IllustrationELECTRICAL FIRE STARTED IN DRIVERS DOOR, POSSIBLY LOCATED AT ELECTRICAL MIRROR SWITCH, CLAIM 53-C814-263. *SLC
1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 525.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado 1500 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
60–25K
1725–50K
2850–75K
3975–100K
35100–150K
22150K+
147 reports with mileage · 408 unknown
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.
- Steering. Review the 140 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 123 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 75 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
29 crash reports13 fire reports13 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
28 reportsTRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON CONSUMER WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING.*AK BEARING SPLINTERED, CAUSING METAL PIECES INTO TRANSMISSION OIL, THE REACTION CARRIER, OVERRUNNING CLUTCH, CLUTCH SUPPORT, OVER CLUTCH RACE, AND TORQUE CONVERTER ALL FAILED. LEFT REAR DOOR PANEL BAD, RATTLE IN SIDE DOOR, REAR SIDE DOOR REPAIRED, RIGHT SIDE DOORS TRI…
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TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON CONSUMER WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING.*AK BEARING SPLINTERED, CAUSING METAL PIECES INTO TRANSMISSION OIL, THE REACTION CARRIER, OVERRUNNING CLUTCH, CLUTCH SUPPORT, OVER CLUTCH RACE, AND TORQUE CONVERTER ALL FAILED. LEFT REAR DOOR PANEL BAD, RATTLE IN SIDE DOOR, REAR SIDE DOOR REPAIRED, RIGHT SIDE DOORS TRIM PANELS BECOME LOOSE, DOOR PANLES REPLACED, SIDE DOOR PANEL RATTLES. VEHICLE HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, REAR TAIL LIGHTS NOT AT SAME HEIGHT, LEFT WINDOW SWITCH REPLACED, DOORS LOCKED WITH KEYS IN VEHICLE, INTERIOR LIGHTS COME ON WHILE DRIVING, BATTERY FAILED FIVE TIMES, ANTITHEFT LIGHT ON RADIO CAUSING IT NOT TO WORK. AIR CONDITIONER WAS BLOWING HOT AIR AND VENT WOULD NOT ADJUST FROM SIDE TO SIDE. WINDOWS KEPT GETTING STUCK. AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. POWER STEERING WAS NOISY, DEALER REPAIRED POWER STEERING, POWER STEERING BECAME NOISY AGAIN. REAR SHOES WERE REPLACED. SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *SLC
FUEL PUMP FAILED REPLACED AT MY COST BY DEALER.COOLANT HOSE FROM INTAKE TO HEATER FAILED COMMON PROBLEM ALTERNATOR REPLACED AT MY COSTED AT MY COST,COMMON PROBLEM. INTATE LEAK(COOLANT) NOT YET REPAIRED. MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR REPLACED AT MY COST,PART ONLY AVAILABLE FROM GM.
WIRES INSIDE FUEL TANK OVERHEATED AND MELTED, INCLUDING SOME OF PLASTIC PARTS. 0DI 717119, EXPLAINED EXACT PROBLEM. *AK
ENGINE COMPONENT'S PLASTIC CASING THAT SURROUNDED COMPUTER WAS FILLED WITH FUEL. VEHICLE HAD SHUT OFF AT LEAST ONCE. BEEN TO DEALER & MECHANIC RAN DIAGNOSTIC TEST. ALSO WIRES WERE CHECKED. INFORMED CONSUMER THAT SOME OF THE COMPONENTS WEERE BAD. VEHICLE WAS REDIAGNOSED & NOTHING WORKED. MECHANIC FINALLY DECIDED TO CHECK COMPU…
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ENGINE COMPONENT'S PLASTIC CASING THAT SURROUNDED COMPUTER WAS FILLED WITH FUEL. VEHICLE HAD SHUT OFF AT LEAST ONCE. BEEN TO DEALER & MECHANIC RAN DIAGNOSTIC TEST. ALSO WIRES WERE CHECKED. INFORMED CONSUMER THAT SOME OF THE COMPONENTS WEERE BAD. VEHICLE WAS REDIAGNOSED & NOTHING WORKED. MECHANIC FINALLY DECIDED TO CHECK COMPUTER. IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
CONNECTION IN WIRING HARNESS CAME LOOSE AND STARTED TO MELT. CONSUMER SAID THAT THIS WIRE IS WITHIN THE GAS TANK, AND COULD POSSIBLY EXPLODE. *AK
WHEN THE TRUCK WAS BOUGHT WE TOLD THE SELLER OF THE PROBLEMS HE SAID THEY WOULD BE FIXED. THEY DIDN'T GET IT, A WEEK LATER IT STARTED TO LOSE CHARGE OF BATTERY I NOTICED THERE WAS AICD ON THE BOTTOM SO I REPLACED IT THATS WHEN IT ALL STARTED, I 'VE HAD IT IN THE SHOP 5X'S. IT HAS HAD 2 ALTERNATORS, 2 BATTERIES, IN THE LAST 3 1/…
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WHEN THE TRUCK WAS BOUGHT WE TOLD THE SELLER OF THE PROBLEMS HE SAID THEY WOULD BE FIXED. THEY DIDN'T GET IT, A WEEK LATER IT STARTED TO LOSE CHARGE OF BATTERY I NOTICED THERE WAS AICD ON THE BOTTOM SO I REPLACED IT THATS WHEN IT ALL STARTED, I 'VE HAD IT IN THE SHOP 5X'S. IT HAS HAD 2 ALTERNATORS, 2 BATTERIES, IN THE LAST 3 1/2 MONTHS
BATTERY LEAKING ACID ON TOP OF THE BRAKE HOSE, CAUSING A LOSS OF BRAKES. *AK
THE ELECTRICAL WIRING TO THE FUSE BOX FAILED RESULTING IN FIRE. NLM
FUEL TANK MELTED DUE TO WIRE BEING EXPOSED TO THE CONNECTOR WHICH IGNITED A FIRE. *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.