IllustrationTRUCK WAS IN PARK AND 4WD LOW PARKED O A 14 DEGREE HILL WITH ENGINE FACIANG UP THE ROAD; TRUCK JUMPED OUT OF PARK WHILE OPERATOR WAS BEHIND THE TRUCK AND ROLLED BACKWARDS DOWN THE HILL.
1997 Chevrolet Silverado
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Silverado years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado are substantially higher than the model-year median of 76.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado 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
Limited mileage data: 64 of 272 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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 59 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
16 crash reports6 fire reports13 injury reports
Power Train complaints
35 reportsCK 1500/SILVERADO. A PLASTIC BAG WAS PICKED UP ON THE DRIVESHAFT AND TRAVELED TO THE REAR END AND GOT INTO THE REAR AXLE SEAL AND ALL OF THE REAR END OIL WAS LOST. THE REAR END LOCKED UP. COULD RESULT IN A CRASH AND/OR LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK
WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE ON, VEHICLE ROLLED IN REVERSE. DEALER TOOK TRANSMISSION AND REAR END APART AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM.
TRANSMISSION/OVERDRIVE MELTED.
WHEN DRIVING THE TRUCK AND SLOWING DOWN TO COME TO A STOP THERE IS A CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE. ONCE IN A WHILE THIS HAPPENS WHEN MAKING A COMPLETE STOP AND PICKING UP SPEED. AS SOON AS THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ITMAKES A CLUNKING SOUND. DEALER STATED THAT THIS IS A NORMAL NOISE. *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.