THE STEERING SYSTEM WORKS INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING THE WHEEL TO FEEL"LOOSE" WHICH MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL. *YC
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.
What owners actually said
238 reportsWHEN TURNING CORNERS EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT, STEERING WHEEL WILL JERK, POSSIBLY CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK
STEEL CABLE ON TAILATE BROKE FROM BOTH SIDES AT THE SAME TIME, CAUSING IT TO FALL ON TOP OF CONSUMER. *AK
WHEN GEARS ARE SHIFTED FROM FIRST TO SECOND VEHICLE JERKS, AS IF BEING REAR ENDED. DEALER SAYS THERE IS A BAD VALVE BODY IN TRANSMISSION. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE 3 TIMES. NO SOLUTION FOUND. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AT APPOXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE ABS SYSTEM WOULD LOCK UP FOR NO REASON WHEN HITTING A BUMP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLID WHICH RESULTS IN LOSS OF CONTROL. MECHANICS CANNOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM. *YC
I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK IN JANUARY 1998. 2 WEEKS LATER IT WAS IN THE SHOP. THIS PATTERN CONTINUED EACH TIME. THE COMPLAINT WAS CONCERNING TRANSMISSION. BUT EACH TIME THEY WOULD REPLACE SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD. THE TRUCK WAS IN THE SHOP FOR OVER 50 DAYS IN A YEARS TIME. ON OCTOBER 4, 1999 I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK WHEN THE TRUCK G…
Read full complaint
I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK IN JANUARY 1998. 2 WEEKS LATER IT WAS IN THE SHOP. THIS PATTERN CONTINUED EACH TIME. THE COMPLAINT WAS CONCERNING TRANSMISSION. BUT EACH TIME THEY WOULD REPLACE SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD. THE TRUCK WAS IN THE SHOP FOR OVER 50 DAYS IN A YEARS TIME. ON OCTOBER 4, 1999 I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK WHEN THE TRUCK GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, JAMMED IN 1ST GEAR. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED. IT TOOK THE DEALER 10 DAYS TO MAKE A DECISION ON REPAIRING THE TRUCK. THEY WERE WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, AND IT IS STILL A MAJOR HASSLE TO GET IT REPAIRED. CONTACTED GM AND HAD TO HAVE THEM INTERVENE. HAD THEY OF FIXED THE TRUCK THE PRIOR 5 TIMES IT WAS IN FOR REPAIR THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. THEY CONTINUALLY DENIED PROBLEMS EXISTED WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A VORTEX TRUCK I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE OTHER EXISTING PROBLEMS WITH THIS YEAR OF TRUCK AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. BUT I HAD PROBLEMS WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK AFTER PURCHASE AND EACH AND EVERY TIME THEY WOULD REPAIR SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD OF FIXING THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANNY WAS IN PIECES WHEN IT ARRIVED TO THE DEALER FROM THE TOW TRUCK. THEY STILL DID NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. THEY WERE TRYING TO FORCE ME TO PAY A PART OF THIS REPAIR. THEY WERE VERY RUID AND INCOOPERATIVE ABOUT THE WHOLE DEAL. A TOTAL OF 16 DAYS THEY HAD THE TRUCK THIS TIME. IN OCTOBER OF 98 THEY HAD THE TRUCK FOR 19 DAYS AND STILL COULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. EACH TIME I WOULD GET THE TRUCK BACK THEY WOULD SHOW SOME REPAIR FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN MY COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE TRANSMISSION. EACH REPORT REFLECTED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TRUCK NO SHIFTING INTO GEAR FROM 1ST TO 2ND. THEY GAVE ME A BLOW OFF MEMO FROM GM. STATING THE WHNINING NOISE FROM THIS TRANSMISSION WAS NORMAL. HOWEVER, THEY FAILED TO REALIZE THEIR MEMO RELFECTED PROBLEMS FROM PARK TO GEAR AND FROM N TO REVERSE. MY TRUCK WOULD FAIL TO SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND AND IT WOULD WHINE. AND IT WOULD CLUNK AND STILL THEY DIDN'T FIX IT. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED, FRON WHEEL STEERING FRONT SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED, ALLOWING WRONG SIGNALS INTO STEERING. WHEN GOING AROUND A CURB OR CORNER THE STEERING LOOSENS UP. *AK
BACK BRAKES ARE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, CAUSING THE FRONT BRAKES TO WEAR OUT EXCESSIVELY. THE FRONT BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
BRAKE SYSTEM DOES NOT RESPOND VERY QUICKLY/FADING. MJS
WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN VEHICLE SEVERELY PULLS TO THE RIGHT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
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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