Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER ARM
98V053000GENERAL MOTORS CORP.from 01/01/1998 to 01/31/1998V (Vehicle)7201/22/1998MFRGENERAL MOTORS CORP.03/09/199803/19/1998
Defect SummaryVehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicle equipped with 4-wheel drive or all-wheel-drive. one or both of the attaching nuts for the right-hand lower control arm are under torqued. this can allow the attachment bolt to loosen and subsequent break resulting in separation of the lower control arm from the frame.
Consequence SummaryThis condition can result in a loss of vehicle control.
Corrective SummaryDealers will inspect and retighten the right-hand lower control arm nuts to the proper torque specification.
NotesGm recall no. 98006.owner/dealer notification began january 22, 1998.these vehicles were in-transit or very recently delivered to dealerships.customers receiving these vehicles before january 22, 1998, were contacted by the selling dealer to return their vehicle for the service procedure.owners who were not contacted by their dealer within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1022, oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537, or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).

Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
SUSPENSION - FRONT
0201501/01/200410006961Pop snap noise in the front suspension when braking. *mr05/20/2004

Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
SUSPENSION
RQ02012GENERAL MOTORS CORP.09/10/200203/07/2003FRONT CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS01V200000
 See attached page.
SUSPENSION - FRONT
RQ02012GENERAL MOTORS CORP.09/10/200203/07/2003FRONT CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS01V200000
 See attached page.
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM
RQ02012GENERAL MOTORS CORP.09/10/200203/07/2003FRONT CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS01V200000
 See attached page.
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER ARM
RQ02012GENERAL MOTORS CORP.09/10/200203/07/2003FRONT CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS01V200000
 See attached page.
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT
RQ02012GENERAL MOTORS CORP.09/10/200203/07/2003FRONT CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS01V200000
 See attached page.
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER ARM
RQ02012GENERAL MOTORS CORP.09/10/200203/07/2003FRONT CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS01V200000
 See attached page.
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT
RQ02012GENERAL MOTORS CORP.09/10/200203/07/2003FRONT CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS01V200000
 See attached page.

