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1997 GMC Savana

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 6 of 46 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.

  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports3 fire reports2 injury reports

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

9 reports
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Mileage unknown · May 28, 2002
Service Brakes, HydraulicSteering

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT, THE DEALER DETERMINED THE SHAFT BROKE IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP, DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP ASSEMBLY AND SERPENTINE BELT.*JB

NHTSA ODI #565862

Mileage unknown · Aug 27, 2001
Service Brakes, HydraulicVehicle Speed Control

WHEN DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL REAR BRAKES WOULD GRAB. WHEN CONSUMER RELEASED THE BRAKES VEHICLE WOULD TRAVEL LIKE BRAKES WERE STILL APPLIED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SURGE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED TO THE DEALER TO DISCONNECT THE REAR BRAKE ADJUSTER AND WAS TOLD THAT ALL THE REAR BRA…

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WHEN DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL REAR BRAKES WOULD GRAB. WHEN CONSUMER RELEASED THE BRAKES VEHICLE WOULD TRAVEL LIKE BRAKES WERE STILL APPLIED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SURGE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED TO THE DEALER TO DISCONNECT THE REAR BRAKE ADJUSTER AND WAS TOLD THAT ALL THE REAR BRAKES WERE OVER ADJUSTING, CONSUMER STATES SINCE THE REMOVAL, THE BRAKES STILL GRAB AND STAY PARTIALLY ON AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS BEEN RELEASED, DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS SUPPOSED TO RESPOND LIKE THAT BECAUSE IT WAS DESIGNED TO HAVE A LOAD IN IT. *SLC

NHTSA ODI #895221

Mileage unknown · Feb 3, 2000
Service Brakes, HydraulicSuspension

WHILE SLOWING DOWN VEHICLE DRIVER FELT A PULSATION IN FRONT STEERING WHEEL. TOOK TO DEALER, AND HE CHANGED BRAKE ROTORS, BUT NOT PADS. SINCE THEN, CONSUMER BROUGHT VEHICLE TO DEALER 4 MORE TIMES. LAST TIME WAS ON 01/ 28/99. PICKED IT UP A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, AND IT STILL HAD PULSATION. CONSUMER INDICATED THAT WHEN APPLY…

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WHILE SLOWING DOWN VEHICLE DRIVER FELT A PULSATION IN FRONT STEERING WHEEL. TOOK TO DEALER, AND HE CHANGED BRAKE ROTORS, BUT NOT PADS. SINCE THEN, CONSUMER BROUGHT VEHICLE TO DEALER 4 MORE TIMES. LAST TIME WAS ON 01/ 28/99. PICKED IT UP A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, AND IT STILL HAD PULSATION. CONSUMER INDICATED THAT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES IT FELT AS THOUGH VEHICLE WAS GOING TO STOP. *AK

NHTSA ODI #856152

Mileage unknown · Jan 5, 2000
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrashInjury

TOWING A RENTED TRAILER AND SMALL HYDRA-HOE. WEATHER CONDITIONS HAD BEEN RAINING. THE TRAILER CONTAINS A HYRDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDER THAT IS ACTIVATED FROM THE FORCE OF THE TRAILER PUSHING THE VEHICLE WHEN STOPPING. IN THIS CAUSE THE ANTI-LOCKS WOULD PROVIDE SUFFICIENT STOPPING POWER AS THEY WOULD NOT LOCK UP. THE MORE THE TRAILE…

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TOWING A RENTED TRAILER AND SMALL HYDRA-HOE. WEATHER CONDITIONS HAD BEEN RAINING. THE TRAILER CONTAINS A HYRDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDER THAT IS ACTIVATED FROM THE FORCE OF THE TRAILER PUSHING THE VEHICLE WHEN STOPPING. IN THIS CAUSE THE ANTI-LOCKS WOULD PROVIDE SUFFICIENT STOPPING POWER AS THEY WOULD NOT LOCK UP. THE MORE THE TRAILER PUSHED THE LESS THEY WOULD BRAKE. RIG WAS VIRTUALLY BRAKELESS INTO AN INTERSECTION. THIS WAS NOT A PANIC STOP, THE LIGHT HAD CHANGED WITH APPX 80 YARDS TO STOP SPEED APPX. 35MPH . *AK

NHTSA ODI #716900

Mileage unknown · Oct 15, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

BRAKE PEDAL KEEPS SQUEAKING. DEALER HAS REPLACED PEDAL. BUT, WITHIN 1000 MILES NOISE WILL COME BACK. *AK

NHTSA ODI #850827

Mileage unknown · Sep 8, 1999
Power TrainService Brakes, Hydraulic

1. REAR ADJUSTMENT SPRING WAS NOT INSTALLED IN VEHICLE FROM FACTORY, CAUSING BRAKES TO BECOME SPONGY. 2. TRANSMISSION HAS BECOME FAULTY WIHTIN 42,000.

NHTSA ODI #847101

Mileage unknown · Aug 23, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THERE ARE LOUD SQUEAKING NOISES AND THE PEDAL GETS SOFT AND GOES CLOSER TO THE FLOOR. ALSO, FRONT CALIPERS HAVE GOTTEN STUCK, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. DEALER CANT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #845651

Mileage unknown · Dec 1, 1997
Service Brakes, HydraulicSteering

WHEN PUTTING FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE TRUCK IT PULLS TO THE RIGHT. THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAS BEEN CHANGED 3 TIMES, ALSO THE STEERING PULLS TO THE RIGHT AND IT HAS BEEN ALIGNED 4 TIMES. *AK

NHTSA ODI #819586

Mileage unknown · Oct 29, 1997
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE ABS BRAKES WOULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THIS WOULD CAUSE A LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE FOR THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #817972

Official recalls

1

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.