IllustrationWHILE DRIVING IN RAIN, WINDSHIELD WIPERS QUIT WORKING WHILE IN USE.*AK *YH
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
Visibility complaints
38 reportsAT 34298 MILES WINDSHIELD WIPERS COMMENCED TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY, RESULTING IN INOPERATIVE WIPERS, REDUCING A DRIVER'S VISIBILITY, AND INCREASING RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE US WITH ANY FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS MATTER. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECOME INOPERABLE, OBSTRUCTING VIEW OF DRIVER. THERE IS A RECALL ON EARLIER MAKES AND MODELS; HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL RUN SOMETIMES/GO SLOW/RUN FAST, AND THEY ALWAYS RUN ON HIGH. CONSUMER STATES IT'S HARD TO SEE, AND MAY BE DANGEROUS. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT OPERATE IN THE INTERMITTENT MODE, OFTEN DO NOT CEASE WHEN PLACING THE SWITCH TO THE 'OFF' POSITION RIGHT AWAY AND DO NOT RETURN TO THE STANDBY POSITION.*AK
EXTERIOR MIRRORS LOOSEN FROM THE HOUSING AREA WHICH CAUSES THE MIRRORS TO MOVE AROUND AND VIBRATE WHILE TRAVELING AT 40 MPH OR MORE. ALSO, CAUSES POOR VISIBILITY. DEALER NOTIFIED. REPLACEMENTS OF THE SAME TYPE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. OWNER ASKED DEALER TO REPLACED MIRRORS WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE. *AK *ML
SIDE REAR VIEW MIRRORS SHAKE TO THE POINT WHERE THE VIEW IS OBSTRUCTED WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE MIRRORS TWICE. PROBLEM IS STILL PRESENT. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL FAILED.
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.