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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 →

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 reports
123,000 miles · Sep 1, 2004
Seats

AT 123,000 MILES CONSUMER HAD THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT FRAME REPLACED BECAUSE IT BROKE. CURRENTLY, AT 144,000 MILES THE SEAT FRAME BROKE AGAIN. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10090201

Mileage unknown · Aug 16, 2004
Visibility

VEHICLE'S WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING.*MR WHILE DRIVING IN A SEVERE RAIN STORM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. AFTER ARRIVING HOME THE CONSUMER RESEARCHED THE VEHICLE'S RECALLS A FOUND THAT THERE WAS ONE FOR THE WIPER MOTOR (RECALL # 02054) IN GM VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM 1994-1999. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE…

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VEHICLE'S WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING.*MR WHILE DRIVING IN A SEVERE RAIN STORM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. AFTER ARRIVING HOME THE CONSUMER RESEARCHED THE VEHICLE'S RECALLS A FOUND THAT THERE WAS ONE FOR THE WIPER MOTOR (RECALL # 02054) IN GM VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM 1994-1999. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER WHO INDICATED THAT HE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED BECAUSE IT WAS MANUFACTURED AT A DIFFERENT PLANT. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10089129

113,000 miles · Jul 30, 2004
Visibility

WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10083922

72,000 miles · Jul 7, 2004
Visibility

WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO WORK. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10081477

60,000 miles · Jun 18, 2004
Steering

BELOW IS A COPY OF THE E-MAIL I HAVE SENT TO THE DEALERSHIP HERE IN AUBURN AL. I DID NOT GET AN E-MAIL BACK SO CALLED A FEW DAYS LATE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART WOULD BE $240 . I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS OCCURRED IN MANY CASES AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. I KNOW OF 4 GM TRUCKS WITHIN 1997-1998 RANGE THAT HAVE …

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BELOW IS A COPY OF THE E-MAIL I HAVE SENT TO THE DEALERSHIP HERE IN AUBURN AL. I DID NOT GET AN E-MAIL BACK SO CALLED A FEW DAYS LATE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART WOULD BE $240 . I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS OCCURRED IN MANY CASES AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. I KNOW OF 4 GM TRUCKS WITHIN 1997-1998 RANGE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS VERY DANGEROUS! AT THIS TIME NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND I HOPE THAT AN ACCIDENT IS NOT CAUSED BECAUSE OF IT. DYAS, I HAVE A "97 SILVERADO EXT CAB 2WD 1500 WITH A 350 VORTEX. DYAS HAS DONE RECALL WORK FOR ME IN THE PAST (WIPERS). I HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM THAT WILL COME AND GO EVERY FEW WEEKS THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. IT HAS TO DO WITH THE STEERING. DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN, BUT I WILL DO MY BEST. IT WILL SEEM TO SURGE IN TURNING POWER WHILE TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION, CAUSING YOU TO HAVE TO STEER IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHILE IN A CURVE TO ADJUST COURSE. IT CAN BE VERY NERVE-RACKING FOR ME AND FOR SOMEONE THAT IS UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM I CAN SEE WHERE IT COULD EASILY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. MY FATHER WAS ACTUALLY UNAWARE AND HAS INSISTED THAT I HAVE IT FIXED BECAUSE OF SAFETY CONCERNS. IT BECOMES EVEN MORE DANGEROUS AT HIGHER SPEEDS. I HAVE HEARD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON SOME TYPE OF CONTROL MODULE THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE POWER STEERING ON THESE TRUCKS..? WHICH HAS LED ME TO INQUIRE NOW ABOUT A RECALL / REPAIR FOR THE PROBLEM. BEING A COLLEGE STUDENT A COSTLY REPAIR MAY NOT BE AN OPTION, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM REGARDLESS OF COST.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10078457

Mileage unknown · May 18, 2004
Air BagsCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. AS A RESULT OF THE DEPLOYMENT, THE AIR BAGS BURNED THE CONSUMERS FACE AND ARMS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10073818

88,000 miles · May 10, 2004
Fuel System, Other

WHILE TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER. THE CONSUMER CHECKED THE FUEL PUMP AND FOUND THAT THE CONNECTOR THAT FEEDS THE FUEL TO THE PUMP WAS BURNED OUT. THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE CONNECTOR WAS ACTUALLY INSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK.

NHTSA ODI #10073344

Mileage unknown · Apr 20, 2004
Steering

THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT POWER STEERING PROBLEMS. SOME TIMES WHEN DRIVING AND MAKING EITHER A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN IT FELT AS IF POWER STEERING SHUT OFF. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THERE WAS A DEVICE BUILT INTO THE VEHICLE FOR PROTECTION. *AK THE EVO (EXHAUST VALVE OPENING) WAS REPLACED. *…

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THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT POWER STEERING PROBLEMS. SOME TIMES WHEN DRIVING AND MAKING EITHER A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN IT FELT AS IF POWER STEERING SHUT OFF. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THERE WAS A DEVICE BUILT INTO THE VEHICLE FOR PROTECTION. *AK THE EVO (EXHAUST VALVE OPENING) WAS REPLACED. *SC *JB

NHTSA ODI #10057470

32,000 miles · Apr 6, 2004
Steering

VEHICLE HAS SPEED SENSITIVE STEERING WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO CHANGE LANES WITHOUT NOTICE. OWNER HAD THE SPEED SENSOR DISCONNECTED. *MR

NHTSA ODI #10066687

Mileage unknown · Apr 5, 2004
Visibility

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED WHEN THEY WANTED TO. THE CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THE CONDITION MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10065574

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

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