP ON TURNS, ITS CAUSES LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY IN AND OUT OF DRIVEWAY OR PARKING LOTS. *YH
TIRES ARE WEARING UNEVEN, CANNOT BE BALANCED. TIRES WERE REPLACED, SHOCKS AND STRUTS REPLACED TWICE. CV JOINT WAS REPLACED AS WELL. DEALER IS UNABLE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM.*JB OIL LEAKING FROM FRONT SHOCK, SHOCK WAS REPLACED. BANGING NOISE ON DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. STRUT WAS LEAKING AND WAS REPLACED. BRAKES FAILED WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN A REAR END COLLISON. BRAKE PDAL FEELS MUSHY. PASSENGER SIDE FOG LIGHT OUT. BLOWN FOG LAMP BULB REPLACED. REPLACED FAILED PASSENGER FRONT TURN SIGNAL BULB. DRIVER AND PASSENGER POWER MIRROR WILL NOT MOVE LEFT OR RIGHT. MIRROR SWITCH REPLACED. FRONT BUMPER COVER IS LOOSE AND RATTLES. GRINDING, CLUNKING AND WHINING WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS OR MAKING TURNS. STEERING SHAFT REPLACED. TRANSMISSION LEAKING. REPLACED REAR MAIN SEAL, REMOVED 02 SENSOR AND CONVERTER DUE TO DAMAGE. SURGING PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE.
STEERING WAS HARD TO TURN, DEALER WILL REPLACE RACK AND PINION.*AK
WHEN TURNING INTO A SHOPPING CENTER, AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE STEERING BOUND UP AND A LOSS OF POWER ALMOST CAUSED CONSUMER TO ALMOST HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE, THERE WAS A VERY HEAVY VIBRATION AND POUNDING COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WAS ERRACTIC AND A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER.*JB *DT
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Sep 8, 2026