IllustrationTWO TIRES BLEW THREE HOURS APART CAUSING ALMOST $4000 DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK. ACCORDING TO THE TIRE TECH, THE THIRD TIRE WAS NOT FAR FROM BLOWING OUT.*AK (DOT NUMBER: CHW8 TIRESIZE: 265/75/16)
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
Tires complaints
9 reportsAFTER MARKET TIRE DAYTON TIMBERLINE AT TIRE 31X10.5R15 SIZE DOT#: VD60TAT319. TREAD ON REAR PASSENGER'S TIRE SEPARATED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. FIRESTONE HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK *JB
GENERAL AMERI 550 AS TIRE (P225 75 R16) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. *SLC
TIRES HAVE POOR TRACTION WHEN ON WET SURFACE COMPARED TO BFG OR GENERAL TIRES. (DOT NUMBER: BM05324-1 TIRESIZE: 245/75R16)
WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT THE TIRES, THEY RUB AGAINST THE A FRAME. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK
GOODYEAR TIRE FAILURE.
ROCK PUNCTURED GOODYEAR TIRE. (P26575R16)
ORIGINAL TIRES ARE 4-PLY, WHICH ARE INSUFFICIENT FOR THE OFF ROAD VEHICLE RESULTING IN PREMATURE TIRE FAILURE.
THREE OF THE FOUR TIRES HAVE FAILED DUE TO INSUFFICIENT SIZE OF TIRE ON AUTOMOBILE.(GOODYEAR WRANGLER RT/S) P265-75R16.
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.