IllustrationENGINE INTAKE ANTI-FREEZE LEAK IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR 1997 CHEVY TRUCKS AND SHOULD BE A FACTORY PAID FOR FIX. BUT NO THEY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT, WE AS CONSUMERS HAVE PAID AS MUCH AS 600.00 TO 700.00 TO HAVE GM DEALERS TO DO THIS. WITCH I THINK IS WRONG!!!!!!!!!*JB
1997 Chevrolet Silverado
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Silverado years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado are substantially higher than the model-year median of 76.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado 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
Limited mileage data: 64 of 272 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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 59 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
16 crash reports6 fire reports13 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
20 reportsMY MAJOR COMPLAINT IS THAT OF A LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD. (5.7L V8). I'VE NOTICED MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS PROBLEM AND IT NEEDS TO BE A RECALL!
CONSUMER STATES AFTER TURNING OFF THE ENGINE, THERE WAS A MOTOR RUNNING THAT WAS VIBRATIING THE WHOLE VEHICLE. CONSUMER LOOKED UNDER VEHICLE AND SAW ABS BURNING RED CHERRY HOT. *AK
GM DEX COOL PROBLEM. I HAVE REPLACED MY TRANISMISSION. COOLANT LEAKS ONTO THE ENGINE. SMELLS LIKE BURNING COOLANT ALL THE TIME.
WHEN MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL GIVES AND CAUSES TEMPORARY STEERING LOSS. TS THE VEHICLE ALSO SUSTAINED THE FOLLOWING FAILURES, THE PCV VALVE MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE #2 AND #3 HEAT SHIELDS IN THE TRANSMISSION TO CRACK. THIS MALFUNCTION WAS REPAIRED AND NOW THE 4 LOW GEAR IS INOPERABLE. ALSO, THE FUEL P…
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WHEN MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL GIVES AND CAUSES TEMPORARY STEERING LOSS. TS THE VEHICLE ALSO SUSTAINED THE FOLLOWING FAILURES, THE PCV VALVE MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE #2 AND #3 HEAT SHIELDS IN THE TRANSMISSION TO CRACK. THIS MALFUNCTION WAS REPAIRED AND NOW THE 4 LOW GEAR IS INOPERABLE. ALSO, THE FUEL PUMP, OXYGEN SENSOR, AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR AND PUMP MALFUNCTIONED. NOTICEABLY AFTER PURCHASE, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT GIVES WHEN BRAKING. *JG
WHILE DRIVING AND WITH NO WARNING VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF, MAKING IT HARD TO CONTROL. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
VEHICLE WOULD MISFIRE AND STALL WHEN REACHING HIGH TEMPERATURE. PROBLEM IS DUE TO A FAULTY FUEL INJECTOR. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
THE VEHICLES DRIVER SIDE DOOR LATCH STRETCHED AND SNAPPED. *JG
TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 40,000 MILES. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT TRANSMISSION WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. *AK BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR FAILED, SHORT CIRCUIT FUSE CAUSED FAILURE OF BRAKE LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS. INJECTOR FAILED. WATER PUMP FAILED. VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR, WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHO INFORMED CONSUMER THAT TRANSMISSIO…
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TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 40,000 MILES. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT TRANSMISSION WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. *AK BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR FAILED, SHORT CIRCUIT FUSE CAUSED FAILURE OF BRAKE LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS. INJECTOR FAILED. WATER PUMP FAILED. VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR, WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHO INFORMED CONSUMER THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACED, CONSUMER IS ANGRY THAT A VEHICLE WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE WOULD HAVE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND CHEVROLET WILL NOT ASIST IN REPAIRS. *SLC
PROBLEM #1: THE FUEL PUMP RELAY DOESN'T SEEM TO DISENGAGE AFTER FIRST STARTING THE ENGINE AND IT HEATS UP. THIS CAUSES ROUGH OPERATING OF THE ENGINE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWS THAT THE MAXI FUSE TO THE LIGHTING SYSTEM HEATS UP ALSO, BUT DOES NOT FAIL. ANOTHER AREA THAT IS AFFECTED IS THE MINI FUSE TO THE COURTESY LAMPS. I…
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PROBLEM #1: THE FUEL PUMP RELAY DOESN'T SEEM TO DISENGAGE AFTER FIRST STARTING THE ENGINE AND IT HEATS UP. THIS CAUSES ROUGH OPERATING OF THE ENGINE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWS THAT THE MAXI FUSE TO THE LIGHTING SYSTEM HEATS UP ALSO, BUT DOES NOT FAIL. ANOTHER AREA THAT IS AFFECTED IS THE MINI FUSE TO THE COURTESY LAMPS. IT HEATS UP, BUT DOES NOT FAIL. THE LAST AREA TO BE AFFECTED IS THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CANISTER VACUUM SWITCH. IT ACTS AS IF THE WHEELS ARE OUT OF BALANCE AROUND 50MPH. I HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS AND THEY EITHER CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG OR TRY AND TELL ME THAT THE FUEL INJECTORS ARE AT FAULT. THEY PUT INJECTOR CLEANER IN THE FUEL TANK ON TWO OCCASIONS, WHICH MADE IT RUN WORSE. I ASKED TO HAVE THE INJECTORS REPLACED WHILE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY SAID THEY HAD TO FOLLOW PROCEDURE BULLETIN #00-06-04-003 BEFORE TAKING THAT STEP. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED, BUT THEY HAVEN'T OFFERED TO REPLACE FUEL INJECTORS. MY THINKING IS THAT THE PROBLEM IS REALLY THE IGNITION SWITCH. CAN YOU PLEASE ADVISE ME OF ANY OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND HOW IT WAS RESOLVED? PROBELM #2: WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 55 MPH STEERING FEELS LOOSE AND WANTS SHIFT LANES ON IT'S OWN. ON SWEEPING TURNS IT TURNS TO THE RIGHT ON IT'S OWN. I HAD THE FRONT END ALLIGNED AND A NEW SET OF TIRES, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. ANY ADVISE?
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.