IllustrationTHERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS WHEN THE STEERING AND BRAKES HAVE GONE OUT. WE TOW A 2000 POUND TRAILER AND WE ARE WORRIED THIS WILL HAPPEN WHILE WE ARE TOWING HELP WHAT CAN WE DO? *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 reportsNO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH STEERING JERKING/PULLING VEHICLE. THE STEERING MODULE AND THREE STEERING SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL REMAINS UNSOLVED.
WHEN DRIVING AT 60 MPH TO 65 MPH, TRANMISSION SLIPS AND THERE IS A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
THE STEERING LACKS THE SELF STRAIGHTING FEATURE. WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY NOT HAVING ADAQUATE ALIGNEMET ADJUSTABILITY, IT MAKES THE TRUCK HARD TO CONTROL. *AK
THIS LOSS ORIGINATED BY WITNESS STATEMENTS FROM UNDER THE RISK IN THE AREA OF THE FUEL TANK. CONTACT JOHN AT SUPERIOR INVESTIGATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AT 727-848-3923
EVO SYSTEM FAILED AND HAD NO CONTROL OVER VEHICLE. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CROSS THE CENTER LANE OF HIGHWAY AND HIT A BLUFF, TOTALING OUT THE TRUCK.
I BOUGHT THUCK NEW AFTER TAKING PICTURE OF TRAVEL TRAILER AND OWNERS MANUEL IN TO SHOW. WENT TO ALASKA WITH TT BEHIND TRUCK WITH NO PROBLEMS, 3000 MILES LATER REAREND STARTS MAKING NOISE , RON CARTER PUT IN AXLE BEARING, 3000 MILES LATER . SAME NOISE ONLY LOUDER, RING & PINION OVERHAUL, WENT ON VACATION AND ANOTHER RING & PINION…
Read full complaint
I BOUGHT THUCK NEW AFTER TAKING PICTURE OF TRAVEL TRAILER AND OWNERS MANUEL IN TO SHOW. WENT TO ALASKA WITH TT BEHIND TRUCK WITH NO PROBLEMS, 3000 MILES LATER REAREND STARTS MAKING NOISE , RON CARTER PUT IN AXLE BEARING, 3000 MILES LATER . SAME NOISE ONLY LOUDER, RING & PINION OVERHAUL, WENT ON VACATION AND ANOTHER RING & PINION OVERHAUL IN EFFINGHAM, ILL AND 760 MILES LATER OIL AND GREASE AND REAR AXLE SMOKING SO BAD COULDN'T SEE TRAILER ON TRUCK , A COMPLETE AXLE ASSEMBLE PUT IN AT PERRY, OKLA, AND 711 MILES NEW REAREND HOWLING LOAD ENOUGH COULD NOT LISTEN TO RADIO, TOOK BACK TO RON CARTER, ANOTHER COMPLETE ASSEMBLE. (4) REARENDS AND NOTE ON LAST INVOICE SAYS NO MORE. I GUESS I AM SUPPOSED TO SET AND LOOK AT TRUCK AND TRAILER
WHEN IT'S RAINING AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE ON IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE AHEAD. THE WIPERS ARE NOT CLEARING THE WINDSHIELD GOOD ENOUGH TO SEE OUT. DEALERR HAS NOT SEEN. *AK
AXLE SEAL WORN OUT. YH
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.