IllustrationREOCCURRING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH POWER STEERING SENSOR FAILING TO OPERATE PROPERLY. DEALER / MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED AND REFUSED TO CORRECT PROBLEM BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND REPAIRS WOULD BE AT CONSUMER'S COST. SEEKING HELP OR PROVIDE ADDTIONAL INFORMATION. *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
Steering complaints
59 reportsI AM GLAD TO DISCOVER THAT I AM NOT CRAZY, AND THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS REPORTED THIS PROBLEM. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THIS TRUCK, THE "GAP" IN STEERING DEVELOPED, AND AFTER CARRYING BACK TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, PART # 26064468 WAS REPLACED ON 3/12/98, 38158 MILES(HAD REPORTED PRIOR TO 36,000 MILE WARRANTY RUNNING OUT). THIS STOP…
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I AM GLAD TO DISCOVER THAT I AM NOT CRAZY, AND THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS REPORTED THIS PROBLEM. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THIS TRUCK, THE "GAP" IN STEERING DEVELOPED, AND AFTER CARRYING BACK TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, PART # 26064468 WAS REPLACED ON 3/12/98, 38158 MILES(HAD REPORTED PRIOR TO 36,000 MILE WARRANTY RUNNING OUT). THIS STOPPED THE PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME, AND NOW IT AGAIN IS DOING THIS SAME THING. I HAVE BEEN TOLD PART IS VERY EXPENSIVE, AND HAVE NOT PAID TO HAVE FIXED, NOT KNOWING HOW LONG IT WILL LAST. *AK
THE STEERING HAS "TOO MUCH PLAY IN IT" WHICH CAUSES STEERING DIFFICULTY. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL GO TO THE RIGHT WHICH MAY CAUSE CRASH. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
THE AIR-CONDITIONER WAS COOLING FINE ONE DAY THEN THE NEXT IT WOULDN'T BLOW COOL AIR AT ALL. SO I TAKE IT TO THE CHEVROLET MECHANIC HE SAID THE COMPRESSOR WAS SHOT AND IT WOULD COST ABOUT $700 TO FIX IT. ONE EVENING I WENT TO CRANK MY TRUCK AND IT WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING BUT CLICK WELL GUESS WHAT IT WAS THE STARTER NOT CHEAP ANOTHE…
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THE AIR-CONDITIONER WAS COOLING FINE ONE DAY THEN THE NEXT IT WOULDN'T BLOW COOL AIR AT ALL. SO I TAKE IT TO THE CHEVROLET MECHANIC HE SAID THE COMPRESSOR WAS SHOT AND IT WOULD COST ABOUT $700 TO FIX IT. ONE EVENING I WENT TO CRANK MY TRUCK AND IT WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING BUT CLICK WELL GUESS WHAT IT WAS THE STARTER NOT CHEAP ANOTHER $60. ONE DAY I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE COP STOPS ME AND TELLS ME THAT I HAVE NO BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE RIGHT SIDE LUCKILY HE WARNED ME BUT A NEW HARNESS COST LIKE $50.ALSO MY POWER STERRING PUMP THAT HAS WENT OUT TWICE IN LESS THAN A YEAR COSTING ABOUT $80 EACH TIME.THE ONLY THING I HAVE TO SAY IS THAT THIS MAY BE THE LAST CHEVY THAT I EVER OWN AND THAT IS SAYING A LOT BECAUSE I MYSELF HAS OWNED FOUR MY FAMILY THREE THAT IS SEVEN IF I CAN ADD, SO THAT COULD BE ALOT OF VEHICLES THAT COULD GO TO ANOTHER MAKE ALL TOGETHER. THIS IS NOT A THREAT JUS WANT MY AIR-CONDITIONER FIXED, BUT THEY SAY THAT THERE IS A NATIONWIDE BACKORDER JUST MY LUCK. *AK
STEERING GEAR BOX LEAKING. MJS
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED THE STEERING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SWAY INTO OTHER LANES. DEALER REPLACED STEERING SENSORS. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AT THE TURN AND CONSUMER HAD TO WIGGLE IT TO COME OUT OF TURN. AFTER HE STRAIGHTENED OUT THE STEERING BECAME FREE, TURNING. *AK CONSUMER STATES SINCE THE DAY THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT, THE WHEEL WOULD CATCH WHEN THE TILT WAS USED, THE DEALER MADE REPAIRS, HOWEVER IT STI…
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WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AT THE TURN AND CONSUMER HAD TO WIGGLE IT TO COME OUT OF TURN. AFTER HE STRAIGHTENED OUT THE STEERING BECAME FREE, TURNING. *AK CONSUMER STATES SINCE THE DAY THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT, THE WHEEL WOULD CATCH WHEN THE TILT WAS USED, THE DEALER MADE REPAIRS, HOWEVER IT STILL WOULD NOT WORK CORRECTLY, THE DEALERSHIP TOLD THE CONSUMER NOT TO USE THE WHEEL TO PULL THEMSELVES INTO THE VEHICLE, ONCE THE WHEEL WAS REPLACED THERE WERE LOTS OF SHAVED BROKEN METAL PARTS INSIDE THE COLUMN WHERE THE WHEEL MOUNTS, CONSUMER TRADED VEHICLE IN. *SLC
IN LEFT TURNS THE VEHICLE'S POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK UP AND LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL CAN OCCUR. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES (ABS) HAVE TO USE BOTH HANDS TO CONTROL STEERING WHEEL; STEERING LOCKS UP WHEN FOOT ON BRAKES; W/FOOT OFF BRAKES, ABLE TO STEER OR TURN. TOOK TO DEALER & INFORMED IT'S THE NEW STEERING SYSTEM IN PLACE. TOLD MANUFACTURER NOTHING WAS WRONG. *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.