IllustrationFUEL LINE IN FUEL PUMP WAS BURNED UP. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP AND SENDING UNIT. *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
What owners actually said
272 reportsWHILE MAKING A TURN BY TURNING STEERING WHEEL VEHICLE TRAVELED LIKE ICE WAS ON ROAD, SOON AFTER RETURNING TO NORMAL TRAVEL. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED . PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFNORMATION.*AK
THE STEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR (SWP, MOUNTED ON THE STEERING COLUMN ABOVE THE BRAKE PEDAL) SENDS AN INPUT TO THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE (PSCM) WHICH IN TURN THEN CONTROLS POWER STEERING PUMP FLUID FLOW BASED ON VEHICLE SPEED AND STEERING WHEEL POSITION. THIS ELECTRICAL STEERING CONTROL SYSTEM IS CAUSING A VERY SERIO…
Read full complaint
THE STEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR (SWP, MOUNTED ON THE STEERING COLUMN ABOVE THE BRAKE PEDAL) SENDS AN INPUT TO THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE (PSCM) WHICH IN TURN THEN CONTROLS POWER STEERING PUMP FLUID FLOW BASED ON VEHICLE SPEED AND STEERING WHEEL POSITION. THIS ELECTRICAL STEERING CONTROL SYSTEM IS CAUSING A VERY SERIOUS INTERMITTANT STEERING PROBLEM ONLY DURING A RIGHT HAND TURN. THIS HAS TWICE ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AS THE NATURAL REACTION TO THIS FAILURE (WHICH MANIFESTS ITSELF AS A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL) IS TO JERK THE STEERING WHEEL FURTHER TO THE RIGHT TO REGAIN STEERING CONTROL. IN BOTH NEAR ACCIDENT SITUATIONS THERE WAS A CAR ON MY RIGHT SIDE WHICH I CAME CLOSE TO HITTING. THE PROBLEM IS WORSE THE FASTER YOU GO AND AT LOW SPEED NOT MUCH OF A CONCERN BUT AT HIGHWAY SPEED IT IS SERIOUS. THIS MALFUNCTION OCCURS AT ALL SPEEDS. DEALER, WHICH HAS BEEN COURTEOUS AND HELPFULL, TELLS ME THEY HAVE HAD TWO TRUCKS IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS IN FOR THE SAME TROUBLE (SWP SENSOR) AND A CO-WORKER ALSO HAS THE SAME TROUBLE, SO THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE AFFECTING OTHER GM VEHICLES INCLUDING SUBURBAN, TAHOE, YUKON AND SIERRA. I HAVE NOT HAD IT REPAIRED AT THIS TIME BUT PLAN TO REPLACE THE SWP SENSOR MYSELF QUITE SOON AS THE DEALER SAYS MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36,000 MILES. ESTIMATED DEALER REPAIR COST IS 160.00. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AND IS THE FIRST TIME IN SOME 30 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAVE ENCOUNTERED A MALFUNCTION OF THIS TYPE, WHEN IT HAPPENS AT FREEWAY SPEED IT GETS YOUR ATTENTION VERY FAST! AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE ROLL OVER AS WELL SHOULD THE DRIVER JERK ON THE WHEEL TO HARD TO CORRECT IT. I FEEL CHEVROLET IS AWARE OF THIS TROUBLE AND SHOULD DO SOMETHING TO FIX THIS REGARDLESS OF WARRANTY COVERAGE AS LAW SUITES AS A RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT/S WILL COST THEM MUCH MUCH MORE.*AK
WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN STEERING WHEEL SLIPS. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE.*AK
FUEL SENDING UNIT HAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE WHICH CAUSES FUEL PUMP TO BURN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
TRANSMISSION SLAMS FROM 1ST TO 2ND WHEN HOT OR VEHICLE IS CARRYING A LOAD. TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST TELLS ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE TRUCKS. MANUFACTURER DENIES A PROBLEM EXISTS.
WHILE SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED AT ABOUT 50 MPH AND SEAT BELTS DID NOT TIGHTEN UP, AND THE SEAT ITSELF COLLAPSED. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK
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
I DROVE THE TRUCK TO THE GAS STATION AND IT WAS FINE. I RESTARTED THE TRUCK TO LEAVE AND WHEN I SHIFTED TO REVERSE, NOTHING HAPPENED. I PUSHED THE TRUCK BACK AND IT WOULD GO FORWARD IN ONLY 1ST AND 3RD GEAR. *AK
WHILE DRIVING A LOUD NOISE OCCURRED FOLLOWING LOCKING UP OF TRANSMISSION CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *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.