The 2000 Oldsmobile Bravada carries 3 open NHTSA recalls — most recently covering switch and labels. Owners report 6 recurring issue clusters, led by “Brake light, hazard and multi-function switch failure.” Oldsmobile closed in 2004, so every one of these is at least two decades old. That flips the maintenance question from mileage to age. Rubber, coolant, and brake fluid time out even on a car that barely gets driven. Models from about 1996 on use GM's Oil Life System and Dex-Cool coolant. Older ones run on fixed intervals and green coolant, and the two must never be mixed. Mechanically most of the lineup is shared GM hardware, so parts stay cheap and easy to find. The 3800 V6 in the Eighty-Eight and Ninety-Eight is one of the most durable engines GM ever built. The 3.1 and 3.4 V6 family has a well-documented lower intake manifold gasket weakness, and the Aurora's V8 needs a shop that knows Northstar-family cooling systems.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
Campaign #08V231000 · May 21, 2008
Issue: GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 5,862 MY 2000-2002 CHEVROLET BLAZER, MY 2000-2001 GMC JIMMY, AND MY 2000 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH COULD DEVELOP AN OPEN CIRCUIT CONDITION THAT RESULTS IN THE STOP LAMPS AND THE REAR HAZARD LAMPS BECOMING INOPERATIVE. THE CENTER HIGH MOUNTED STOP LAMP AND TURN SIGNAL FUNCTIONS ARE NOT AFFECTED.
Risk: THE LOSS OF STOP LAMPS AND REAR HAZARD LAMPS COULD FAIL TO WARN A FOLLOWING DRIVER THAT THE VEHICLE IS BRAKING AND/OR IS STOPPED AND COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HAZARD SWITCH CARRIER. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537, OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> . NOTE: THIS CAMPAIGN IS AN EXPANSION OF A PREVIOUS RECALL (PLEASE SEE 01V364).
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Campaign #00V258001 · Aug 9, 2000
Issue: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH INCORRECT PAYLOAD INFORMATION ON THE VEHICLE CERTIFICATION LABEL. THE PAYLOAD SHOWN ON THE LABEL IS GREATER THAN THE MAXIMUM VALIDATED PAYLOAD. IF THE VEHICLE WERE LOADED TO THE INCORRECTLY LABELED PAYLOAD, IT MAY NOT RIDE AND HANDLE IN THE MANNER THAT THE DRIVER EXPECTS.
Risk: THIS COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE OR AN INABILITY TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITHIN EXPECTED STOPPING DISTANCES.
Fix: OWNERS WILL BE SENT A NEW LABEL FOR INSTALLATION ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR OF THE VEHICLE.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
Campaign #01V364000 · Mar 12, 2001
Issue: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH COULD DEVELOP AN OPEN CIRCUIT CONDITION THAT RESULTS IN THE STOP LAMPS AND THE REAR HAZARD LAMPS BECOMING INOPERATIVE. THE CENTER HIGH MOUNTED STOP LAMP AND TURN SIGNAL FUNCTIONS ARE NOT AFFECTED.
Risk: THE LOSS OF STOP LAMPS AND REAR HAZARD LAMPS COULD FAIL TO WARN A FOLLOWING DRIVER THAT THE VEHICLE IS BRAKING AND/OR IS STOPPED AND COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HAZARD SWITCH CARRIER. OWNER NOTIFICATION WILL BE CONDUCTED IN TWO PHASES. THE FIRST PHASE BEGAN APRIL 15, 2002, WITH MAILINGS TO OWNERS OF 2000 AND EARLY 2001 VEHICLES. THE SECOND MAILING PHASE WILL BE TO REMAINING 2001 AND 2002 VEHICLES. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.
What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 2000 Oldsmobile Bravada.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
11 NHTSA complaints · 2001-08 → 2020-09
“BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAD TO BE REPLACED 3 TIMES. AT THIS TIME SWITCH HAS FAILED AGAIN”
“UPON DRIVING THE VEHICLE HOME, I REALIZED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT FUNCTION. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THAT THE HAZARD FLASHERS ALSO DID NOT WORK”
“THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED”
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
6 NHTSA complaints · 2000-10 → 2004-07
“WHILE STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR A STOP SIGN VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING”
“THROTTLE BECOMES STICKY, RESULTS IN A ABRUPT JERKY ACCELERATION WHEN STARTING FROM STANDSTILL”
“WHEN DEPRESSING GAS PEDAL IT WOULD STICK THEN RELEASE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE”
SUSPENSION
4 NHTSA complaints · 2002-05 → 2004-03
“UPPER LEFT BALL JOINT BROKE WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH CAUSING LEFT FRONT TIRE TO FALL OFF”
“RIGHT UPPER BALLJOINT BROKE WHILE DRIVING AROUND 20 MILES PER HOUR”
“DRIVERS SIDE FRONT BALL JOINT BROKE WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, CAR SLID, I DID MANAGE TO MISS THE SEMI'S TIRES THE CAR WAS HEADED FOR”
POWER TRAIN
6 NHTSA complaints · 2001-03 → 2007-09
“WHEN DRIVING OVER 60 MPH THE VEHICLE VIBRATED. THE TRANSFER CASE WAS DEFECTIVE”
“SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE IT HAS SHIMMIED AND THERE WAS VIBRATION, AN OLDSMOBILE SERVICE ENGINEER DISCOVERED THERE WAS WRONG OIL IN TRANSFER CASE FROM FACTORY”
“SERVICE AWD LIGHT COMES ON, WAS TAKEN TO DEALER ONLY FOR THE SAME THING TO HAPPEN AGAIN”
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
5 NHTSA complaints · 2000-05 → 2004-01
“WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER”
“THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, BUT THEY COULD NOT LOCATE IT”
“WIRE WHICH GOES TO FUSE GOT PINCHED TOGETHER, CAUSING IT TO RUB AGAINSTAND WEAR OUT, CAUSING A SHORT TO THE FUSE WHICH RESULTED IN VEHICLE STALLING UNEXPECTEDLY”
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
3 NHTSA complaints · 2003-05 → 2011-08
“THE WIRING HARNESS IN OUR 2000, OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA CAUGHT FIRE. IT APPEARS AS THOUGH IT CHFED THROUGH AND SHORTED”
“PLASTIC CLAMP HOLDING POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE TO RH SPLASH GUARD BROKE OPEN ALLOWING CABLE TO SHIFT FORWARD AND DROOP ONTO TOP OF IDLER ARM”
“2000 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA BEGAN SMOKING IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE”
Note: NHTSA also opened 3 defect investigation(s) on this vehicle that closed without action.
