IllustrationWHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED IN A RAINSTORM THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. A RECALL WAS ISSUED, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE'S VIN NUMBER IS OUTSIDE OF THE REMEDY SCOPE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM
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
What owners actually said
555 reportsINTERMITENT OPERATION OF FUEL PUMP LOCATED IN FUEL TANK. REMOVAL OF FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT AND FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY REVEALED A BURNT CONNECTOR AND MELTED WIRE INSULATION, RESULTING IN POOR CONTINUITY TO FUEL PUMP. VEHICLE WOULD CRANK BUT NOT ALWAYS START. VEHICLE WOULD ALSO STALL WHILE DRIVING WITH NO WARNING.
WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO TURN ON WHEN ENGAGED. THIS RESULTED IN POOR VISIBILITY. THERE WAS A WINDSHIELD WIPER RECALL 03V159000, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED DUE TO VIN. *AK *SC
THE POWER SUPPLY CONNECTOR TO FUEL PUMP INSIDE THE FUEL TANK AT UPPER END OF PICKUP/FUEL PUMP SUPPORT TUBES BURNED HOT ENOUGH TO SOFTEN THE COPPER CONNECTOR CAUSING IT TO OPEN UP AND SHUT OFF FUEL PUMP CAUSING ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING. APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES OF WIRE INSULATION WAS MELTED OFF AT THE TOP CONNECTOR END. THIS IS INSID…
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THE POWER SUPPLY CONNECTOR TO FUEL PUMP INSIDE THE FUEL TANK AT UPPER END OF PICKUP/FUEL PUMP SUPPORT TUBES BURNED HOT ENOUGH TO SOFTEN THE COPPER CONNECTOR CAUSING IT TO OPEN UP AND SHUT OFF FUEL PUMP CAUSING ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING. APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES OF WIRE INSULATION WAS MELTED OFF AT THE TOP CONNECTOR END. THIS IS INSIDE THE FUEL TANK SURROUNDED BY FUMES AND FUEL. IF AIR WAS INTRODUCED THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EXPLOSION. THIS IS THE FACTORY INSTALLED FUEL PUMP AND FUSE DID NOT BLOW EVEN THOUGH THE WIRE WAS EXPOSED AND NEAR METAL COMPONENTS. I'VE OWNED THE TRUCK SINCE NEW. RICHARDSON BROTHERS CHEVROLET IN FLORESVILLE, TEXAS AND OTHER AUTO PART DEALERS INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS VERY COMMON AND HAVE SEEN WORSE DAMAGE TO WIRING. THE DEALER WANTED OVER $400.00 FOR THE PARTS WHICH INCLUDE NEW PICKUP TUBES WITH FUEL LEVEL FLOAT AND FUEL PUMP. I'M A QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTOR FOR AIRCRAFT AND THIS WOULD HAVE GROUNDED THE ENTIRE SERIES OF THAT PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT. (TWA FLIGHT 800).*AK
WHEN DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED, THE VEHICLE JERKED. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. *AK THE RADIATOR LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION. *SC *JB
WHILE DRIVING IN A RAIN STORM A 75 MPH WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED. AS A RESULT, DRIVER'S VISIBILITY WAS IMPAIRED. A RECALL WAS ISSUED. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK
THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HIS WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE GIVING HIM TROUBLE. HE STATED THAT SOMETIMES THEY DID NOT WORK. THE CONSUMER FOUND THAT OTHER VEHICLES WERE ON RECALL, HOWEVER HIS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED. *JB
WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT ON ITS OWN WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE BRAKE PADS NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PLEASE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL…
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WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT ON ITS OWN WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE BRAKE PADS NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PLEASE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB
WHILE DRIVING IN A RAIN STORM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. A RECALL WAS ISSUED. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK *SC *JB
WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK OT ARE INTERMITTEN IN THE RAIN, DOOR HANDLES BREAK OFF, AND THE TALIGATE CABLES HAVE BROKEN BY RUSTING IN THE MIDDLE.
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.