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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 →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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

Steering complaints

140 reports
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32,000 miles · Jul 2, 2004
Steering

STEERING SLIPPAGE PRIMARILY WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS OR GOING AROUND CURVES TO LEFT HAND SIDE. STEERING IS TIGHT AND THEN "SLIPS" CAUSING OVERSTEERING AT TIMES.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10079172

30,000 miles · Jun 2, 2004
Steering

CONSUMER STATED THAT STEERING GEAR BOX MALFUNCTIONED. WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE LEFT OR RIGHT IT FELT LIKE SOMEONE WAS JERKING THE STEERING WHEEL. IT MADE DRIVING VERY DIFFICULT. THE EVO STEERING SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10075586

80,000 miles · Apr 2, 2004
Steering

POWER STEERING SENSOR CAUSING THE STEERING TO "OVER STEER" IN CURVES. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING A SERVICE BULLETIN HAS BEEN ISSUED BY GM, HOWEVER NO RECALL, EVEN THOUGH THIS APPEARS TO CREATE A SAFETY CONCERN. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10064418

98,000 miles · Mar 18, 2004
Steering

THE POWER STEERING "GRABS", SORT OF LIKE IT OVER ASSISTS WHEN MAKING TURNS AND THEN "LETS GO" SUDDENLY CAUSING A PERSON TO OVER STEER TRYING TO CORRECT WHAT SEEMS LIKE THE VEHICLE IS GOING TO TURN TOO FAR. THIS HAPPENS WITH BOTH LEFT & RIGHT TURNS. THE TURNS CAN BE GRADUAL AND IF LONG, LIKE FREEWAY EXITS, IT DOES THIS PHENOMENON…

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THE POWER STEERING "GRABS", SORT OF LIKE IT OVER ASSISTS WHEN MAKING TURNS AND THEN "LETS GO" SUDDENLY CAUSING A PERSON TO OVER STEER TRYING TO CORRECT WHAT SEEMS LIKE THE VEHICLE IS GOING TO TURN TOO FAR. THIS HAPPENS WITH BOTH LEFT & RIGHT TURNS. THE TURNS CAN BE GRADUAL AND IF LONG, LIKE FREEWAY EXITS, IT DOES THIS PHENOMENON REPEATEDLY DURING THE TURN. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I BOUGHT IT USED IN AUG. 2000 AND I HEARD ON A LOCAL RADIO STATION THAT GM WAS GOING TO NOTIFY OWNERS IN FEB, 2004 OF THIS PROBLEM AND FIX IT FOR FREE. I HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED AS YET.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10062570

Mileage unknown · Mar 8, 2004
Fuel System, GasolineSteering

I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THIS COMPLAINT VERY CLEAR AND TO THE POINT. I HAVE BEEN VIEWING THE COMPLAINTS LOCATED ON YOUR WEBSITE AND FEEL THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT PUPOSE FOR RECALLING THESE VEHICLES. I PURCHASED A 1997 CHEVY K20 APPROX 1 1/2 YEARS AGO. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO WORK FINE UNTIL A FEW MONTHS LATER. I STARTED TO EXPER…

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I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THIS COMPLAINT VERY CLEAR AND TO THE POINT. I HAVE BEEN VIEWING THE COMPLAINTS LOCATED ON YOUR WEBSITE AND FEEL THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT PUPOSE FOR RECALLING THESE VEHICLES. I PURCHASED A 1997 CHEVY K20 APPROX 1 1/2 YEARS AGO. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO WORK FINE UNTIL A FEW MONTHS LATER. I STARTED TO EXPERIENCE SOME STEERING PROBLEMS. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF I AM DRIVING AROUND A CORNER OR STRAIGHT BUT THE STEERING WILL BECOME VERY LOOSE AND VEER INTO ONE DIRECTION ALL ON ITS OWN. THAT IS JUST ONE OF THE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH OWNING THIS VEHICLE. I NOW HAVE COME TO FIND THAT THERE IS EVEN A GREATER THREAT TO MY SAFETY AND THAT OF MY FAMILY BECAUSE I HAVE NOW BEEN INFORMED THAT MY FUEL GAUGE AND FUEL PUMP WIRES, INSIDE THE GAS TANK, MELTED INSULATION AND BURNT THE CONNECTOR. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DEADLY EXPERIENCE FOR MYSELF AND THAT OF ANYONE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE VEHICLE WITH ME IF IT WOULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE PRIOR TO MY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS INFORMATION. I FEEL THAT THE FIRST SIGN OF THIS PROBLEM IS THAT THE GAS GAUGE WILL START TO MALFUNCTION, WHICH LEAVES YOU GUESSING AT THE AMOUNT OF GAS IN THE TANK. I FEEL THIS MATTER NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION DUE TO THE FACT THAT OWNERS/DRIVERS OF VEHICLES ARE REQUIRED TO CARRY AUTO INSURANCE, HOWEVER, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NONE OF US HAS ANY CONTROLL OVER. IF WE WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE BECOMES INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, THAT WOULD SEEM SENSELESS THAT POSSIBLY SOMEONES LIFE WOULD HAVE TO END BEFORE THIS SITUATION BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. I HAVE TO DEMAND THAT SOME ACTION BE TAKEN BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE FOR SOMEONE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10060768

