1997 GMC Sierra

DT: 1997 GMC SIERRA C1500 PICK UP TRUCK - THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT STEERING AND BRAKE PROBLEMS. TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE GMC SHOP AND THEY SAID THAT THE STEERING BOX WORE OUT, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT HAD PLAY IN THE WHEEL. IT HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED AS OF YET. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONSUMER WAS NOT APPROACHING A STOP, BUT WAS COMING UP ONTO A BIG TRUCK, WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND HAD NO BRAKES. THE BRAKES WERE REPAIRED WITH ALL NEW BRAKE LINES, BUT THEY WERE STILL MAKING NOISE AND ID NOT FEEL RIGHT. THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE. *AK

I HAVE BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL JERKING TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WHEN MAKING A SLIGHT TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. IT CAUSES ME TO OVERCORRECT MY STEERING. IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE IN THE LAST YEAR. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE STEERING GETS VERY LOOSE. I FEEL THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GM SHOULD CORRECT, AS MINE IS FAR FROM THE ONLY TRUCK WITH THIS PROBLEM.*AK

I TOOK MY 1997 GMC SIERRA TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL RECALLS INVOLVING THIS VEHICLE. BUT THE DEALER SAID ALL THE RECALLS PERTAIN TO THE 1999-2004 MODELS NOT MINE - BUT I AM HAVING THE IDENTICAL PROBLEMS - DRIVE SHAFT, AND BRAKES - MY BRAKES LOCK UP - CREATE LOTS OF NOISE, CALIPHER DAMAGE, ETC. I BELIEVE THAT THE RECALLS FOR THE NEWER VEHICLES SHOULD APPLY TO MINE AS WELL. THE VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WHEN THE BRAKES DECIDE NOT TO WORK. MY WIFE DRIVES THE TRUCK AND I AM CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY.*AK

I BOUGHT A 1997 GMC SIERRA IN 1999. THE PROBLEM I'M HAVING WITH IT, AND SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, IS ON OCCASION, WHEN I MAKE A TURN, EITHER TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT, THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE STEERING COMPLETELY. THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL IS FINE. IT ONLY DOES THIS FOR A MINUTE PORTION OF A SECOND, AND THEN RETURNS TO NORMAL.*LA

GOING DOWN THE ROAD ALL AT ONCE YOU WILL LOOSE CONTROL OF YOUR STEERING WHEEL. IT IS LIKE YOU HAVE NO WAY TO TURN OR ANYTHING. IT WILL TAKE A LITTLE BIT FOR YOU TO HAVE CONTROL OF YOU PICKUP AGAIN. THIS COULD BE REAL DANGEROUS IF YOU WERE TO HIT SOME ICE OR RAIN SLICK ROADS AND ALL AT ONCE YOU COULDN'T CONTROL YOUR PICKUP. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM IN THESE LATE MODEL PICKUPS AND GM HAS MADE NO RECALLS ON THIS. IT IS 1996 THREW 1999 THAT THE TROUBLE IS IN. THERE IS A SENSOR IN THE POWER STEERING THAT TELLS IT WHAT TO DO. THERE WAS A LADY IN THE SAME TIME I WAS IN GETTING HER PICKUP FIXED ON A RECALL ON THE WIPERS AND I ASKED HER IF SHE HAD EVER HAD ANY TROUBLE LIKE THAT. SHE SAID YES IT CAUSED HER TO GO INTO THE DITCH BEFORE SHE KNEW WHAT HAPPENED. SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG. SO THEY HAD TO REPLACE HER SENSOR ALSO. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED.

THE ENGINE ROD BEARINGS STARTED MAKING NOISE AT 80,000 MILES. THE NOISE PROGRESSIVLY GOT WORSE SO I WAS ADVISED TO RUN A 15W-40 OIL AND RUN THE MOTOR TO FAILURE. GM GAVE ME A PRICE OF $2500 FOR ENGINE REPLACEMENT SAYING IT WOULD BE VERY COSTLY TO JUST REPLACE ROD BEARINGS AND THE WARRANTY ON THE NEW MOTOR WAS BETTER. AS FAR AS THE STEERING PROBLEM, THE TRUCK STARTED TO UNDER-STEER AT ABOUT 4500 MILES. AS YOU ENTER A TURN (LEFT OR RIGHT) SOMETIMES THE TRUCK JUST DIVES IN THAT DIRCTION AND YOU MUST COMPENSATE IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. IT HAS GOTTEN SO BAD THAT I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO DRIVES THE TRUCK. A FRIEND OF MINE HAS A 97 CHEVY TRUCK AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, HE HAD IT REPAIRED FOR THE SUM OF $1000.