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1997 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 6 of 48 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Steering. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

4 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

11 reports
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56,000 miles · Oct 7, 2005
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET PICKUP. A RECALL WAS BEING ISSUED ON GM 1999 -2002 CORROSION ANTI LOCK BRAKE SENSORS. THE 1997 CHEVROLET PICKUPS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ANTI LOCK BRAKE CORROSION AS THE 1999-2002 RECALLED VEHICLES. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND WAS T…

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DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET PICKUP. A RECALL WAS BEING ISSUED ON GM 1999 -2002 CORROSION ANTI LOCK BRAKE SENSORS. THE 1997 CHEVROLET PICKUPS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ANTI LOCK BRAKE CORROSION AS THE 1999-2002 RECALLED VEHICLES. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD BE $1500 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. WHEN STOPPING AT LESS THAN 3 MPH HAD TO PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKES AS HARD AS ONE COULD TO GET IT TO STOP. THE CONTACT WAS BACKING OUT THE GARAGE DOOR WHEN THE ANTI LOCKS BRAKES FAILED , AND VEHICLE HIT THE GARAGE DOOR.

NHTSA ODI #10139037

65,000 miles · Sep 2, 2005
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

ANTI LOCK BRAKES APPLY ON DRY ROADS WITH NO REASON. THE BRAKES SHAKE WHEN BEING APPLIED. I HAVE REVIEWED INFORMATION ON YOUR DATABASE WHICH HAVE THIS EXACT SAME COMPLAINT. I BELIEVE THERE ARE NOT MORE SINCE THE VEHICLES ARE OVER 5 YEARS OLD AND PEOPLE BELIEVE IT TO BE NORMAL WEAR AND TARE. IT IS NOT NORMAL. THE ANTI LOCKS AR…

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ANTI LOCK BRAKES APPLY ON DRY ROADS WITH NO REASON. THE BRAKES SHAKE WHEN BEING APPLIED. I HAVE REVIEWED INFORMATION ON YOUR DATABASE WHICH HAVE THIS EXACT SAME COMPLAINT. I BELIEVE THERE ARE NOT MORE SINCE THE VEHICLES ARE OVER 5 YEARS OLD AND PEOPLE BELIEVE IT TO BE NORMAL WEAR AND TARE. IT IS NOT NORMAL. THE ANTI LOCKS ARE OVER SENSITIVE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10135178

38,740 miles · Sep 11, 2004
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash

REAR END ACCIDENT DUE TO ABS RELEASING BRAKING ACTION FOR 3 TO 4 SECONDS, THUS INCREASING MY BRAKING DISTANCE.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10090845

Mileage unknown · Oct 1, 2000
Service Brakes, HydraulicSteering

BRAKES PULL TO THE RIGHT MOMENTARILY UPON EVERY APPLICATION. ALL BRAKE HARDWARE HAS BEEN REPLACED, INCLUDING CALIPERS; HOWEVER, PROBLEM PERSISTS. THIS WILL DEFINITELY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT EVENTUALLY. STEERING BECOMES "SQUIRRELLY" OFTEN WHEN CORNERING OR WHEN NEGOTIATING CURVES. WHEEL TENDS TO "OVERSTEER" BY ITSELF WITH APPAR…

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BRAKES PULL TO THE RIGHT MOMENTARILY UPON EVERY APPLICATION. ALL BRAKE HARDWARE HAS BEEN REPLACED, INCLUDING CALIPERS; HOWEVER, PROBLEM PERSISTS. THIS WILL DEFINITELY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT EVENTUALLY. STEERING BECOMES "SQUIRRELLY" OFTEN WHEN CORNERING OR WHEN NEGOTIATING CURVES. WHEEL TENDS TO "OVERSTEER" BY ITSELF WITH APPARENT MOMENTARY BOOSTS IN POWER STEERING FORCE. THESE EVENTS ARE NOT PREDICTABLE AND WILL ALSO LIKELY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AT SOME POINT IN TIME. DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE STEERING. I HAVE DRIVEN MORE THAN ONE MILLION MILES IN MY LIFE AND CURRENTLY OWN TWO VANS, ONE SUBURBAN, AND ONE PICKUP TRUCK AND ONE AUTO. I DARN SURE KNOW WHEN A VEHICLE IS OPERATING PROPERLY OR WHEN IT HAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #733046

Mileage unknown · Aug 18, 2000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