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
SUSPENSION
07/28/2009916561
 Complaint number description of the complaint: i own a 1998 oldsmobile bravada. after purchasing the vehicle in february 20008, a year and 3 months later my husband reported a whistling in the front right wheel. now when i was driving it i heard a whistling in the left back wheel. the vehicle was driven to the mechanic and stated that the wheel bearing assembly was coming loose and needed to be replaced. there is also a general recall on this car for suspension and lower ball joints and the control arm. between this mechanical problem and this safety recall (although my vin# was not in it. i was told by my local mechanic that this car should not be driven on the highway because the wheel could come loose and cause a crash. this is a safety issue. i just took the car today to gmc dealer in hazlet. they are going to do a diagnostic test costing me 48 - 90 dollars which i do not believe i should have to pay because this is a complete safety issue complaint and all 1998 oldmobile bravada's should be recalled to check but of these items out. *tr
01/31/200671000101/31/2006
 Transmission problems, windshield wipers not working, headlights not working, awd problems, cooling system problems, fuel pump, control arm & ball joint problems are just some of the major safety issues on 96-99 gm blazers, bravada's, & jimmys. these problems should really be looked into and recalled. most problems starting right after warranty expired. can't believe gm is getting away with this. transmission went bad at 71000 miles and dealer says that they know there was a defect with the transmissions also problem (code 1870) but they will not cover the repair. *jb
04/04/2005570007
 Consumer had front steering components on oldsmobile bravada replaced. *mr three ball joints, idler arm, and pitman arm were all replaced. the tires had to be replaced. the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc *jb
05/13/200391000606/05/2001
 The upper and lower ball joints on my 1998 oldsmobile bravada with awd smartrack wear at a very accelerated rate. they, along with the tie rods were replaced soon after i purchased the vehicle at approx 86000 miles with all gm parts, and now at 93000 miles need replacing again. they have been properly lubricated, and the front end has been aligned several times, all by a gm dealer. the vehicle is not used off road or for plowing. having spoke to several other bravada owners, i am finding this to be a rather common problem. these components are critical, and should last much longer than they have, especially on an all wheel drive vehicle that never goes off road. no recall is noted, however front suspension components directly related to these have been investigated by the nhtsa. the vehicle is fitted with quality name brand standard size tires in good condition. *nlm
08/30/20001
 The left and right front wheel bearing assemblies were making noise and were replaced by the dealer. also, the idler arm was worn out and the front lower ball joints failed causing the front end to become loose. the vehicle had four new tires. *yh
02/01/2001
 The vehicle described pulls to the left or right depending on the lay of the road. it will not go straight at any time without applying correction with the steering wheel. i researched the customer complaints for the 1998 gm series (olds bravada, gmc jimmy, chev blazer). the customer complaints are staggering. the trend on this safety issue is profound. gm has a problem and so do the consumers. have you picked up on this trend? are there studies? gm had a recall to re-torgue a steering linkage bolt. that's not the problem overall. it extends into newer models too. i think we need help before we have another firestone/ford explorer like problem. please investigate. please advise on results. thanks for helping because it is evident that gm is aware of the problem and has not fixed it. there are lots of failures, lots of crashes, lots of injuries, and i'm sure some loss of life. and i'm only seeing what has been reported to you. i would bet it is a very big problem. thanks again. don sellars. *ak
08/01/199908/01/1999
 This vehicle shudders on dry pavement. there is a problem with the all wheel drive system. please see bulletin # 99-04-21-005 (this is on your website) we have had the vehicle in for service 4 times for this problem. they changed the fluid in the transfer case 3 different times, but the problem still persists. we have contacted oldsmobile, with no results. can you please help us, we don't know what to do next. the vehicle is still under factory warranty. gm/ oldsmobile refuses to replace the transfer case and the mechanic at pence oldsmobile suggested this is what should be done to correct the problem. *ak
12/01/1998
 I was hit in the rear quarter panel by a vw. the bravada rolled twice. the vw was hardly damaged. i was accused of speeding while in fact i was not. the vehicle just rolled so easily. is there a problem with these sports utility vehicles rolling?
SUSPENSION - FRONT
06/17/2007104000
 Tl*the contact owns a 1998 oldsmobile bravada. immediately after purchasing the vehicle in may of 2007, the contact heard a noise coming from the front passenger side wheel. the vehicle was driven to the dealer and they stated that the wheel bearing assembly was defective and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. a few months later, while driving approximately 55 mph, she heard a grinding sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. the following day, the vehicle was driven to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that the front axles were defective and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. in july of 2008, while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle shifted from left to right and the wheels were unstable. the vehicle was driven to a local repair shop for an alignment and the mechanic stated that the upper and lower ball joints and the control arm were defective. the vehicle has not been repaired since the last failure. the manufacturer has not been notified. the current mileage was 147,000 and failure mileage was 104,000.
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM
01/31/200671000101/31/2006
 Transmission problems, windshield wipers not working, headlights not working, awd problems, cooling system problems, fuel pump, control arm & ball joint problems are just some of the major safety issues on 96-99 gm blazers, bravada's, & jimmys. these problems should really be looked into and recalled. most problems starting right after warranty expired. can't believe gm is getting away with this. transmission went bad at 71000 miles and dealer says that they know there was a defect with the transmissions also problem (code 1870) but they will not cover the repair. *jb
09/17/2000110/01/1998
 While driving into the setting sun in a parking lot i struck a3 inch curbing at approximately 10 mph. a large flag pole was slightly scraped with the left fender causing some minor damage. the left front ball joint separated from the lower control arm causing the tie rod end to snap and left front wheel to collapse. the car traveled approximately 1 1/2 car lengths before stopping without use of the brakes. the only skid marks were from the now sideways tire and from the dragging undercarrige bolts. there is no reason that this minor impact should have cuased this type of damage. the rivets connecting the ball joints had sheared off. this car has never been driven off road or abused in any way. if this had occured at highway speed after hitting a pot hole i would likely have lost complete control of the car. our olds dealer told me that it was not their problem.
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT
11/03/200382000104/22/2002
 I purchased my 1998 bravada 4/02 and since then have had nothing but problems. the upper and lower ball joints have been replaced twice (they were replaced and approx 2 weeks later i was having the same problems again and i was told the parts were faulty). i had the same problems with the brakes--had them fixed , then had problems again,took it back and again it was blamed on faulty parts. the brakes still squeak badly, so i'm sure i will hear again that i had faulty parts. the tread on the front tires wore unevenly (they were pro-rated 80,000 mile tires and after less than 3,000 miles the inner edges were completly bald). so of course, the tires were supposedly faulty. the ignition module goes out every 6 months with out fail. the ignition will stick in the lock position and the key cannot be removed unless you force it which results in the bravada being able to be started without the key. i was told there was a memo put out on this part, but no recall. these are only the repairs that have had to be repeatedly done. i am really begining to wonder if maybe the truck is faulty and not the parts. also, i refuse to take the truck to the olds dealership. i think there moto is it isn't our problem, and if it isn't, maybe it should be because they say it enough. and lets be honest--yes oldsmobile, it is your problem. you maufactured these vehicles and now many, many people are paying for them. maybe they should stand up and actaully start taking responsibility for it. anyone else agree?*ak
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT
11/03/200382000104/22/2002
 I purchased my 1998 bravada 4/02 and since then have had nothing but problems. the upper and lower ball joints have been replaced twice (they were replaced and approx 2 weeks later i was having the same problems again and i was told the parts were faulty). i had the same problems with the brakes--had them fixed , then had problems again,took it back and again it was blamed on faulty parts. the brakes still squeak badly, so i'm sure i will hear again that i had faulty parts. the tread on the front tires wore unevenly (they were pro-rated 80,000 mile tires and after less than 3,000 miles the inner edges were completly bald). so of course, the tires were supposedly faulty. the ignition module goes out every 6 months with out fail. the ignition will stick in the lock position and the key cannot be removed unless you force it which results in the bravada being able to be started without the key. i was told there was a memo put out on this part, but no recall. these are only the repairs that have had to be repeatedly done. i am really begining to wonder if maybe the truck is faulty and not the parts. also, i refuse to take the truck to the olds dealership. i think there moto is it isn't our problem, and if it isn't, maybe it should be because they say it enough. and lets be honest--yes oldsmobile, it is your problem. you maufactured these vehicles and now many, many people are paying for them. maybe they should stand up and actaully start taking responsibility for it. anyone else agree?*ak