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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 →

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

What owners actually said

272 reports
Mileage unknown · Jun 1, 1999
Seats

LOOSE BACK BENCH SEAT. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT CONDITION WAS NORMAL FOR THAT SEAT. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK

NHTSA ODI #838673

Mileage unknown · May 21, 1999
Engine And Engine Cooling

ON TWO OCCASIONS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TOTAL SHUT DOWN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. PREVIOUSLY VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN REPAIR SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS FOR SIMILAR PROBLEM. BUT DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #838311

Mileage unknown · May 20, 1999
Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH OR LESS AND WHEN TAKING FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL, VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #838212

Mileage unknown · Apr 16, 1999
Power Train

AT ABOUT 48000 MILES I STARTED EXPERIENCING A HARD SHIFT BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD GEAR. IT IS VERY INTERMITTENT. IT DIDN'T MATTER IF IT WAS A LONG DRIVE OR SHORT . IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 3 TIMES. WHENEVER IT HAPPENS ALL I NEED TO DO IS PULL OVER, TURN THE ENGINE OFF FOR A FEW SECONDS, TURN IT ON AGAIN AND IT…

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AT ABOUT 48000 MILES I STARTED EXPERIENCING A HARD SHIFT BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD GEAR. IT IS VERY INTERMITTENT. IT DIDN'T MATTER IF IT WAS A LONG DRIVE OR SHORT . IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 3 TIMES. WHENEVER IT HAPPENS ALL I NEED TO DO IS PULL OVER, TURN THE ENGINE OFF FOR A FEW SECONDS, TURN IT ON AGAIN AND IT'S GONE TILL THE NEXT TIME. SOMETIMES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON SOMETIMES IT'S OFF, DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY CONNECTION TO THE FREQUENCY OF THE PROBLEM OCCURING. I DO NOT DRIVE MY TRUCK HARD. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY READ THE COMPUTER CODE AND TOLD ME THE THE TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING INTERNALLY AND WOUD COST ABOUT $1500 TO RE-BUILD IT. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST BAD LUCK UNTIL YESTERDAY. I RAN INTO A REGGIE WILLIAMS WHO HAS THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL TRUCK, SAME ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION AND THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM DOWN TO THE MILAGE WHEN IT STARTED HAPPENING, HE WILL ALSO BE SENDING IN A FORM. SINCE MEETING REGGIE I HAVE BECOME VERY SUSPICIOUS. I'VE HAD OTHER CHEVY TRUCKS AND THEY LAST A LONG TIME WITHOUT PROBLEM, AND THOSE I HAVE HAD ARE MINOR. I CONTACTED THE CHEVY CUSTOMER SUPPORT PEOPLE AND THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT MYSELF AND REGGIE ARE EXPERIENCING. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

NHTSA ODI #705687

Mileage unknown · Apr 15, 1999
Vehicle Speed Control

THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET FOR 50MPH AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED OVER 90MPH THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE GAS PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. OWNER HAD TO LITERALLY STAND ON THE BRAKES, AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK TO GET IT TO STOP. THE WHEELS WERE STILL SPINNING EVEN WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE ON. WHEN CAR WAS STARTE…

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THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET FOR 50MPH AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED OVER 90MPH THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE GAS PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. OWNER HAD TO LITERALLY STAND ON THE BRAKES, AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK TO GET IT TO STOP. THE WHEELS WERE STILL SPINNING EVEN WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE ON. WHEN CAR WAS STARTED BACK UP THE WHEELS WERE STILL SPINNING AT A HIGH RATE. DEALER HAD FIXED THE VEHICLE, BUT PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN. *AK

NHTSA ODI #836759

Mileage unknown · Apr 14, 1999
Engine And Engine Cooling

IN APPROXIMATELY A FIVE WEEK PERIOD, MY TRUCK HAS FAILED TO START TWICE AND DIED ONCE AS I CROSSED A BUSY INTERSECTION. BOTH TIMES THE TRUCK FAILED TO START, THE DEALER INSTALLED A NEW FUEL PUMP, (NOW ON MY THIRD PUMP) AND AFTER THE VEHICLE DIED IN THE INTERSECTION WHILE MOVING ABOUT 20 MPH, A NEW DISTRIBUTOR CAP AND ROTOR WAS I…

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IN APPROXIMATELY A FIVE WEEK PERIOD, MY TRUCK HAS FAILED TO START TWICE AND DIED ONCE AS I CROSSED A BUSY INTERSECTION. BOTH TIMES THE TRUCK FAILED TO START, THE DEALER INSTALLED A NEW FUEL PUMP, (NOW ON MY THIRD PUMP) AND AFTER THE VEHICLE DIED IN THE INTERSECTION WHILE MOVING ABOUT 20 MPH, A NEW DISTRIBUTOR CAP AND ROTOR WAS INSTALLED BUT THE FAILURE COULD ALSO BE FUEL PUMP RELATED. IN BOTH CASES THE MECHANIC STATED ON THE REPAIR ORDER THAT THE WIRING HAD SHORTED OUT. THE SERVICE MANAGER INDICATES THAT HE HAS NO SOLUTIONS AND THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON OCCURANCE. THE FACT THAT ONE NEVER KNOWS IF HE WILL SUCCESSFULLY MAKE IT ACROSS SEVERAL LANES OF TRAFFIC WITHOUT THE ENGINE QUITTING IS INHERENTLY UNSAFE. A CALL TO CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE INDICATES THAT THEY ARE VERY SORRY BUT THEY REALLY DON'T KNOW JUST WHAT TO TELL ME.

NHTSA ODI #705622

Mileage unknown · Apr 14, 1999
Air BagsPower TrainCrash

WHEN AT SLOW SPEED THERE IS A POPPING NOISE WHEN GEARS CHANGE, DEALER COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM. *MJS

NHTSA ODI #705602

Mileage unknown · Mar 13, 1999
Power Train

FRONT BRASS BUSHING SHATTERED AND FILINGS RAN THROUGH TRANSMISSION. REPAIRING DEALER INDICATES THAT THIS WAS THE THIRD SUCH CASE IN TWO DAYS. CONTACTED SELLING DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT SEVERAL CASES HAD BEEN SEEN THERE FOR SAME TRANSMISSION ISSUE. SLI

NHTSA ODI #704388

Mileage unknown · Feb 9, 1999
Service Brakes, Air

ANTI LOCK BRAKE MODULE FAILED CAUSING BRAKES PEDAL TO GO COMPLETLY TO THE FLOOR BOARD WHEN APPLIED.

NHTSA ODI #543827

Mileage unknown · Feb 2, 1999
Electrical SystemPower Train

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #702872

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Chevrolet Silverado problems