Air bagsPart report

2002 Oldsmobile Bravada Air bags Problems

Complaints: 12about this part
Share: 5%of 238 total for the year
Median mileage: 70,000miles
Trend: Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 12 complaints about the air bags of the 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada, 5% of the 238 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 70,000 miles. 9 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“On jan.8,2013 my vehicle was wrecked. Local police and the state trooper informed me the Bravada had flipped over several times and was totaled. When I went to the tow company to claim my belongs from the vehicle I noticed the airbags didn't deploy. My husband had to climb out of the back of the vehicle. He wasn't hurt bad but he could have died.this problem should be looked into. I had this vehicle serviced for several problems,but I was never told the airbags didn't work.”

NHTSA complaint #10573087, filed 2014-03, 198,000 miles

“While sitting at a traffic light I noticed the service air bag light was on. I had seen this before while I was driving but it was only a flickering light and not a steady light. After driving home I noticed the light was again off. This happened again a few days later, and the light continued to be on for about a week (when the engine was running) and then it went off again. This time it was off for only one day. Now the light is on all the time when the SUV is running. I took the SUV into our mechanic and he tried to pull up an error code. …”

NHTSA complaint #10745635, filed 2015-08, 108,500 miles

“Vehicle hydroplaned and ran off the road. It then came back on the road and ended up t-boning the trailer of an 18-wheeler before skidding back around and coming to a stop on the side of the road. Vehicle was totaled but the air bags never deployed. The speed at impact was somewhere between 35-50 MPH so it definitely should have caused the air bags to deploy.”

NHTSA complaint #10725435, filed 2015-06, 50,000 miles

“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. …”

NHTSA complaint #10097198, filed 2005-02, 50,000 miles

“I was merging onto the interstate going approximately 35 mph, I spun out on black ice across three lanes of traffic and smashed into the guard rail. The airbags DID NOT deploy during this accident, even when the car rolled back and hit the wall again. Since the airbags did not deploy, I suffered trauma to my chin and inside my mouth. I have facial cellulitis, and I needed to receive 3 stitches inside my mouth to stop the bleeding. This happened because my face hit the steering wheel, rather than being protected by the airbag. There were no warning lights on the vehicle prior to failure. …”

NHTSA complaint #11449295, filed 2022-01

Related recalls

02V222000Aug 9, 2002Certain passenger, mini vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment.Covers: Oldsmobile Bravada 2002–2003, GMC Envoy 2002–2003, Chevrolet Trailblazer 2002–2003 +10 more

Air bags: other model years

Year	Complaints	Share of year
2004	3	23%
2003	4	15%
2002	12	5%
2001	3	9%
2000	2	3%
1999	4	7%
1998	2	2%
1997	6	6%
1996	1	1%

Other parts of the 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada

Transmission and drivetrain
53 complaints Electrical system
47 complaints Engine cooling
46 complaints Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
30 complaints Suspension
21 complaints Seat belts
15 complaints Body and structure
15 complaints Steering
14 complaints Brakes
13 complaints Seats
12 complaints Exterior lighting
11 complaints Fuel system
7 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology