IllustrationWHILE MAKING A SUDDEN STOP AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE WOULD SHOW EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
1997 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 81.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado 2500 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
30–25K
225–50K
450–75K
275–100K
6100–150K
3150K+
20 reports with mileage · 44 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports1 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
64 reportsDRIVE TRAIN VIBRATES OVER 45 MPH.
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER TRIED TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP, PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL, THEN SLOWLY CAME TO A STOP. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
DURING DUST STORMS VENTS ALLOW SAND AND DEBRIS TO ENTER VEHICLE, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE CLOSED.
WHENEVER THE ABS BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THEY FEEL VERY HARD; ALSO, MAKE NOISE WHEN APPLIED. VEHICLE WOULD STOP 1 CAR LENGTH FURTHER. HAPPENED 5 TIMES. IT'S INTERMITTENT. TOOK TO DEALER TO CHECK OUT. PROBLEM NOT FOUND. ABS ALSO FAILED WHEN APPLIED OVER ROUGH PAVEMENT/RAIL ROAD TRACKS/BUMPS, ETC. *AK
WHILE BRAKING VEHICLE HIT A BUMP. LOST BRAKING POWER. VEHICLE STOPPED 1/10 MILE FURTHER. TOOK TO DEALER & MECHANIC CALLED MANUFACTURER. THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR THE BRAKES. WAS TOLD THEY WERE DESIGNED TO WORK LIKE THAT. *AK
BRAKES FAILED, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT, DUE TO SENSOR FAILURE.
WHILE DRIVING THE REAR SPINDLE CAME OUT OF LINE, CAUSING THE REAR END TO SNAP, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL. ALSO, WHEN MAKING A TURN THE REAR WHEELS LOCK UP. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE PART TWICE PRIOR TO INCIDENT. *AK
CONSUMER'S MOTHER AND FATHER WERE LEAVING A PARKING LOT WHEN THEIR BRAKES FAILED. THEIR TRUCK DRIFTED OUT INTO TRAFFIC THAT WAS GOING APPROX. 55-60MPH, AND THEY WERE BROADSIDED BY A FULL SIZED VAN LOADED WITH LEAD PIPES. THE TRUCK IS NOW IN BAY CITY MICHIGAN TOWED BY TIMS TOWING. CONSUMER DOESN'T HAVE THE NUMBER TO HOLDER OF TH…
Read full complaint
CONSUMER'S MOTHER AND FATHER WERE LEAVING A PARKING LOT WHEN THEIR BRAKES FAILED. THEIR TRUCK DRIFTED OUT INTO TRAFFIC THAT WAS GOING APPROX. 55-60MPH, AND THEY WERE BROADSIDED BY A FULL SIZED VAN LOADED WITH LEAD PIPES. THE TRUCK IS NOW IN BAY CITY MICHIGAN TOWED BY TIMS TOWING. CONSUMER DOESN'T HAVE THE NUMBER TO HOLDER OF THE TRUCK AT THIS TIME. *AK
ABS BRAKES; INTERMITTENTLY, WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL LOCKS UP. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *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.