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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 →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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 reports
113,450 miles · Aug 20, 2007
Air BagsInjury

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET K-1500. WHILE DRIVING 30MPH THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT NOTICE. THE PASSENGER SIDE DEPLOYED FIRST AND THE DRIVER SIDE DEPLOYED AFTERWARDS. THERE WERE TWO INJURIES. BOTH PASSENGERS SUSTAINED BRUISES ON THEIR INNER FOREARM. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILUR…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET K-1500. WHILE DRIVING 30MPH THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT NOTICE. THE PASSENGER SIDE DEPLOYED FIRST AND THE DRIVER SIDE DEPLOYED AFTERWARDS. THERE WERE TWO INJURIES. BOTH PASSENGERS SUSTAINED BRUISES ON THEIR INNER FOREARM. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 113,450.

NHTSA ODI #10200179

Mileage unknown · Aug 19, 2007
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash

97 CHEVY K1500 ABS FALSE ACTIVATION. DEALERS RESPONSE WAS THERE IS NO KNOWN PROBLEM AND IS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE. REFUSED TO INVESTIGATE WITHOUT PAYMENT. ABS ACTIVATES AT SLOW SPEED AND WHEN BRAKES ARE NOT APPLIED AT ALL. CAUSED MINOR COLLISION WHICH WAS NOT REPORTED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10200057

80,000 miles · Jul 16, 2007
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR IN 1997 CHEVY K1500 UNWANTED ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) ACTIVATION THIS CAN CAUSE INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES DURING LOW-SPEED BRAKE APPLICATIONS, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10196485

20,000 miles · Jun 15, 2007
Power Train

TRANSMISSION FAILED, HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 20,000 MILES. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10193482

161,000 miles · Jun 12, 2007
Visibility

TL*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.

NHTSA ODI #10193023

24,380 miles · May 15, 2007
Air BagsCrashInjury

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET K1500. WHILE DRIVING 52 MPH, THE DRIVER CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER WERE INJURED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT HAS A POLICE REPORT AND PHOTOS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 24,380.

NHTSA ODI #10191120

87,000 miles · Mar 21, 2007
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING 10MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE ABS ACTIVATED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP FOR ABOUT 10 FEET. THE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF UNEVEN PAVEMENT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FRONT ABS RUSTED WHICH CAUSED AN IMPROPER SIGN…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING 10MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE ABS ACTIVATED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP FOR ABOUT 10 FEET. THE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF UNEVEN PAVEMENT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FRONT ABS RUSTED WHICH CAUSED AN IMPROPER SIGNAL TO THE ABS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 87000.

NHTSA ODI #10185753

25,000 miles · Feb 5, 2007
Steering

WHILE DRIVING ALONG A CURVE, THE STEERING WHEEL WILL JERK AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE. THIS HAPPENS WITH SLIGHT TO MODERATE CURVES, AS WELL AS SEVERE CURVES. THE PROBLEM BEGAN TO OCCUR WITHIN THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS AFTER WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS NEW. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO WORSEN DURING COLD WEATHER. WE HAVE…

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WHILE DRIVING ALONG A CURVE, THE STEERING WHEEL WILL JERK AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE. THIS HAPPENS WITH SLIGHT TO MODERATE CURVES, AS WELL AS SEVERE CURVES. THE PROBLEM BEGAN TO OCCUR WITHIN THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS AFTER WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS NEW. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO WORSEN DURING COLD WEATHER. WE HAVE TRIED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM IN SEVERAL WAYS, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10181686

90,000 miles · Jan 17, 2007
Visibility

MY 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

NHTSA ODI #10178936

76,000 miles · Jan 17, 2007
Steering

MY STEERING IN MY 1997 CHEVROLET SILVERADO IS ERRATIC. IT IS ULTRA EASY AT TIMES AND ULTRA DIFFICULT AT OTHERS. THERE IS NO PATTERN TO WHEN IT WILL SUDDENLY JERK OUT OF MY HAND. I HAVE HAD TO DISCONNECT MY STEERING SENSOR LOCATED ON MY STEERING COLUMN. THERE ARE MULTIPLE SERVICE BULLETINS OUT FOR THIS ISSUE. THE WARRANTY PERIOD …

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MY STEERING IN MY 1997 CHEVROLET SILVERADO IS ERRATIC. IT IS ULTRA EASY AT TIMES AND ULTRA DIFFICULT AT OTHERS. THERE IS NO PATTERN TO WHEN IT WILL SUDDENLY JERK OUT OF MY HAND. I HAVE HAD TO DISCONNECT MY STEERING SENSOR LOCATED ON MY STEERING COLUMN. THERE ARE MULTIPLE SERVICE BULLETINS OUT FOR THIS ISSUE. THE WARRANTY PERIOD UNDER WHICH CHEVROLET WOULD INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE EXPIRED BEFORE I COULD TAKE MY VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, WHILE I WAS IN AGHANISTAN. MY VEHICLE NO LONGER FALLS UNDER THE WARRANTY PERIOD. MY DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE DID NOT NOTIFY MY AT ANY TIME OF A RECALL/CONCERN. I WAS UNAWARE OF ANY CONCERNS UNTIL JUST RECENTLY. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10178916

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.