IllustrationMILEAGE NOW 100000 DEALER NOW IDENTIFIED EVO SENSOR TO BE FAULTY. THE NUMBER OF THESE FAILURES ON THE NHTSA IS EXTENSIVE IS A MANUFACTUERER RECALL IN EFFECT? MY OPINION IS FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS MANDATORY TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC FAILURES AND INJURY.
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 reportsTHIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE. THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED, THE STEERING COLUMN HAS GONE OUT, I HAD TO REPLACE ALL THE TIRES AND GET A FRONT END ALIGNMENT, THE ALTERNATER WENT OUT, AND THE TRANSMISSION HAS NEVER WORKED CORRECTLY. IT CLANKS LOUDLY WHEN SHIFTING GEARS, DOESN'T IDLE CORRECTLY, AND SHUTS OFF. I HAVE HAD IT REBUILT…
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THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE. THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED, THE STEERING COLUMN HAS GONE OUT, I HAD TO REPLACE ALL THE TIRES AND GET A FRONT END ALIGNMENT, THE ALTERNATER WENT OUT, AND THE TRANSMISSION HAS NEVER WORKED CORRECTLY. IT CLANKS LOUDLY WHEN SHIFTING GEARS, DOESN'T IDLE CORRECTLY, AND SHUTS OFF. I HAVE HAD IT REBUILT ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. ON ONE OCCASION IT EVEN CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE TRANSMISSION IS BACK IN THE SHOP NOW. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 16 INCH )
INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE STALLED. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE THREE TIMES. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
ON TWO OCCASIONS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TOTAL SHUT DOWN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. PREVIOUSLY VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN REPAIR SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS FOR SIMILAR PROBLEM. BUT DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH OR LESS AND WHEN TAKING FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL, VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
IN APPROXIMATELY A FIVE WEEK PERIOD, MY TRUCK HAS FAILED TO START TWICE AND DIED ONCE AS I CROSSED A BUSY INTERSECTION. BOTH TIMES THE TRUCK FAILED TO START, THE DEALER INSTALLED A NEW FUEL PUMP, (NOW ON MY THIRD PUMP) AND AFTER THE VEHICLE DIED IN THE INTERSECTION WHILE MOVING ABOUT 20 MPH, A NEW DISTRIBUTOR CAP AND ROTOR WAS I…
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IN APPROXIMATELY A FIVE WEEK PERIOD, MY TRUCK HAS FAILED TO START TWICE AND DIED ONCE AS I CROSSED A BUSY INTERSECTION. BOTH TIMES THE TRUCK FAILED TO START, THE DEALER INSTALLED A NEW FUEL PUMP, (NOW ON MY THIRD PUMP) AND AFTER THE VEHICLE DIED IN THE INTERSECTION WHILE MOVING ABOUT 20 MPH, A NEW DISTRIBUTOR CAP AND ROTOR WAS INSTALLED BUT THE FAILURE COULD ALSO BE FUEL PUMP RELATED. IN BOTH CASES THE MECHANIC STATED ON THE REPAIR ORDER THAT THE WIRING HAD SHORTED OUT. THE SERVICE MANAGER INDICATES THAT HE HAS NO SOLUTIONS AND THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON OCCURANCE. THE FACT THAT ONE NEVER KNOWS IF HE WILL SUCCESSFULLY MAKE IT ACROSS SEVERAL LANES OF TRAFFIC WITHOUT THE ENGINE QUITTING IS INHERENTLY UNSAFE. A CALL TO CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE INDICATES THAT THEY ARE VERY SORRY BUT THEY REALLY DON'T KNOW JUST WHAT TO TELL ME.
STEERING GEAR BOX LEAKING. MJS
ENGINE OIL LEAK. *YC
WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL FAILED.
CONSUMER EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE MAKING LOUD NOISE SOUNDS WHILE VEHICLE IS RUNNING; DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM IS A DEFECTIVE AIR INTAKE VALVE WHICH THEY CAN REPAIR, BUT WILL VOID ENGINE WARRANTY IF THEY REPAIR IT. *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.