ABS BRAKES ACTIVATING WHEN SLOWING TO UNDER TEN MPH. BELIEVED TO BE A WHEEL BEARING LEAKING ONTO THE ABS SENSOR IN THE WHEEL. TO BE REPAIRED SOON.
1997 GMC C/K Pickup
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all C/k Pickup 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: 19 of 25 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.
- Visibility. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 4 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
25 reportsTHE WINDSHEILD WIPERS ON OUR GMC Z-71 TRUCK HAVE STOPPED WORKING (OR WORK INTERMITTANTLY). I HEARD ABOUT THE RECALL FROM MY NEPHEW AND CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL. I LOOKED IT UP ON YOUR SITE AND THERE IS ONE, SO NOW WHERE DO I GO?
WHEN I STEP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL DURING NORMAL STOPS, WHEN THE VEHICLE SPEED SLOWS TO UNDER TEN MILES PER HOUR, I HEAR THE ANTILOCK BRAKE MOTOR ACTIVATE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL PULSATE AND NO MATTER HOW HARD I PUSH ON THE PEDAL THE TRUCK WILL NOT SLOW DOWN. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I STEP ON THE BRAKE. I HAVE ALMOST HAD MANY ACCI…
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WHEN I STEP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL DURING NORMAL STOPS, WHEN THE VEHICLE SPEED SLOWS TO UNDER TEN MILES PER HOUR, I HEAR THE ANTILOCK BRAKE MOTOR ACTIVATE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL PULSATE AND NO MATTER HOW HARD I PUSH ON THE PEDAL THE TRUCK WILL NOT SLOW DOWN. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I STEP ON THE BRAKE. I HAVE ALMOST HAD MANY ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HAD THE PROBLEM CORRECTED YET. I HAVE DISCONNECTED THE ANTILOCK SYSTEM.
I OWN A 97' GMC Z-71. I'VE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING ON MY TRUCK FOR THE PAST 3 MONTHS. IT GETS IN A BIND WHEN TURNING AND I LOSE MY POWER STEERING PART OF THE TURN AND THEN I REGAIN IT COMING OUT OF THE TURN. I HAVE A FRIEND WITH A 96' CHEVY TAHOE 4X4 THAT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM, AND ANOTHER FRIEND WITH A 98' CHEVY S…
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I OWN A 97' GMC Z-71. I'VE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING ON MY TRUCK FOR THE PAST 3 MONTHS. IT GETS IN A BIND WHEN TURNING AND I LOSE MY POWER STEERING PART OF THE TURN AND THEN I REGAIN IT COMING OUT OF THE TURN. I HAVE A FRIEND WITH A 96' CHEVY TAHOE 4X4 THAT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM, AND ANOTHER FRIEND WITH A 98' CHEVY SILVERADO THAT HAS COME ACROSS THE SAME PROBLEM, ALMOST RESULTING IN A CRASH. WE ALL HAVE CHANGED OUR POWER STEERING PUMPS AND STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I ALSO HAVE TROUBLE TURNING MY WHEELS WHEN SITTING STILL OR AT SLOW SPEED ( I RUN 285/75/16 RADIALS) AND IT CAUSES AN INCONVENIENCE IN TIGHT TURNING OR IN A PARKING LOT. I HIT A CAR IN THE REAR BECAUSE MY TRUCK COULDN'T TURN FAST ENOUGH IN A LOCAL STORE PARKING LOT.*JB
CONTINUOUS STERRING PROBLEM WITH LEFT HAND TURNS AT ANY SPEED. THIS IS THE VERY SAME PROBLEM DESCRIBED ON MANY OF THE OTHER 1997 GM VEHICLES ALREADY RECALLED BY THE COMPANY. THE DEALER CLAIMS THERE IS NO RECALL FOR MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE AND I WILL HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE OF RACK & PINION REPAIRS.*AK
(1) RAIN STORM IN LUBBOCK , TEXAS (2) TURNED ON WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND THEY WOULD NOT WORK. (3) CHECKED FUSE. FUSE WAS GOOD. TRIED ABOUT 1/2 HOUR LATER AND THE WIPERS WORKED. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE WIPERS NOT TURNING OFF AFTER TURNING ON AND WHEN THEY DID TURN OFF THEY WOULD NOT RETURN TO "HOME" POSITION. SOMET…
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(1) RAIN STORM IN LUBBOCK , TEXAS (2) TURNED ON WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND THEY WOULD NOT WORK. (3) CHECKED FUSE. FUSE WAS GOOD. TRIED ABOUT 1/2 HOUR LATER AND THE WIPERS WORKED. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE WIPERS NOT TURNING OFF AFTER TURNING ON AND WHEN THEY DID TURN OFF THEY WOULD NOT RETURN TO "HOME" POSITION. SOMETIMES WILL NOT WORK AT ALL AND THE WASHERS WILL NOT WORK AT TIMES AND AT TIMES WORK FINE. *NM
WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERS STOPPED AND WILL NOT WORK. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A RECALL OF THE CREW CAB MODEL OF MY VEHICLE, BUT, MY VEHICLE IS A CLUB CAB (EXTENDED CAB) I DO BELIEVE THAT ALL OF THE VEHICLES OF THIS CLASS USE THE SAME WIPER/WASHER MOTOR IF THEY HAVE INTERMITTENT WIPERS, SO THIS VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN T…
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WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERS STOPPED AND WILL NOT WORK. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A RECALL OF THE CREW CAB MODEL OF MY VEHICLE, BUT, MY VEHICLE IS A CLUB CAB (EXTENDED CAB) I DO BELIEVE THAT ALL OF THE VEHICLES OF THIS CLASS USE THE SAME WIPER/WASHER MOTOR IF THEY HAVE INTERMITTENT WIPERS, SO THIS VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.*AK
FRONT END STIFF AND HARD TO STEER. ALSO HANGS ON TURNS AT TIMES. POWER STEERING IS OK .ONE TECHNICIAN SAID IT WAS THE STEERING BOX. *JB
MY HUSBAND,JOHN, PULLED UP AND PARKED OUR 1997 GMC K1500. WHEN HE STARTED THE VEHICLE AGAIN & PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN REVERSE A HORRIBLE, METAL RIPPING , GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD & THE PICKUP WOULD NOT MOVE BACKWARDS. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST WITHOUT OVER-REVING THE RPM'S. WE TOOK THE PICKUP ASAP TO A RECO…
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MY HUSBAND,JOHN, PULLED UP AND PARKED OUR 1997 GMC K1500. WHEN HE STARTED THE VEHICLE AGAIN & PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN REVERSE A HORRIBLE, METAL RIPPING , GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD & THE PICKUP WOULD NOT MOVE BACKWARDS. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST WITHOUT OVER-REVING THE RPM'S. WE TOOK THE PICKUP ASAP TO A RECOMMENDED TRANSMISSION SHOP IN TULSA,OK. TO REPLAVE THE TRANSMISION. AT THIS TIME WE FOUND OUT THAT THE 'DRIVE SHELL' WAS NOT UPDATED ON OUR LATE MODEL 1997 PICKUP. THE 'BOOKS' STATE THAT IN 1997 A BETTER SHELL WAS MADE TO CORRECT THE WEAKNESS IN THIS PART AS AN UPDATE. BUT OUR PICKUP MISSED THIS UPDATE. NOW WE ARE OUT OVER $1700.00 TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION, WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE HAD THE UPDATED PART ALREADY INSTALLED. I AM REQUESTING ANY INFORMATION YOU MIGHT HAVE TO HELP MYSELF & OTHERS IN MY POSITION, RECOUPE ANYTHING BECAUSE OF GM'S FAILURE TO APPLY THE UPGRADE AS THEY STATED.*AK
WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENTLY WORKED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND REPLACED IT TWICE. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *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
2EA02006 · Windshield Wiper Failure
Opened May 31, 2002 · Closed Jul 23, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THE PRECEDINGINVESTIGATION, RQ99-003, GM HAS EXPANDED THE POPULATION OF SAFETY RECALL 98V-150 (REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL MODULE) TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 1.77 MILLION VEHICLES.INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS 1994-1997 MY M/L VANS, S/T TRUCKS AND SUVS, & C/K TRUCKS AND SUVS.SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR DETAILS.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THE PRECEDINGINVESTIGATION, RQ99-003, GM HAS EXPANDED THE POPULATION OF SAFETY RECALL 98V-150 (REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL MODULE) TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 1.77 MILLION VEHICLES.INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS 1994-1997 MY M/L VANS, S/T TRUCKS AND SUVS, & C/K TRUCKS AND SUVS.SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR DETAILS.
Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THE PRECEDINGINVESTIGATION, RQ99-003, GM HAS EXPANDED THE POPULATION OF SAFETY RECALL 98V-150 (REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL MODULE) TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 1.77 MILLION VEHICLES.INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS 1994-1997 MY M/L VANS, S/T TRUCKS AND SUVS, & C/K TRUCKS AND SUVS.SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR DETAILS.
PE98060 · Erratic Steering Boost While Driving
Opened Nov 13, 1998 · Closed May 12, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
ALLEGED THAT THE VARIABLE EFFORT STEERING UNIT INTERMITTENTLY PROVIDES FULL BOOST TOT HE POWER STEERING GEAR AT MODERATE TO HIGH SPEEDS.
Illustration