IllustrationREAR AXLE PINION SEAL FAILED. NLM
1997 GMC Sierra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Sierra years
Owner complaints for the 1997 GMC Sierra are substantially higher than the model-year median of 53.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sierra 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: 49 of 238 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 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports5 fire reports4 injury reports
Power Train complaints
28 reportsDATE IS APPROXIMATE, HAVE SINCE HAD PROBLEM WITH SAME MODEL TRANSMISSION ON ANOTHER 1997 TRUCK. *AK
TRANSMISSION KICKS AT SLOW SPEEDS NOT ALL THE TIME, DEALER CHANGED COMPUTER MODULE DID NOT RESLOVE THE PROBLEM DEALER WOULD NOT GARRANTEE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT, GMC ASKED ABOUT RECALLS BUT I DID NOT RECEIVE A REPY APPEARS TO BE FAULTY TRANS ELECTICAL PART. *AK
NO SUMMARY
CONSUMER HAS MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. BEARINGS IN THE DRIVETRAIN ARE DEFECTIVE/ ALIGNMENT/BRAKES REPAIRED/REAR END REPLACED, AND OTHER PROBLEMS DEVELOPED DUE TO THE BEARING. AN AUTHORIZED GMC REPAIRMAN TOLD CONSUMER THAT'S THE WAY GMC MAKES VEHICLES. CONSUEMR INSISTED THAT HAS HAD NOTHING BUT BAD EXPRIENCES WITH THE V…
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CONSUMER HAS MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. BEARINGS IN THE DRIVETRAIN ARE DEFECTIVE/ ALIGNMENT/BRAKES REPAIRED/REAR END REPLACED, AND OTHER PROBLEMS DEVELOPED DUE TO THE BEARING. AN AUTHORIZED GMC REPAIRMAN TOLD CONSUMER THAT'S THE WAY GMC MAKES VEHICLES. CONSUEMR INSISTED THAT HAS HAD NOTHING BUT BAD EXPRIENCES WITH THE VEHICLE, AND MANUFACTURER.*AK
TRANSMISSION HARD SHIFTS FROM 1-2ND AFTER DRIVING FOR SEVERAL MILES. I CAN TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND THIS WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM FOR ABOUT 10 MILES. THEN IT WILL START SHIFTING HARD AGAIN. ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. DEALER COULDN'T DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. *AK
BUMPS INTO GEAR, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT, TRANSMISSION OVERFLOW DRIPS, POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDS REPLACING
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. HAD COASTED TO SIDE OF ROAD. RESTARTED & VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE DIFFERENTIAL SEAL WAS LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING NOISES IN THE UNIVERSAL JOINT. TAKING VEHICLE TO MECHANIC. ALSO, LEAF SPRING ON PASSENGER'S SID EFAILED/REPLACED/SMELLED OIL DUE TO PCV VALVE FAILURE, AN DTRANSMISSION WOULD NO…
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VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. HAD COASTED TO SIDE OF ROAD. RESTARTED & VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE DIFFERENTIAL SEAL WAS LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING NOISES IN THE UNIVERSAL JOINT. TAKING VEHICLE TO MECHANIC. ALSO, LEAF SPRING ON PASSENGER'S SID EFAILED/REPLACED/SMELLED OIL DUE TO PCV VALVE FAILURE, AN DTRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. *AK
WHEN GEARS ARE SHIFTED FROM FIRST TO SECOND VEHICLE JERKS, AS IF BEING REAR ENDED. DEALER SAYS THERE IS A BAD VALVE BODY IN TRANSMISSION. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE 3 TIMES. NO SOLUTION FOUND. *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.