OldsmobileBravada2002Overview/oldsmobile/bravada/2002/base/

2002 Oldsmobile Bravada

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2002 Bravada.

Body SUVTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada is a four-speed automatic SUV that takes 4.5 quarts of 5W-30 API oil and returns EPA figures of 14 city, 20 highway, and 16 combined mpg — modest numbers that frame a vehicle whose real story lies in its reliability record. Across the Bravada's 1991–2004 model run, this particular year stands as the worst for owner complaints, logging 243 reports with the power train dominating the concerns and backed by 10 recalls, a sharp contrast to the final 2004 model year, which drew just 13 complaints. For a researcher, that disparity signals that the 2002 Bravada sits at the troubled peak of the platform's lifecycle, making it a critical data point for understanding how late-run Oldsmobile quality deteriorated before the brand's wind-down.

Model year200420032002200120001999199819971996

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy14/20/16 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 78 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731179. Note the factory fuel filter and spark plug are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 78 · 600 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP245-70R16OEM · verified
Wheel / rim7-J inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731179
Engine air filter19239713
Fuel filter19368932 discontinued
Spark plug25334145 discontinued
Battery88866121 alt 88866305
Front wiper blades15214346
Serpentine belt12593774
Thermostat12561155 alt 12620112

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length191.7 in
Overall width75.6 in
Overall height72 in
Wheelbase113 in
Curb weight4627 lb
Track (front / rear)62.2 / 61.8 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)55/45

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined14 / 20 / 16 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, 80W-90 · GL-5 in the differential. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 19.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-5-3-6-2-4.

Lubricants & capacities

Differential Gear Oil80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity4.0 qt
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4.5 qt

Engine torques

Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug19.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts8.85 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug20.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug20.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub103 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-5-3-6-2-4
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Type41-981
Spark Plug Gap0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.75 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Standard BCI Group Number78
Standard BCI Cranking Performance600 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum48.0 psi
Fuel Pump Pressure Maximum54.0 psi
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)48-54
Engine Compression215
Engine Compression100 Minimum psi

Brakes

Brake ApplicationWITH FOUR WHEEL DISC / WITH STANDARD
Torque to Knuckle77 ft-lbs / 52 ft-lbs / 38 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Brake ApplicationWITH FOUR WHEEL DISC / WITH STANDARD
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0003 in / 0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.003 in / 0.004 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.14 in / 0.787 in / 1.03 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.14 in / 0.787 in / 1.03 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 12,000 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miAxle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 12,000 miAir Filter Restriction Gauge (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miFuel Filter (replace)
Every 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada represents a severe statistical anomaly within its generation, standing as the peak year for federal complaints, recalls, and investigations. Compared to the preceding 2001 model year (40 complaints, 1 recall) and the succeeding 2003 model year (30 complaints, 7 recalls), the 2002 model experienced a massive spike to 243 complaints and 10 recalls. This surge is heavily concentrated in the Power Train (38 complaints), Engine & Engine Cooling (33 complaints), and Electrical System (28 complaints), alongside alarming counts of 18 crash and 7 fire complaints; however, the data does not specify the root causes for these failures. Positioned at the absolute apex of the generation's problem arc, the 2002 model clearly suffered from significant defects that required an unprecedented 611 technical service bulletins to address. Given its outlier status for severe safety and reliability concerns compared to the much calmer adjacent model years, the 2002 Bravada is a poor choice for a used vehicle purchase.

10
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
611
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
10
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
243
Owner complaints
18 involved a crash · 7 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 243 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Power Train38
Engine & Engine Cooling33
Electrical System28
Visibility17
Suspension13
Steering10
Seat Belts10
Seats8

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 10 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

04V527000Exterior Lighting:Brake LightsReported 01/11/2004

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, VIBRATION AND HEAT MAY CAUSE THE TAIL LAMP/STOP LAMP BULB TO LOOSEN IN ITS SOCKET. IF THIS OCCURS, THE BULB MAY FLICKER AND EVENTUALLY BECOME INOPERATIVE. Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TAIL LAMP/STOP LAMP ASSEMBLIES, AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THEM. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 22, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438…

04V046000Visibility:Windshield Wiper/WasherReported 04/02/2004

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEMS THAT WILL NOT TURN ON, CEASE OPERATION WHILE IN USE, FAIL TO TURN OFF/ON BY THEMSELVES (MOISTURE SENSITIVE WIPER SYSTEM), OR HAVE CONTINUOUS WINDSHIELD WASHER… Remedy: DEALERS WILL COVER THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MODULE VENT HOLE WITH A PATCH. ALSO, THE WIPER MOTOR, CIRCUIT BOARD, AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WILL BE INSPECTED TO SIGNS OF WATER INTRUSION…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 611 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIP5601C2025-07-18Unknown Or OtherThis PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIP5358D2025-02-19Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP4723J2024-10-25Electrical SystemThis Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIT5099H2024-09-12Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5099H2024-09-12Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Bravada. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2002 Bravada take?

4.5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2002 Bravada have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Bravada get?

EPA figures are 14 city / 20 highway / 16 combined mpg.