SOMETIME NEAR THE END OF JULY 2000 I NOTICED THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WERE ACTIVATING ON MY PICKUP TRUCK. I CONTACTED GM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND ASKED THEM IF I COULD TAKE IT TO LIBERTY CHEVROLET IN BLOOMSBURG, PA. TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT BECAUSE I DON'T TRUST THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHERE I LEASED THE TRUCK AND THEY SAID GO AHEAD. AFTE…

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SOMETIME NEAR THE END OF JULY 2000 I NOTICED THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WERE ACTIVATING ON MY PICKUP TRUCK. I CONTACTED GM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND ASKED THEM IF I COULD TAKE IT TO LIBERTY CHEVROLET IN BLOOMSBURG, PA. TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT BECAUSE I DON'T TRUST THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHERE I LEASED THE TRUCK AND THEY SAID GO AHEAD. AFTER LIBERTY CHECKED IT OUT THEY TOLD ME THE LEFT FRONT SPEED SENSOR WAS BAD AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. I THEN CONTACTED GM AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD PAY FOR 75 % OF THE REPAIRS. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED ITEM AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. I KNOW GM HAS RECALLED OTHER VEHICLES BECAUSE OF ANTI-LOCK PROBLEMS. THE TRUCK IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ODI #728368

Mileage unknown · Jul 21, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS LEAKING AT ~34000, THE CAP WAS REPLACED. THIS DIDN'T SOLVE PROBLEM. THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED. THIS SEEMED TO SOLVE PROBLEM. THEN 11,900 MILES LATER, THE MASTER CYLINDER IS LEAKING AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER A SECOND TIME. I TOOK IT TO TWO OTHER CAR REPAIR PLACES IN THE…

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THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS LEAKING AT ~34000, THE CAP WAS REPLACED. THIS DIDN'T SOLVE PROBLEM. THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED. THIS SEEMED TO SOLVE PROBLEM. THEN 11,900 MILES LATER, THE MASTER CYLINDER IS LEAKING AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER A SECOND TIME. I TOOK IT TO TWO OTHER CAR REPAIR PLACES IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS AS THE BRAKES FEEL LIKE I HAVE MORE TRAVEL BEFORE STOPPING BUT THEY DECLINED TO DO ANY WORK ON THE BRAKE SYSTEM SINCE THE DEALERSHIP HAD DONE REPAIRS AND FELT IT MIGHT VOID ANY WARRANTY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE TO SEE IF OTHERS ARE HAVING SIMILAR DIFFICULTIES WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM IN THE 1997 C1500 CHEYENNE PICK UP WITH 4.3L V6. THANK YOU. *AK

NHTSA ODI #708917

Mileage unknown · May 7, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

FRONT SHOCKS BAD, FRONT TIRES CUPPING BAD ORGINAL PAINT.

NHTSA ODI #706307

Mileage unknown · Mar 19, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED.

NHTSA ODI #544480

Mileage unknown · Aug 10, 1998
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

REAR BRAKES DID NOT WORK AT ALL, CAUSING SLIDING THROUGH INTERSECTIONS. FRONT CALIPERS WOULD LOCK UP, AND NO BRAKES/WORE OUT. DEALER CONTACTED SEVEN TIMES. UNDER WARRANTY AND DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #826510

Mileage unknown · Jan 5, 1998
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

WHILE DRIVING THE TRUCK APPLIED THE BRAKES AND HELD FOOT ON BRAKES AND THE BRAKES LOCKED UP. THE ABS CAME ON, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. VEHICLE STILL WAS GOING. THIS BRAKE FAILURE HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES. *AK

NHTSA ODI #820230

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

EA98024 · Fuel Leaks From The Vapor Canister

Opened Nov 10, 1998 · Closed Apr 20, 2000

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages

In January 1998, GM issued the technical service bulletin describing conditions which may result in fuel leakage from the emission vapor canister.According to the bulletin, when the subject vehicles are parked on an incline, with a full tank of gasoline, fuel can flow into the vapor canister.The remedy is to replace of the vapor canister, both rollover valve assembles, and the associated piping.In April 1998, ODI opened Service Query 98-005 to understand GM's rationale for issuance of a service bulletin on a matter that appeared to result in fuel leakage, an issue that is usually address by conducting a safety recall campaign.On November 10, 1998 the SQ was elevated to an Engineering Analysis (EA98-024) to investigate an alleged defect in the fuel tank rollover valve system in certain 1996 through 1997 Chevrolet Trucks and OMC Full Size 010-030 panel and passenger vans.