IllustrationHEARD A NOISE WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED, AND BRAKES DIDN'T HOLD. HAD TO SLAM ON BRAKES TO STOP VEHICLE. AFTER SLAMMING ON BRAKES VEHICLE WOULD STALL. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK
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
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
35 reportsAFTER PARKING VEHICLE OWNER NOTICED THAT THERE WAS ANTIFREEZE LEAKING FROM VEHICLE DUE TO A LEAKY HEAD GASKET. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
RUSTY PLUGGED COOLING SYSTEM. *AK
THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE VEHICLE HAS A FAULTY BRAKE SYSTEM, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING IN DAMP, FOGGY, SNOWY AND RAINY WEATHER, THE BRAKES GRAB AND FEEL SPONGY, THE DEALER HAS REPALCED THE ROTORS, PADS AND BRAKE BOOSTER. NLM
TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON CONSUMER WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING.*AK BEARING SPLINTERED, CAUSING METAL PIECES INTO TRANSMISSION OIL, THE REACTION CARRIER, OVERRUNNING CLUTCH, CLUTCH SUPPORT, OVER CLUTCH RACE, AND TORQUE CONVERTER ALL FAILED. LEFT REAR DOOR PANEL BAD, RATTLE IN SIDE DOOR, REAR SIDE DOOR REPAIRED, RIGHT SIDE DOORS TRI…
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TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON CONSUMER WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING.*AK BEARING SPLINTERED, CAUSING METAL PIECES INTO TRANSMISSION OIL, THE REACTION CARRIER, OVERRUNNING CLUTCH, CLUTCH SUPPORT, OVER CLUTCH RACE, AND TORQUE CONVERTER ALL FAILED. LEFT REAR DOOR PANEL BAD, RATTLE IN SIDE DOOR, REAR SIDE DOOR REPAIRED, RIGHT SIDE DOORS TRIM PANELS BECOME LOOSE, DOOR PANLES REPLACED, SIDE DOOR PANEL RATTLES. VEHICLE HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, REAR TAIL LIGHTS NOT AT SAME HEIGHT, LEFT WINDOW SWITCH REPLACED, DOORS LOCKED WITH KEYS IN VEHICLE, INTERIOR LIGHTS COME ON WHILE DRIVING, BATTERY FAILED FIVE TIMES, ANTITHEFT LIGHT ON RADIO CAUSING IT NOT TO WORK. AIR CONDITIONER WAS BLOWING HOT AIR AND VENT WOULD NOT ADJUST FROM SIDE TO SIDE. WINDOWS KEPT GETTING STUCK. AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. POWER STEERING WAS NOISY, DEALER REPAIRED POWER STEERING, POWER STEERING BECAME NOISY AGAIN. REAR SHOES WERE REPLACED. SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *SLC
EGR VALVE WAS REPLACED. *SLC
FUEL PUMP FAILED REPLACED AT MY COST BY DEALER.COOLANT HOSE FROM INTAKE TO HEATER FAILED COMMON PROBLEM ALTERNATOR REPLACED AT MY COSTED AT MY COST,COMMON PROBLEM. INTATE LEAK(COOLANT) NOT YET REPAIRED. MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR REPLACED AT MY COST,PART ONLY AVAILABLE FROM GM.
PLASTIC INTAKE GASKET WEARS OUT BETWEEN 20,000 AND 70,000 MILES REQUIRING MAJOR COSTLY REPAIRS TO ENGINE. SERVICE DEALERS ARE WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT MUST REPLACE THE PLASTIC GASKET WITH A NEW PLASTIC GASKET DESIGNED THE SAME WAY AS ORIGINAL. THE NEW GASKET IS WARRANTIED TO LAST 12,000 MILES ONLY AND WILL WEAR OUT AGAIN …
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PLASTIC INTAKE GASKET WEARS OUT BETWEEN 20,000 AND 70,000 MILES REQUIRING MAJOR COSTLY REPAIRS TO ENGINE. SERVICE DEALERS ARE WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT MUST REPLACE THE PLASTIC GASKET WITH A NEW PLASTIC GASKET DESIGNED THE SAME WAY AS ORIGINAL. THE NEW GASKET IS WARRANTIED TO LAST 12,000 MILES ONLY AND WILL WEAR OUT AGAIN AT THE SAME MILEAGE INTERVAL. THIS SERVICE WILL BE REQUIRED AT EACH MILEAGE INTERVAL.
THE STEERING CAUSES THE TRUCK TO SWERVE OUT OF DRIVING LANE. THE FUEL PUMP SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HWY. WITH NO WARNING. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WOULD WORK INTERMITANTLY WHEN EVER IT FELT LIKE, THIS SAME WIPER MOTOR IS USED ON GMC TRUCKS AND HAS BEEN RECALLED WHY HASN'T IT BE RCALLED ON CHEVROLET TRUCKS, IT'S THE EXACT …
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THE STEERING CAUSES THE TRUCK TO SWERVE OUT OF DRIVING LANE. THE FUEL PUMP SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HWY. WITH NO WARNING. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WOULD WORK INTERMITANTLY WHEN EVER IT FELT LIKE, THIS SAME WIPER MOTOR IS USED ON GMC TRUCKS AND HAS BEEN RECALLED WHY HASN'T IT BE RCALLED ON CHEVROLET TRUCKS, IT'S THE EXACT SAME PART #. ENGINE COOLING LINES LEAKED AT OIL COOLER, DEALER BANNER CHEVROLET CHANGED OIL PAN GASKET , REAR OIL CRANK SEAL AND THEN OIL PAN GASKET AGAIN TO NO AVAIL, BROUGHT TO BRYAN CHEVROLET WHICH IS ANOTHER DEALER AND THEY FIXED THE LEAK TURNED OUT TO BE O RING ON OIL COOLER HOUSING.
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH VEHICLE STALLS. ALSO, WHEN THE ENGINE IS TURN OFF, IT IS HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO TURN IT BACK ON. *AK
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.