IllustrationFALSE DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER AIR BAG WHEN VEHICLE WAS STARTED. NLM
1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 525.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado 1500 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
60–25K
1725–50K
2850–75K
3975–100K
35100–150K
22150K+
147 reports with mileage · 408 unknown
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 140 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 123 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 75 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
29 crash reports13 fire reports13 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
16 reportsNO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS DURING FRONTAL IMPACT COLLISION, INJURIES TO RIBS OF CONSUMER. MJS
WHILE DRIVING ON WET ROADS CONSUMER RAN OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, HITTING A TREE HEAD-ON, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK *ML
WHEN INVOLVED IN A SIDE IMPACT CRASH TRAVELING ABOUT (55) MPH VEHICLE HIT OTHER VEHICLE AT 9:00 AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK CONSUMER SAID IT IS NOT HIS VEHICLE AND NEVER INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENT. *ET
INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS WHEN VEHICLE REAR ENDED.
UNSPECIFIED: AFTER BEING REAR ENDED, AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, CAUSED VEHICLE TO SWERVE INTO OTHER LANE, HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE, RESULTING IN FATALITY. (ATTORNEY FOR CLIENT)
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.