IllustrationHEAD GASKET FAILED ALLOWING COOLANT TO ENTER TOP END OF ENGINE. LIFTERS COLLAPSED AND ALL WERE REPLACED. EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERED $1500. COST. "WE'VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THAT ENGINE." (SERVICE DEALER).*AK
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
What owners actually said
555 reportsTHE PICKUP'S IDLE WOULD VARY FROM FULL THROTTLE TO BARELY STAY RUNNING WHILE IN PARK. WOULD ALSO GO INTO FULL THROTTLE WHILE DRIVING, THEN ATTEMPT TO DIE. TOOK TO A MECHANIC, CHANGED THE FULL FILTER, STILL DIDN'T CORRECT THE PROBLEM; HE PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER FOR ANALYSIS SHOWED IT WAS THE THROTTLE SENSOR, THAT WAS REPLACED AND …
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THE PICKUP'S IDLE WOULD VARY FROM FULL THROTTLE TO BARELY STAY RUNNING WHILE IN PARK. WOULD ALSO GO INTO FULL THROTTLE WHILE DRIVING, THEN ATTEMPT TO DIE. TOOK TO A MECHANIC, CHANGED THE FULL FILTER, STILL DIDN'T CORRECT THE PROBLEM; HE PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER FOR ANALYSIS SHOWED IT WAS THE THROTTLE SENSOR, THAT WAS REPLACED AND IT STILL DOES IT.
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A WINDSHIELD WIPER PROBLEM. THEY WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THIS PROBLEM WAS SERVICED BY THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
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
WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK RECALL# 03V159000 WAS ISSUED BUT THE CONSUMER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. WHICH AT THE TIME THE WIPERS DID NOT FAIL. THE CURRENT PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. (CK1500/MODEL) *SC *JB
WHEN DRIVING WITH OVERDRIVE ON CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE OVERDRIVE SWITCHED TO DRIVE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION FAILED. *AK
1997 CHEVROLET 1500 FUEL PUMP.*MR WIRING BURNED INSIDE THE FUEL TANK GOING TO THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL GAUGE SENDING UNIT. THE WIRES WERE BURNED SO IT MELTED THE INSULATION AND THE WIRING CONNECTORS. *JB
WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED. RECALL 03V159000 WAS ISSUED. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK
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
MASSIVE SUDDEN FAILURE OF WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM DUE TO CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE WIPER MOTOR CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. DEALER REFUSED TO CORRECT THE DANGEROUS SITUATION AT NO CHARGE. CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER DOCUMENTED THEIR DENIAL OF RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR THE SITUATION IN MY CASE FILE NUMBER 1-218373806, …
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MASSIVE SUDDEN FAILURE OF WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM DUE TO CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE WIPER MOTOR CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. DEALER REFUSED TO CORRECT THE DANGEROUS SITUATION AT NO CHARGE. CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER DOCUMENTED THEIR DENIAL OF RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR THE SITUATION IN MY CASE FILE NUMBER 1-218373806, FILED BY LATOSHA CULPEPPER ON 5/18/2004.*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.