IllustrationMY BRAKE LINE FAILED ABOVE THE FUEL TANK, LOST PRESSURE TO THE BRAKING SYSTEM WHICH RESULTED IN NO BRAKES. WHY WOULD CAR MANUFACTURES USE STEEL BRAKE LINES THAT CAN ROT OUT VERY QUICKLY WHEN EXPOSED TO NORMAL DRIVING ELEMENTS. *TR
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, Hydraulic complaints
63 reportsDT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS WAS UNWARRANTABLE ACTIVATING, CAUSING INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES DURING LOW SPEED BRAKE APPLICATIONS. THERE IS A RECALL REGARDING THE ABS HOWEVER THE VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THIS OCCURS EACH TIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN. THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS OCCURRENCES THAT LEAD UP TO THESE IN…
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS WAS UNWARRANTABLE ACTIVATING, CAUSING INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES DURING LOW SPEED BRAKE APPLICATIONS. THERE IS A RECALL REGARDING THE ABS HOWEVER THE VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THIS OCCURS EACH TIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN. THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS OCCURRENCES THAT LEAD UP TO THESE INCIDENCES.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ABS ENGAGED AT SPEEDS OF 10MPH AND BELOW. AS A RESULT, THE STOPPING DISTANCE WAS INCREASED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL # 05V379000 CONCERNING THE ABS. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE D…
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ABS ENGAGED AT SPEEDS OF 10MPH AND BELOW. AS A RESULT, THE STOPPING DISTANCE WAS INCREASED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL # 05V379000 CONCERNING THE ABS. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, BUT NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN COMING TO A STOP AT SPEEDS BELOW 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. EXCESSIVE PRESSURE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE ABS WHEEL SENSORS. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 05V379000, REGARDING THE ANTILOCK BRAKES. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDIC…
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN COMING TO A STOP AT SPEEDS BELOW 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. EXCESSIVE PRESSURE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE ABS WHEEL SENSORS. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 05V379000, REGARDING THE ANTILOCK BRAKES. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER, IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. UPDATED 03/22/06. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ENGAGED AT 10 MPH. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 05V379000, REGARDING THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 03/17/06. *JB
ANTILOCK BRAKES CONTINUALLY SEIZE UP AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO ROLL FORWARD AT SLOW RATES OF SPEED. EXACT SAME PROBLEM WE HAD WITH OUR 2002 CHEVY AVALANCHE THAT WAS JUST FIXED UNDER RECALL 12/05. *NM
BRAKE LINE THAT RUNS ALONG FRAME RAIL SEVERELY RUSTED AND FAILED UNDER BRAKING, CAUSING ME TO NEARLY REAR END ANOTHER CAR. I REMOVED IT FROM THE TRUCK AND TOOK IT BY THE DEALER AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THIS IS COMMON FOR A VEHICLE WITH 78,000 MILES TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. *NM
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ACTIVATES AT LOW SPEED AND THE TRUCK WILL NOT STOP. THE "BRAKE" LIGHT STAYS LIT ON THE DASHBOARD. I UNDERSTAND MANY GMC TRUCKS WERE RECALLED FOR THIS SAME EXACT PROBLEM, BUT IT BEGINS WITH TRUCKS A COUPLE OF YEARS NEWER THAN MY 1997 SIERRA TRUCK. *JB
DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 GMC SIERRA K1500 PICKUP. THE CONSUMER WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH THE ABS BRAKES AS STATED IN NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 05V379000. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE REPLACED THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AS WELL AS THE WHEEL BEARING SEVERAL TIMES, BOTH WHERE REPLACED IN LESS THAN A YEAR EAC…
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DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 GMC SIERRA K1500 PICKUP. THE CONSUMER WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH THE ABS BRAKES AS STATED IN NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 05V379000. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE REPLACED THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AS WELL AS THE WHEEL BEARING SEVERAL TIMES, BOTH WHERE REPLACED IN LESS THAN A YEAR EACH TIME. THE GM MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY SAID THAT THE CONSUMER VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL AT THIS TIME AND I SHE WOULD BE RECEIVING A RECALL LETTER. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW OTHER PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AS WELL. THE CONTACT STATED HAS BEEN HAVING THE ABS BRAKES FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS. THE ABS HAS BEEN REPLACED FIVE TIMES. SOME OF THESE REPLACEMENTS HAVE BEEN DONE UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THEY WERE WITHIN A YEAR FROM THE LAST REPLACEMENT. *AK *JB
AFTER PARKING DURING MY WORK SHIFT, I ATTEMPTED TO LEAVE WORK AT 1530. APPLYING THE BRAKE TO SHIFT INTO "DRIVE",THE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR, AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS UNABLE TO PUMP UP THE BRAKE, AND HAD TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER. IT WAS DETERMINED THE BRAKE LINE HAD ROTTED OUT. THE GAS TANK MUS…
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AFTER PARKING DURING MY WORK SHIFT, I ATTEMPTED TO LEAVE WORK AT 1530. APPLYING THE BRAKE TO SHIFT INTO "DRIVE",THE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR, AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS UNABLE TO PUMP UP THE BRAKE, AND HAD TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER. IT WAS DETERMINED THE BRAKE LINE HAD ROTTED OUT. THE GAS TANK MUST BE REMOVED TO EFFECT REPAIR. I HAD DRIVEN THE TRUCK FROM LONG ISLAND, NY TO MAYS LANDING , NJ (ABOUT 145 MILES) WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT THE DEALER TOLD ME I COULD HAVE LOST BRAKING POWER AT ANY TIME.*JB
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.