Mileage unknown · Feb 19, 2004
Steering

CONSUMER SAW A RECALL NOTICE ON TV CONCERNING POWER STEERING. ALTHOUGH SHE DID NOT THINK THIS VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, THE VEHICLE MANIFESTED A SIMILAR FAILURE. WHEN MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN VEHICLE CUT OFF. CONSUMER NOTICED THIS PROBLEM AROUND LOST STEERING. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE PROBLEM AROUND DECEMBER 2002 RI…

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CONSUMER SAW A RECALL NOTICE ON TV CONCERNING POWER STEERING. ALTHOUGH SHE DID NOT THINK THIS VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, THE VEHICLE MANIFESTED A SIMILAR FAILURE. WHEN MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN VEHICLE CUT OFF. CONSUMER NOTICED THIS PROBLEM AROUND LOST STEERING. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE PROBLEM AROUND DECEMBER 2002 RIGHT AFTER SHE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A POWER STEERING PUMP ACCELERATOR. THE CONSUMER HAD THIS PART PUT ON THE VEHICLE, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER AND PULL TO THE LEFT. *AK *JB

NHTSA ODI #10054104

47,000 miles · Feb 9, 2004
Steering

I OWN A 1997 CHEVY PICKUP TRUCK AND HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY STEERING. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REALLY HARD TO FIX BECAUSE IT COMES AND GOES AND IT DOES SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS. THE FIRST PROBLEM STARTED ABOUT 1 1/2 TO 2 YEARS AGO AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE TO PROBLEM YET. THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN YOU GO INTO A TU…

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I OWN A 1997 CHEVY PICKUP TRUCK AND HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY STEERING. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REALLY HARD TO FIX BECAUSE IT COMES AND GOES AND IT DOES SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS. THE FIRST PROBLEM STARTED ABOUT 1 1/2 TO 2 YEARS AGO AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE TO PROBLEM YET. THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN YOU GO INTO A TURN TO THE LEFT, YOU CAN ACTUALLY LET GO OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE WHEEL WILL NOT RETURN TO CENTER. THE TRUCK WILL ACTUALLY GO AROUND THE TURN BY ITSELF IF YOU LET GO OF THE WHEEL. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN YOU GO INTO A TURN IT FEELS LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL HAS BEEN PULLED BY SOMETHING. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS THE ONE THAT HAS ME CONCERNED BECAUSE AT TIMES IT WILL OVER STEER WITHOUT YOU ACTUALLY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAVE TWO FRIENDS WITH THE SAME YEAR MODEL AND MAKE OF TRUCK AND ALL THREE TRUCKS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN ACCIDENT AT THIS TIME AND I HAVE TALKED WITH GM ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH NO HELP FROM THEM WHAT'S SO EVER. I AM NOT SURE WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO GET HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM OTHER THAN A ACCIDENT, POSSIBLY WITH A FATALITY. REALLY WHAT I WOULD LIKE IS FOR SOMEONE TO JUST HELP WITH FINDING A FIX WITHOUT CHANGING OUT PART AND HOPING FOR A FIX WITH NO TELLING HOW MANY $$$$ LATER. AT THIS TIME I HAVE CHANGED MY STEERING BOX AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP WITHOUT FIXING THE PROBLEM. I DID CHANGE THESE OUT FROM A WRECKED TRUCK HOPING TO FIND THE PROBLEM BEFORE GOING AND BUYING A NEW PART THAT I COULD NOT RETURN. UP UNTILL THIS POINT EVERY THING THAT HAS BEEN CHANGED ON THIS TRUCK WAS FACTORY GM PARTS. THAT INCLUDES NORMAL WEAR PARTS SUCH AS BRAKE PADS, OIL FILTERS, BRAKE ROTORS, ALTENATORS (3), WINDSHEILD WIPER MOTORS (BEFORE THE RECALL), RADIATOR TANK, DOOR PINS AND BUSHINGS, DOOR HANDLE, INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKING. I KNOW ALL OF THAT IS NOT NORMAL WEAR PART BUT ONCE I STARTED I JUST COULD NOT HARDLY QUIT.

NHTSA ODI #10056845

50,000 miles · Feb 9, 2004
Steering

MY VEHICLE'S POWER STEERING WILL OVERCOMPENSATE FOR CURVES CAUSING AN UNSAFE LOSS OF STEERING. HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS AND BOTH DIRECTIONS.

NHTSA ODI #10056821

117,000 miles · Jan 26, 2004
Steering

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD TIGHTEN THEN SUDDENLY RELEASE. THIS IS DUE TO A FAILURE IN THE EVO SENOR. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL YEAR. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10055824

Mileage unknown · Jan 15, 2004
Steering

VEHICLE HAS PROBLEMS WITH STEERING CONTROL DURING SHORT OR LONG RIGHT HAND TURNS. THE WHEEL SKIPS OR MOVES ON ITS OWN TO THE RIGHT CAUSING DRIVER TO OVER CORRECT THE WHEEL. *CB

NHTSA ODI #10054216

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.