IllustrationTHERE IS A HARD SHIFT BETWEEN 1 AND 2 GEARS AFTER DRIVING SEVERAL MILES.*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 reportsFAILURE OF TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLE ON MY 1997 GMC SIERRA SHORT BED PICK-UP. VEHICLE WAS PRIMARILY USED FOR TRANSPORTATION TO WORK AND HOME. CARGO IS VERY RARELY TRANSPORTED, BUT ON THE DAY OF THE FAILURE SEVERAL DOZEN 2X4S WERE TRANSPORTED LESS THAN 3 MILES WITH THE TAILGATE DOWN. THE LEFT SIDE CABLE SUPPORT BROKE DURING TRANS…
Read full complaint
FAILURE OF TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLE ON MY 1997 GMC SIERRA SHORT BED PICK-UP. VEHICLE WAS PRIMARILY USED FOR TRANSPORTATION TO WORK AND HOME. CARGO IS VERY RARELY TRANSPORTED, BUT ON THE DAY OF THE FAILURE SEVERAL DOZEN 2X4S WERE TRANSPORTED LESS THAN 3 MILES WITH THE TAILGATE DOWN. THE LEFT SIDE CABLE SUPPORT BROKE DURING TRANSPORT. THE LOAD WAS NOT LOST IN THE ROADWAY BECAUSE THE RIGHT SIDE REMAINED INTACT. TAILGATE IS NO LONGER USED TO SUPPORT ANY LOAD DUE TO FEAR OF FAILURE ,AND REMAINED UPRIGHT AND LATCHED. NO REPLACEMENT PART HAS BEEN LOCATED.*AK
FAULTY WINDSHIELD WASHER MODULE. REPAIRED PAR BUT IT WAS NOT APART OF THE RECALL DUE TO VIN NUMBER. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING FOR 5 OR MORE SECONDS. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A RESULT OF A FAULTY WINDSHIELD WASHER MODULE *TC *JB
WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. *AK THE CONSUMER HAD THE WIPER MODULE REPLACED BECAUSE HIS VEHICLE DID NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL. *TC
WHILE DRIVING IN A RAIN STORM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT WORK. THEY WORKED FINE AS LONG AS IT WAS NOT RAINING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. *AK *SC
WHEN BRAKING, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT GO TO THE FLOOR. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB
THE BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED AND LEAKED FLUID. *JB
WHEN RAINING WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOP WORKING, IT HAS HAPPENED TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT. IT STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. VIN # IS NOT INCLUDED IN PRESENT RECALL. YOUR AFRAID TO DRIVE ANYWHERE WHEN RAIN IS POSSIBLE.*AK
I HAD LOADED SOME LUMBER INTO THE BACK OF THE TRUCK AND THE TAILGATE CABLE SNAPPED. IT HAD RUSTED INSIDE OF THE PLASTIC BARRIER. THE LUMBER SLID OUT OF THE TRUCK WHILE TRAVELING. NO ONE WAS INJURED. I CONTACTED GMC, AND THEY SAID THEIR WAS NO RECALL ON THAT PROBLEM. I WILL HAVE TO PURCHASE ANOTHER CABLE FOR THE TAILGATE.*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.