THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY CONTAINED WITHIN THE GAS TANK SHORTED OUT AND MELTED WIRING ASSOCIATED WITH THE ASSEMBLY. *JB
1997 GMC Sierra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Sierra years
Owner complaints for the 1997 GMC Sierra are substantially higher than the model-year median of 53.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sierra 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: 49 of 238 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Fuel System, Gasoline complaints
9 reportsTHE FUEL PUMP AND THE FUEL SENDING MODULE ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY, DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED . TS THE SENDER HARNESS SHORTED OUT INSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK. *JG
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WILL JUST STALL OUT , WHICH IS CAUSED BY A MALFUNCTION WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM. SMALL PIECES OF METAL IN THE FUEL WILL GET INTO THE FUEL PUMP AND MESS UP THE FLOW. HAD PUMP REPLACE BUT PROBLEM REOCCURED. NLMJLG
ENGINE WOULD STALL DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT FUEL SENDING UNIT HAD FAILED, RESULTING IN STALLING. WHEN DEALERSHIP EXAMINED FUEL SYSTEM NOTICED THAT CONTACT WIRES FOR FUEL PUMP LOCATED IN FUEL TANK WERE CHARRED, AND INSULATION FOR WIRES MELTED. PLEASE PROVIDE…
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ENGINE WOULD STALL DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT FUEL SENDING UNIT HAD FAILED, RESULTING IN STALLING. WHEN DEALERSHIP EXAMINED FUEL SYSTEM NOTICED THAT CONTACT WIRES FOR FUEL PUMP LOCATED IN FUEL TANK WERE CHARRED, AND INSULATION FOR WIRES MELTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*AK
I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK NEW, AND AT APPROXIMATELY 23,000 I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT AROUND 55MPH WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED. IT DID NOT SPUTTER OR KNOCK, IT JUST QUIT, ALL THE GAUGES, ENGINE QUIT INSTANTLY. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE KEY OFF, AND THEN RE-STARTED THE ENGINE. MOTOR STARTED WITHOUT HESITATIO…
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I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK NEW, AND AT APPROXIMATELY 23,000 I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT AROUND 55MPH WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED. IT DID NOT SPUTTER OR KNOCK, IT JUST QUIT, ALL THE GAUGES, ENGINE QUIT INSTANTLY. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE KEY OFF, AND THEN RE-STARTED THE ENGINE. MOTOR STARTED WITHOUT HESITATION, AND I PROCEEDED DOWN THE ROAD. TWO DAYS LATER, WITH LOTS OF DRIVING TIME IN BETWEEN, THE SAME THING HAPPENED. IT DIED, I PULLED OVER, TURNED OF IGNITION, AND RE-STARTED THE MOTOR, AND AGAIN THE MOTOR STARTED WITHOUT HESITATION. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER, I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT THE SAME SPEED AND AGAIN THE SAME THING, EXCEPT THIS TIME THE MOTOR WOULD NOT RE-START. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED. IT WAS REPLACED AND I HAD NO PROBLEMS UNTIL ABOUT A MONTH AGO, APPROXIMATLEY 05/15/2001, MY VEHICLE STARTED TO BEHAVE IN THE SAME WAY. WHILE TURNING LEFT AT AN INTERSECTION, THE VEHICLE DIED, AND I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF ONCOMING TRAFFICE THAT WAS APPROACHING. I RE-STARTED THE ENGINE AND PROCEEDED TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THIS HAS OCCURED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS, WITH THE MOST RECENT EVENT OCCURING YESTERDAY, 07222001, IN WHICH I WAS ALMOST "T-BONED" AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED. I HAVE KEPT THE FUEL FILTER CHANGED AND I NOT USE THE SAME GAS STATION CONSITANTLY. THE FUEL PUMP HAS ALWAYS MADE A LOUD BUZZING NOISE, EVEN THE FIRST PUMP THAT WAS REPLACED AT THE DEALERSHIP MADE THIS SAME NOISE. I UNDERSTAND THAT GMC RE-DESIGNED THIS PUMP FOR THIS 1997 MODEL. WHAT REALY GOT ME INTERESTED IN THIS PROBLEM, IS NOT ONLY THE FACT THAT I HAVE HAD SOME CLOSE CALLS WITH ALMOST BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, BUT ONE OF MY CO-WORKERS IS HAVING THE SAME APPARANT PROBLEM WITH HER "1997 GMC JIMMY." IT HAS THE SAME VORTEC V6 ENGINE AS MY TRUCK. THE DELEARSHIPT STATED THEY CAN NOT ID THE PROBLEM, UNLESS IT "RUNS A CODE, OR FAILS WHILE THEY HAVE IT. THANKS.*AK
I FOUND 29 PAGES OF THE SAME PROBLEMS ON NET LEMON LAW. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK
STOPPED WHILE OUT OF THE CITY ON THE ROAD AND IT WOULD NOT START. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP.
FUEL PUMP CAUGHT ON FIRE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
BRAKES EXPERIENCE INTERMITTENT FAILURES, UNABLE TO IDENTIFY PROBLEM.
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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