IllustrationSPEED SENSOR IN STEERING COLUMN IS CAUSING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF VEHICLE TO OPERATE ERRATICALLY AT ANY GIVEN SPEED. *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
Steering complaints
140 reportsSPEED SENSOR CAUSING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF VEHICLE TO OPERATE ERRATICALLY AT ANY GIVEN SPEED. *AK *SLC
POWER STEERING GRABS , WHEN VEHICLE IS TURNING STEERING WHEEL WILL JUMP. MECHANIC NOTICED PARTS WITHIN STEERING SYSTEM WERE NOT MACHINED SMOOTHLY, SOME PARTS HAVE DEEP GROOVES. *AK
EGR VALVE WAS REPLACED. *SLC
STEERING BOX GEAR STRIPPED OUT. NLM
INTERMITTENT STEERING PROBLEMS VEHICLE SUDDENLY OVERSTEERS WHILE TURNING AT ROAD SPEEDS
VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT WHILE IN OR WHILE ENTERING A CURVE, CONSUMER STATES IT FEELS AS IF SOMEONE IS GRABBING STEERING WHEEL, DEALER SUGGESTED THE PROBLEM WAS THE EVO SENSOR, HOWEVER AT THE TIME THEY COULD NOT GET VEHICLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM, THEREFORE NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. *SLC
VARIABLERATION POWER STEERING IS GIVING CONSUMER SOME PROBLEMS, AND HE ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT. CONSUMER WAS TRAVLING AT 40-50 MPH AND WHEN CHANGING LANES STEERING WENT OUT. PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING IS THAT WHEEL GETS TOO LOOSE WHEN SLOWING DOWN, AND WHEEL TURNS MORE THE IT SHOULD.*AK
STEERING WANTS TO JERK DOWN WHILE TURNING OR IN SLIGHT CURVES
STEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR FAILED WHEN MAKING SHORT OR LONG RIGHT HAND TURNS, THE WHEEL SKIPS OR MOVES ON ITS OWN, WHEN THIS HAPPPENS THE CONSUMERS FIRST RESPONSE IS TO OVERCORRECT THE WHEEL. NLM
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.