IllustrationWHEN TURNING VEHICLE AT SPEEDS ABOVE ABOUT 35MPH STEERING SEEMS TO RESIST TURNING AND WHEN MORE STEERING FORCE IS APPLIED,STEERING BECOMES VERY LIGHT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO OVERSTEER.PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE WORSE WHEN VEHICLE IS COLD. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION IF YOU ARE NOT ACCUSTOMED OR PREPARED FOR IT. *AK
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
Steering complaints
63 reportsWHEN STEERING VEHICLE EITHER TO LEFT OR TO RIGHT STEERING WHEEL MOVES ONE INCH. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE.*AK THE STEERING PROBLEM CAUSED BY A STEERING SENSOR FAILURE. *YH
THE VECHICLE HAS 4-6 INCHES OF PLAY WHICH IS EXCESSIVE FOR A LOW MILAGE TRUCK.*AK
WAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN STEERING SENSOR WENT OUT. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE STEERING CONTROL. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER & MECHANIC REPLACED STEERING SENSOR. PROBLEM WAS VERY GRADUAL UNTIL IT BECAME WORSE.*AK
THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WEAR OUT WITHIN 12,000 MILES ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY DEALER THAT THESE TRUCKS HAVE THE SAME FRONT ROTOR AND CALIPERS THAT ARE ON THE BUICK LESABRA. THIS COULD EXPLAIN THE EXCESSIVE WEAR OF THE PAD DUE TO THE WEIGHT DIFFERENCE. THE STEERING ON THIS VEHICLE WILL LOCK UP AT SLOW SPEEDS AND AL…
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THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WEAR OUT WITHIN 12,000 MILES ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY DEALER THAT THESE TRUCKS HAVE THE SAME FRONT ROTOR AND CALIPERS THAT ARE ON THE BUICK LESABRA. THIS COULD EXPLAIN THE EXCESSIVE WEAR OF THE PAD DUE TO THE WEIGHT DIFFERENCE. THE STEERING ON THIS VEHICLE WILL LOCK UP AT SLOW SPEEDS AND ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO WONDER AT HIGHER SPEEDS. DEALER HAS INSPECTED FRONT END AND STATED WAS WITHIN SPECS. VEHICLE ALSO WILL PULL AT TIMES TO LEFT OR RIGHT BY SELF ON STRAIGHT HIGHWAY.
STEERING WILL BECOME "LOOSE" WHEN IN A CURVE, CAUSING AN OVERSTEER. *AK
HIGH SPEED TURN STEERING FAILURE EXPERIENCED WHILE MAKING LANE CHANGE ON FREEWAY. THIS CAUSED TRUCK TO ALMOST GO OFF FREEWAY ONTO GRASSY MEDIAN DIVIDER AREA. I MADE VIOLENT STEERING WHEEL CORRECTION TURNING STEERING WHEEL TO MAKE CORRECTION IN A RIGHTHAND TURN. THIS CAUSED TRUCK TO FISHTAIL AND WEAVE INTO LANE I HAD JUST EXIT…
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HIGH SPEED TURN STEERING FAILURE EXPERIENCED WHILE MAKING LANE CHANGE ON FREEWAY. THIS CAUSED TRUCK TO ALMOST GO OFF FREEWAY ONTO GRASSY MEDIAN DIVIDER AREA. I MADE VIOLENT STEERING WHEEL CORRECTION TURNING STEERING WHEEL TO MAKE CORRECTION IN A RIGHTHAND TURN. THIS CAUSED TRUCK TO FISHTAIL AND WEAVE INTO LANE I HAD JUST EXITED. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE TRAFFIC IN THIS VICINITY AS I BELIEVE A HIGH SPEED(70MPH)CONTACT BETWEEN VEHICLE WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. BROUGHT TRUCK INTO GMC DEALER FOR EVALUATION(PASO ROBLES, CA. GMC TRUCK).I WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING-SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE. APPARENTLY THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS PART WITH GMC. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. THIS WAS A SUDDEN FAILURE WITH NO WARNING. AS A FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC I DRIVE PROFESSIONALLY AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT SUCH DEFECTS SHOULD GO WITHOUT A RECALL NOTICE PUBLISHED. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE UTILIZED YOUR WEBSITE. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONAL DETAILS. THANKS! *AK
BUMPS INTO GEAR, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT, TRANSMISSION OVERFLOW DRIPS, POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDS REPLACING
WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN THE SPEEDS OF 35 TO 60 MPH AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, STEERING WILL GO FOR A MATTER OF SECONDS. WHEN IT COMES BACK IN, THE VEHICLE IS THROWN TO THE RIGHT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
POWER STEERING JERKS AS IF HITTING A PATCH OF ICE. *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.