IllustrationABS WOULD ENGAGE AT LOW SPEED. VEHICLE BEEN TO DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*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 reportsWHEN COMING TO A STOP, VEHICLE WILL SLAM INTO THE STOP WITH A LOT OF FORCE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE BRAKES FEEL LIKE STEPPING ON AN EGG, ONLY HAPPENS DURING SLOW SPEEDS. *SLC
WHEN TURNING TO LEFT VEHICLE OVERSTEERS. DEALER STATED THEAT POSITIONING SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK
WHILE DRIVING THE BATTERY CABLE WIRES BECAME HOT AND THE WIRES MELTED. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *SCC *NLM
WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 10MPH ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM BEGINS TO "PULSATE" AS IF VEHICLE IS GOING THROUGH A SKID.*AKI
CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH 2 SIDE VIEW MIRRORS, BOTH MIRRORS BLOW TOWARD THE VEHICLE WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.*JB
THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC WHO INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THERE IS A HORN RING UNDER THE AIR BAG IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT HAS TWO WIRES. MOST LIKELY ONE OF THE TWO IS BROKEN WHICH CAUSES THE LIGHT TO STAY ON. HE ALSO STATED TO CONSUMER THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE TRUCKS. …
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THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC WHO INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THERE IS A HORN RING UNDER THE AIR BAG IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT HAS TWO WIRES. MOST LIKELY ONE OF THE TWO IS BROKEN WHICH CAUSES THE LIGHT TO STAY ON. HE ALSO STATED TO CONSUMER THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE TRUCKS. CONSUMER HAD THE PART REPLACED AND HAD TO TAKE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO CLEAR THE COMPUTER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE CONTROL MODULE WAS FRIEDBECAUSE THE WIRES SHORTED OUT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. *JG
STEERING WHEEL IS ERRATIC, WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL VEHICLE WILL JERK.*AK
ON 7/9/02 THE TRUCK WOULD NOT START. HAD IT TOWED TO THE SHOP. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE WIRES THAT ATTATCH TO THE FUEL PUMP, WHICH IS INSIDE THE GAS TANK, WERE SHORTED OUT. THERE IS VISIBLE MELTING AND CORRODING OF THE CONNECTORS. CONSIDERING THAT THE WHOLE DEVICE, PLUS THE WIRING IS INSIDE THE FUEL TANK, AND SINCE THERE WAS A SHO…
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ON 7/9/02 THE TRUCK WOULD NOT START. HAD IT TOWED TO THE SHOP. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE WIRES THAT ATTATCH TO THE FUEL PUMP, WHICH IS INSIDE THE GAS TANK, WERE SHORTED OUT. THERE IS VISIBLE MELTING AND CORRODING OF THE CONNECTORS. CONSIDERING THAT THE WHOLE DEVICE, PLUS THE WIRING IS INSIDE THE FUEL TANK, AND SINCE THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE WIRING, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS FIRE OR EXPLOSION. THIS TRUCK WAS A BOMB WAITING TO BLOW UP. UPON SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I HAVE FOUND MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE GM FUEL PUMPS FAILING AND THE WIRING SHORTING OUT. NO ONE HAS HAD ANY LUCK GETTING GM TO RECALL THE PUMPS, AND SINCE WE JUST SPENT ALMOST $500 FOR THE REPAIR, I THOUGHT I WOULD INFORM YOU OF THIS SERIOUS RISK OF INJURY. GM SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH THIS FLAW, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK
CONSUMER STATES WHILE TRAVELING AT 30 MPH THE TIRE CABLE SNAPPED AND TIRE FELL TO THE GROUND. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB
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.