IllustrationPOWER 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
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 reportsCONSUMER WOULD STOP VEHICLE AND START AGAIN AND TRANSMSISSION WOULD SHIFT HARD TO SECOND GEAR, CONSUMER STATES IT KICKED, DEALER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE SHIFT ACTUATOR IN THE VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY THAT'S MADE OF AN ALLOY THAT DOES NOT EXPAND/CONTRACT CORRECTLY WITHIN THE ASSEMBLY WHEN HOT. *SLC
VEHCILE KEPT STALLING ON HIGHWAY. ELECTRICAL WIRING IN FUEL PUMP CAUSED PUMP TO GO BAD. IF IGNITED, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE. FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. *AK
EGR VALVE WAS REPLACED. *SLC
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE, AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. TRANSMISIION BLEW. *AK
STEERING BOX GEAR STRIPPED OUT. NLM
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.
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
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.