IllustrationAUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION/ OVERDRIVE MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING AN ABRUPT FORWARD JUMP FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *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
What owners actually said
238 reportsBOTH REAR WHEEL BRAKE CYLINDERS LEAKING. NLM
WHILE SITTING AT A STOP SIGN, THE SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED CAUSING TEMPORARY HEARING AND SIGHT IMPAIRMENT. *AK
STEERIG ERRATIC FEELS LIKE I'M DRIVING ON ICE\MOSTLY ON CORNERS. *AK
SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER BROKE, CAUSING ENGINE PROBLEMS, AND MAY CAUSE A VEHICLE CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
IF VEHICLE IS PARKED OVERNIGHT IN A RAIN STORM THE BRAKES DO NOT RESPOND IN THE MORNING, AND VEHICLE WILL KEEP ROLLING WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS APPLIED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
ABS BRAKES WOULD LOCK UP WHEN APPLIED DURING RAINY WEATHER OR HEAVY DEW ON THE GROUND. BRAKES GOT WORSE. TOOK TO DEALER 5-6 TIMES. PROBLEM NOT DUPLICATED. *AK
CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE LEFT REAR WHEEL LOCK UP ONLY IN WET CONDITION; DEALER NOTIFIED AND SOME REPAIR WAS MADE, BUT CONSUMER BELIEVED THIS CONDITION SHOULD BE LOOK INTO BEFORE SOMEONE GET HURT. SEEKING NHSTA FOR HELP IN THIS MATTER.
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…
Read full complaint
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!!!
WHILE DRIVING STEERING INTERMITTENTLY GETS DIFFICULT AND THEN GETS EASY AGAIN. *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.