IllustrationTREAD SEPARATION. *AK (TIRESIZE: LT 265 75)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT 265 75 )
1997 Chevrolet Pickup
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Pickup years →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: 8 of 75 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports0 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
75 reportsSINCE FIRST PURCHASED, THIS VEHICLE HAS A TENDENCY TO PULL TO EITHER THE RIGHT OR LEFT WITHOUT CAUSE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED A STEERING SENSOR UNIT, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE TRUCK. SINCE THEN I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SUDDEN PULLING AT LEAST 50 TIMES. A FRI…
Read full complaint
SINCE FIRST PURCHASED, THIS VEHICLE HAS A TENDENCY TO PULL TO EITHER THE RIGHT OR LEFT WITHOUT CAUSE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED A STEERING SENSOR UNIT, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE TRUCK. SINCE THEN I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SUDDEN PULLING AT LEAST 50 TIMES. A FRIEND OF MINE ALSO BOUGHT A NEW 1997 CHEV. P.U. AND HAS HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. TODAY HE CALLED ME AND SAID THERE IS A WEB SITE DEVOTED TO THIS SAME PROBLEM. ON ICY ROADS AND FOR THE INEXPERIENCED DRIVER, THIS COULD BE A POTENTIALLY FATAL DEFECT. HOW MANY ROLLOVERS AND DEATHS HAVE ALREADY BEEN CAUSED BY THIS UNEXPLAINED STEERING PROBLEM??
WHEN ENGINE WARM, TRANSMISSION WILL HESITATE, THEN SLAM FROM FIRST TO SECOND. THIS DOES NOT OCCUR ALL THE TIME. IT HAS HAPPENED ON 4 OCCASIONS. 3 TIMES AFTER DRIVING APPROX 60 MILES AND ONCE 4 HOURS INTO A 5 HOUR TRIP. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
LOUD RATTLING NOISE AFTER ENGINE WARMUP, LOUDES AT LOWSPEED (35-45 MPH), HAVE BEEN TOLD IT WAS A SPLIT HEAT SHIEL/, MUFFLER BAFFLE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER, ETC.*AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR QUIT WORKING FROM TIME TO TIME WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING WHEN STOPPING AND GOING. FINALLY, WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT WORK AT ALL. *AK
THERE IS A NOISE EMITTING FROM REAR END OF TRUCK- SOUNDS LIKE RUBBING SOUND. SOUND IS HEARD WHEN ACCELERATING FROM STOP, AND SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING DOWN ROAD. *AK
ANTIFREEZE LEAKING AT MANIFOLD, NEEDS NEW SEAL.
WHEN DRIVING AND UPON MAKING A SLIGHT TURN, POWER STEERING SENSOR ENGAGED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO INTO A FULL TURN, RESULTING IN POOR STEERING CONTROL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
WHEN DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL WILL SUDDENLY JERK TO THE SIDE, THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY. ARE THERE ANY BULLETINS OUT ON THIS PROBLEM OR IS THIS A RARE PROBLEM?
Official recalls
0No 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.