IllustrationWHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
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
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
57 reportsWHEN SLOWING DOWN TO A STOP THERE'S A GRINDING NOISE, BRAKE PEDAL GOES DOWN FURTHER THAN NORMAL, BUT WILL STOP. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT.*AK
WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS APPLYING BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES, AND THE DEALER STATED THE BRAKES WERE PERFORMING AS DESIGNED.*YH
VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT WHEN BRAKES ARE ENGAGE WITH NO PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. (FRONT AND RIGHT) THERE IS A SLIGHT PULSATING AT 35 MPH THAT GETS SHARP AND ACUTE AT 55 MPH. UPON INSPECTION RIGHT OUTER DISC PAD WAS MISSING THE LOWER 1 1/2 INCH OF PAD. ALL BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED. THE SLIGHT INTERMITTENT PULL HAS HAPPEN…
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VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT WHEN BRAKES ARE ENGAGE WITH NO PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. (FRONT AND RIGHT) THERE IS A SLIGHT PULSATING AT 35 MPH THAT GETS SHARP AND ACUTE AT 55 MPH. UPON INSPECTION RIGHT OUTER DISC PAD WAS MISSING THE LOWER 1 1/2 INCH OF PAD. ALL BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED. THE SLIGHT INTERMITTENT PULL HAS HAPPENED ONCE AFTER THE PADS WERE REPLACED. DEALER CAN'T LOCATE THE PROBLEM. *JG
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES PEDAL WENT DOWN TO FLOOR, NOT STOPPING VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. DRIVER AND PASSENGER WERE INJURED. PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK
ABS PREMATURELY ENGAGES ON ANY SURFACE. ONCE ABS IS RELEASED MAIN BRAKES KICK IN, CAUSING VEHICLE TO FEEL AS THOUGH IT WILL NOT STOP IN TIME. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, AND CANNOT FIND A REMEDY TO FIX THE PROBLEM.*AK THE DEALER CHANGED BOTH HUBS AS POSSIBLE CAUSE OF ABS PROBLEM BUT IT DID NOT SOLVE IT. *YH
BRAKES PULSATE AT 10 MPH. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK
THERE IS INTERMITTENT BRAKE FAILURE, PEDAL WILL GO TO FLOOR. CONSUMER FEELS PROBLEM IS REAR ABS BRAKES. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES, CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM, CANNOT REMEDY. *AK CONSUMER STATES HE CAN NOT HAUL HIS TRAILER OR HAUL ANY LARGE LOADS BECAUSE OF FAULTY REAR BRAKES, THE FRONT SHOES HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH LIFET…
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THERE IS INTERMITTENT BRAKE FAILURE, PEDAL WILL GO TO FLOOR. CONSUMER FEELS PROBLEM IS REAR ABS BRAKES. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES, CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM, CANNOT REMEDY. *AK CONSUMER STATES HE CAN NOT HAUL HIS TRAILER OR HAUL ANY LARGE LOADS BECAUSE OF FAULTY REAR BRAKES, THE FRONT SHOES HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH LIFETIME BRAKE PADS TWICE AND THE REAR ONES LOOK BRAND NEW. *SLC
VEHICLE EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WITH BRAKES RELEASING THEMSELVES BEFORE STOPPING. ABS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY/PREMATURLEY ENGAGE. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND UNWILLING TO ASSIST IN THIS MATTER. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER .*AK
EVERYTIME BRAKES ARE APPLIED VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT. WHEN TRYING TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP VEHICLE'S PULL TO RIGHT IS EVEN WORSE . CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER COULD NEVER FIND CAUSE. *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.