Issues on other model years
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 20, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 1, 2026.
We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.
Critical for safety and preventing major damage
On 1996 and later cars, change when the Oil Life System asks and at least once a year. Earlier cars used a fixed 3,000 mile interval. At this age a 5,000 mile ceiling is the safer read, because worn seals and a tired PCV system dirty the oil faster than the computer assumes.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$120–$160
Shop
~$85–$115
DIY
~$25–$55
Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.
Rotate every 7,500 miles. Check the DOT date code on the sidewall while you are under there. On a low-mileage car of this age, tires usually age out years before the tread wears out.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.
Inspect pads and rotors at every service, and ask specifically about the rubber hoses and steel lines. Line corrosion is a common failure on twenty-year-old cars that lived through road salt.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.
Replace every 2 years regardless of mileage. Brake fluid absorbs water from the air, and decades-old fluid is the quiet cause of soft pedals and stuck calipers on cars this old.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$180–$200
Shop
~$125–$140
DIY
~$10–$25
DOT 3 or 4 — match the cap. Vacuum bleeders make this a one-person DIY.
Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently
Drain and fill every 45,000 miles using Dexron VI. If the fluid has never been changed on a high-mileage car, ask for two or three drain-and-fills spaced out rather than a high-pressure flush.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$330–$500
Shop
~$235–$355
DIY
~$60–$180
Some sealed transmissions have no dipstick — fill is precise and best left to a shop. Many drivers can still DIY drain-and-fill.
Platinum or iridium plugs run to 100,000 miles. On the 3800 and 3.4 V6, replace the plug wires and coil boots at the same time. After this many years the insulation is brittle and a failing wire reads like a bad coil.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$390
Shop
~$200–$275
DIY
~$25–$100
Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.
Replace the belt and the tensioner together once either shows cracking, glazing, or noise. A weak tensioner chews through a new belt in short order.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$195–$235
Shop
~$135–$165
DIY
~$20–$50
DIY-friendly if you can reach the tensioner. Inspect for cracks rather than swap on a strict mileage interval.
Replace every 30,000 miles. On most of the lineup this is a five minute job with a screwdriver.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$60–$95
Shop
~$45–$70
DIY
~$15–$40
5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.
Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort
Treat this as a 5 year job, not a mileage job. Cars from about 1996 on use orange Dex-Cool, earlier ones use green. Never mix them. While the system is drained, have the shop look for seepage at the intake manifold and water pump, which is where these engines usually start weeping.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$330
Shop
~$200–$235
DIY
~$25–$60
Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.
Test the battery and alternator once a year. Aging body control modules on this era of GM can pull a small current after shutdown, and a strong battery hides that problem until the day it does not.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$225–$390
Shop
~$160–$280
DIY
~$130–$250
Most auto-parts stores test and install batteries free with purchase. Skip the dealer markup.
Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)
89 crashes 1990–2024
How the 89 occupant deaths break down
62
driver deaths
27
passenger deaths
89
occupant deaths
Crash years covered: 1990–2024 This model year first appears in 2000 crashes. Older models have had more years on the road to appear in these crashes, so a higher count here does not by itself mean a vehicle is less safe.
FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number
FARS 2024 data is an annual report file. NHTSA revises these records when the final file is published, so this count can change.
Every vehicle has exactly one driver seat, so driver deaths line up fairly when you compare one model to another. Occupant deaths include passengers, so a three row SUV can show a higher number than a two seat car simply because it carries more people.
Both figures are plain counts, not rates. A rate would need to know how many of each vehicle are on the road, and that registration data is not public, so we do not publish rates or scores of any kind.
IIHS publishes driver death rates using this same driver only idea, paired with a registered vehicle years denominator we do not have. Their rates and these counts answer different questions, so do not read either number here as a safety rating.
Owner-reported problem signals
Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.
3
complaints mentioning a crash
4
complaints mentioning a fire
Reviewed known issues for this vehicle·Open recalls for this vehicle
Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.
How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.
This maintenance schedule for the 2000 Oldsmobile Bravada reflects Oldsmobile's published service intervals and the GM Oil Life System system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.