IllustrationTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET K1500. WHILE DRIVING DURING A RAINSTORM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. THE FAILURE OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE PURCHASE DATE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 161,000.
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
Visibility complaints
75 reportsMY 1997 CHEVROLET SILVERADO HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS BEING A MANUFACTURERS PROBLEM AND A RECALL WAS RECOMMENDED BY NHTSA. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK, DON'T WORK, OR WORK INTERMITTENTLY WHEN EVER THEY ARE TURNED ON. CHEVROLET HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL TO DATE. *NM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE VEHICLE'S FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. ON 08/30/06, THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AFTER OBSERVING THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL #03V159000, REGARDING THE VISIBILITY: WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER ON OTHER MODELS MADE BY THE SAME MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INC…
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE VEHICLE'S FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. ON 08/30/06, THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AFTER OBSERVING THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL #03V159000, REGARDING THE VISIBILITY: WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER ON OTHER MODELS MADE BY THE SAME MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. UPDATED 9/13/2006 - *NM
WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WASHER INTERMITTENTLY WOULD NOT WORK. IT STARTED OUT THE WASHER WOULDN'T ALWAYS WORK AND THEN THE WIPERS FOLLOWED SUIT. THE FIRST TIME MY WIPERS DIDN'T WORK MY VISIBILITY DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY AND IT WAS A DANGEROUS DRIVE HOME. I LOOKED UP THIS PROBLEM ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND SAW THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON…
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WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WASHER INTERMITTENTLY WOULD NOT WORK. IT STARTED OUT THE WASHER WOULDN'T ALWAYS WORK AND THEN THE WIPERS FOLLOWED SUIT. THE FIRST TIME MY WIPERS DIDN'T WORK MY VISIBILITY DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY AND IT WAS A DANGEROUS DRIVE HOME. I LOOKED UP THIS PROBLEM ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND SAW THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE DID NOT GET RECALLED. OTHER MODELS IN MY YEAR WERE RECALLED AND MY MODEL IN PREVIOUS YEARS WERE RECALLED. CHEVY DEALERSHIP WANTED TO CHARGE ME $175 TO REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD. I REMOVED THE BOARD CLEANED IT RE-SOLDERED IT AND REINSTALLED IN 30 MINUTES. EVERYTHING WORKS GREAT NOW. *JB
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON THE CHEVROLET SILVERADO I OWN WILL SUDDENLY QUIT WORKING LEADING TO VERY POOR VISIBILITY. THEY WILL WORK FINE FOR THE FIRST 15-20 MINUTES WHILE IT IS RAINING AND THEN SUDDENLY QUIT MAKING IT VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I HAVE NOTICED OTHER RECALLS FOR VEHICLES VERY SIMILAR TO MINE REGARDING A "CRACKED SOL…
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THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON THE CHEVROLET SILVERADO I OWN WILL SUDDENLY QUIT WORKING LEADING TO VERY POOR VISIBILITY. THEY WILL WORK FINE FOR THE FIRST 15-20 MINUTES WHILE IT IS RAINING AND THEN SUDDENLY QUIT MAKING IT VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I HAVE NOTICED OTHER RECALLS FOR VEHICLES VERY SIMILAR TO MINE REGARDING A "CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD" FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. I CALLED CHEVROLET AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL. *NM
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON MY 1997 CHEVROLET C-1500 PICK-UP TRUCK FUNCTION INTERMITTENTLY. AT THE FIRST RAIN OF THE SEASON, THE WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK. THIRTY MINUTES LATER, THE WIPERS BEGAN WORKING AGAIN. THE WIPERS HAVE FAILED TO FUNCTION ON SIX SEPARATE OCCASIONS NOW. FOR AN UNEXPLAINABLE REASON, THEY RESUME WORKING AFTER WAITIN…
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THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON MY 1997 CHEVROLET C-1500 PICK-UP TRUCK FUNCTION INTERMITTENTLY. AT THE FIRST RAIN OF THE SEASON, THE WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK. THIRTY MINUTES LATER, THE WIPERS BEGAN WORKING AGAIN. THE WIPERS HAVE FAILED TO FUNCTION ON SIX SEPARATE OCCASIONS NOW. FOR AN UNEXPLAINABLE REASON, THEY RESUME WORKING AFTER WAITING A PERIOD OF TIME RANGING FROM TEN TO THIRTY MINUTES. THE TRUCK CANNOT BE DRIVEN WHEN THE WIPERS ARE NOT WORKING. (SAFETY ISSUE AND VEHICLE CODE VIOLATION) NO REPAIRS YET TAKEN. RUMOR CIRCULATING THAT GM MAY RECALL THE WIPER CIRCUITRY BOARD. *NM
WIPER MOTOR INTERMITTENTLY QUITS WORKING. THE WIPERS QUIT WHEN RAINING OR SNOWING CAUSING ZERO VISABLILITY AND THE VERY HIGH RISK OF CRASHING. THERE WAS A 2003 RECALL FOR A BAD SOLDER JOINT IN THE MOTOR, BUT IT ONLY INCLUDED VEHICLES WITH 70, 000 MILES OR LESS THUS ELIMINATING 95 PERCENT OF THE 1997'S ON THE ROAD. *NM
I OWN A 1997 CHEVROLET PICKUP TRUCK VIN [XXX]. MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL TO WORK AT VARIOUS TIMES. I'VE ALMOST HAD TWO WRECKS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. I CALLED GENERAL MOTORS AND THEY TOLD ME MY TRUCK IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE THE RECALL PROBLEM WITH MY WIPERS. GM TOLD ME TO HAVE IT FIXED AND TO SAVE MY RECEIPT F…
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I OWN A 1997 CHEVROLET PICKUP TRUCK VIN [XXX]. MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL TO WORK AT VARIOUS TIMES. I'VE ALMOST HAD TWO WRECKS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. I CALLED GENERAL MOTORS AND THEY TOLD ME MY TRUCK IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE THE RECALL PROBLEM WITH MY WIPERS. GM TOLD ME TO HAVE IT FIXED AND TO SAVE MY RECEIPT FOR A FUTURE RECALL. *NM UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
HAVE A 1997 CHEVY C1500 FULL SIZE TRUCK AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED. THEY WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO AND THEY TURN OFF WHEN THEY WANT. ALMOST GOT IN TO A ACCIDENT BECAUSE THEY STOPPED WITH NO WARNING IN THE MIDDLE OF A DOWNPOUR. THEN THEY START BACK UP A FEW MINUTES LATER THEN REPEATED ITS SELF. NOW THERE IS A RECALL FOR 19…
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HAVE A 1997 CHEVY C1500 FULL SIZE TRUCK AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED. THEY WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO AND THEY TURN OFF WHEN THEY WANT. ALMOST GOT IN TO A ACCIDENT BECAUSE THEY STOPPED WITH NO WARNING IN THE MIDDLE OF A DOWNPOUR. THEN THEY START BACK UP A FEW MINUTES LATER THEN REPEATED ITS SELF. NOW THERE IS A RECALL FOR 1997 TRUCKS BUT MY VIN# WAS NOT INCLUDED. *NM
DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 03V159000 CONCERNING THE WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER. THIS VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL, BUT IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THIS TIME. UPDATED 05/30/06. *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.