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
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.
What owners actually said
272 reportsVEHICLE'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
WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK
WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO WORK. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
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
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
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.
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
VEHICLE HAS SPEED SENSITIVE STEERING WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO CHANGE LANES WITHOUT NOTICE. OWNER HAD THE SPEED SENSOR DISCONNECTED. *MR
THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED WHEN THEY WANTED TO. THE CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THE CONDITION MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *NM
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.
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