IllustrationWHILE DRIVING VEHICLE HIT A BUMP AND CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES ,IT TOOK VEHICLE LONGER TO STOP.*AK
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.
6 crash reports5 fire reports4 injury reports
Service Brakes, Air complaints
5 reportsTHE FRONT BRAKE PADS WEAR OUT WITHIN 12,000 MILES ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY DEALER THAT THESE TRUCKS HAVE THE SAME FRONT ROTOR AND CALIPERS THAT ARE ON THE BUICK LESABRA. THIS COULD EXPLAIN THE EXCESSIVE WEAR OF THE PAD DUE TO THE WEIGHT DIFFERENCE. THE STEERING ON THIS VEHICLE WILL LOCK UP AT SLOW SPEEDS AND AL…
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THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WEAR OUT WITHIN 12,000 MILES ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY DEALER THAT THESE TRUCKS HAVE THE SAME FRONT ROTOR AND CALIPERS THAT ARE ON THE BUICK LESABRA. THIS COULD EXPLAIN THE EXCESSIVE WEAR OF THE PAD DUE TO THE WEIGHT DIFFERENCE. THE STEERING ON THIS VEHICLE WILL LOCK UP AT SLOW SPEEDS AND ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO WONDER AT HIGHER SPEEDS. DEALER HAS INSPECTED FRONT END AND STATED WAS WITHIN SPECS. VEHICLE ALSO WILL PULL AT TIMES TO LEFT OR RIGHT BY SELF ON STRAIGHT HIGHWAY.
FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSORS FAILED CAUSING THE BRAKES TO LOCKUP WHILE DRIVING DOWN LOW GRADE RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE HITTING A BANK, TURNING ON IT'S SIDE AND HITTING A MAIL BOX. NLM
THIS TRUCK HAS WORN THROUGH 4 SETS OF FRONT BRAKE PADS, INCLUDING THE SET ON THE TRUCK WHEN WE PURCHASED IT. THE ORIGINAL PADS WERE REPLACED AT 8,000 MILES. THE SECOND SET REPLACED AT 15,000 MILES. THE THIRD SET AT 23,000 MILES. THIS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A VEHICLE THAT YOU'VE PAID NEARLY $30,000 FOR! WE WANT GMC FORCED TO REPU…
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THIS TRUCK HAS WORN THROUGH 4 SETS OF FRONT BRAKE PADS, INCLUDING THE SET ON THE TRUCK WHEN WE PURCHASED IT. THE ORIGINAL PADS WERE REPLACED AT 8,000 MILES. THE SECOND SET REPLACED AT 15,000 MILES. THE THIRD SET AT 23,000 MILES. THIS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A VEHICLE THAT YOU'VE PAID NEARLY $30,000 FOR! WE WANT GMC FORCED TO REPURCHASE THIS VEHICLE. THEY OBVIOUSLY ARE UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, AND I DO NOT WANT A VEHICLE THAT I AM REQUIRED TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS ON EVERY 6000 TO 8000 MILES. GMC HAS CONTINOUSLY TOLD US "TO WORK WITH THE DEALER". THAT HAS DONE US NO GOOD AT ALL. WE WANT SATISFACTION FROM GM!!!
ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAILED RESULTING IN VEHICLE ACCIDENT (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER).
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.