IllustrationWHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 55MPH STARTED TO RAIN AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS DIDN'T WORK. CONTACTED 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 reportsPOWER STEERING CONTINUALLY OVER CORRECTS/ASSISTS. THE STEERING WILL SUDDENLY JUMP DURING TURNS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS NUMEROUS TIMES. THE STEERING FEELS AS THOUGH IT IS TRYING TO OVER ASSIST DURING TURNS (BOTH GRADUAL AND TIGHT TURNS).
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED IF STEERING WHEEL IS MOVED VEHICLE WILL GO INTO THE NEXT LANE. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AND SLIGHTLY MOVING STEERING WHEEL, VEHICLE STEERS BY ITSELF, WILL CHANGE LANES, WHEN WHEEL IS TURNED 1/4 INCH. DEALER CONTACTED AND IS AWARE, BUT NO RECALLS OR KNOWLEDGE OF PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
INTERMITTENT AND UNPREDICTABLE STEERING LOSS. VEHICLE DARTS. DEALER HAS REPLACED SENSOR 3 TIMES. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, DEALER REFUSES FURTHER REPAIRS.
INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE EXPERIENCES UNCONTROLLABLE STEERING MOVEMENT. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.
WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED PEDAL BECAME HARD, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, AND CAUSING A COLLISION. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT. *AK
BOUGHT NEW, PULLED 26FT TRAILER TO ALASKA AND BACK, NO PROBLEMS. 6000+- MILES AFTER GETTING HOME REAREND STARTER MAKING NOISE, NO TRAILER PULLING. REAREND OVERHAUL. LEFT FOR MICHIGAN ON FAMILY REUNION, GOT THERE AND STARTED HOME, BLEW REAREND EFFANLIHAMM,IL OVERHAULER AND 760 MILES LATER REAREND GREASE COVERED TRAILER AND ALMOST…
Read full complaint
BOUGHT NEW, PULLED 26FT TRAILER TO ALASKA AND BACK, NO PROBLEMS. 6000+- MILES AFTER GETTING HOME REAREND STARTER MAKING NOISE, NO TRAILER PULLING. REAREND OVERHAUL. LEFT FOR MICHIGAN ON FAMILY REUNION, GOT THERE AND STARTED HOME, BLEW REAREND EFFANLIHAMM,IL OVERHAULER AND 760 MILES LATER REAREND GREASE COVERED TRAILER AND ALMOST FIRE, SMOKING BAD, NEW REAREND ASSEMBLE ORDERED FROM CANADA, INSTALLED AND 711 MILES LATER NOISEY BAD. LAST NEW ASSEMBLE NOISEY NOW , #5 FOR TRUCK. DEALER SAYS NOT PULL TRAILER AND WILL HAVE NO PROBLEM. TOWING PACKAGE 350FI,373 REAREND, TRUCK DON'T KNOW TRAILER BACK THERE, ALTERNATOR WENT OUT IN ENNIS AND LEFT STRANDED IN MIDDLE I45 AND WIFE AND KIDS SCARED TO LEAVE TOWN IN TRUCK. CHEVY WON'T OR CAN'T FIX, JUST PUT ANOTHER REAREND IN TO GET ME OUT OF THE WAY. ALLMOST GOT WHOLE FAMILY AND YORKIE DOG WIPED OUT ON I45 STOPPAGE. DEAD IN ROAD. ***AT 35.000 MILES TOOK BACK TO RON CARTER AND SAID PLEASE TAKE NOISE OUT OF TRUCK SO I CAN SELL. LEFT SET ON LOT FOR 3 SAYS AND SAID DAMAGED RONN
WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES, THE SYSTEM PULSATED AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE OCCURRED, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK *ML
WHILE DRIVING AT 5MPH POWER STEERING WENT OUT WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. *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.