IllustrationTWO TIRES BLEW THREE HOURS APART CAUSING ALMOST $4000 DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK. ACCORDING TO THE TIRE TECH, THE THIRD TIRE WAS NOT FAR FROM BLOWING OUT.*AK (DOT NUMBER: CHW8 TIRESIZE: 265/75/16)
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.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →238Owner complaints
Model-year median: 53
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
1997 GMC Sierra
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 238 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 63 reports
- Steering: 63 reports
- Power Train: 28 reports
- Visibility: 24 reports
- Engine And Engine Cooling: 15 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sierra years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure 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
Tires complaints
9 reportsAFTER MARKET TIRE DAYTON TIMBERLINE AT TIRE 31X10.5R15 SIZE DOT#: VD60TAT319. TREAD ON REAR PASSENGER'S TIRE SEPARATED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. FIRESTONE HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK *JB
GENERAL AMERI 550 AS TIRE (P225 75 R16) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. *SLC
TIRES HAVE POOR TRACTION WHEN ON WET SURFACE COMPARED TO BFG OR GENERAL TIRES. (DOT NUMBER: BM05324-1 TIRESIZE: 245/75R16)
WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT THE TIRES, THEY RUB AGAINST THE A FRAME. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK
GOODYEAR TIRE FAILURE.
ROCK PUNCTURED GOODYEAR TIRE. (P26575R16)
ORIGINAL TIRES ARE 4-PLY, WHICH ARE INSUFFICIENT FOR THE OFF ROAD VEHICLE RESULTING IN PREMATURE TIRE FAILURE.
THREE OF THE FOUR TIRES HAVE FAILED DUE TO INSUFFICIENT SIZE OF TIRE ON AUTOMOBILE.(GOODYEAR WRANGLER RT/S) P265-75R16.
Recall campaigns
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 ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.