1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Silverado 1500 years
- About as many complaints as other years 16th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 555 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. That ranks 16th out of 32 Silverado 1500 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (140 complaints, 25%), typically at around 70,000 miles. Complaints mention 30 crashes, 13 fires, 26 injuries. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year.
- 555owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 30complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering problems | 140 | 25% | 70,000 | “steering sensor” (9%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 123 | 22% | 82,500 | “anti lock” (15%) | — |
| Visibility problems | 75 | 14% | 97,000 | “windshield wipers” (67%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 57 | 10% | 87,671 | “transmission failed” (14%) | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 45 | 8% | 142,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 35 | 6% | 49,888 | — | — |
| Suspension | 34 | 6% | 96,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 28 | 5% | 124,614 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 16 | 3% | 95,725 | — | — |
| Seats | 13 | 2% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 12 | 2% | 109,784 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 8 | 1% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 1% | 132,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 7 | 1% | 147,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 6 | 1% | 157,392 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 1% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 4 | 1% | 88,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 2 | 0% | 125,822 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 2 | 0% | 167,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 0% | 164,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at 55 MPH, the corner of the front seat fell through the floor structure. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was stated that the subframe needed to be…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet silverado 1500. While driving at unknown speeds, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle did not slow down or stop. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not contacted…
The wipers just stopped working in the middle of a storm and i had to pull to the side of the road and i tried everything i could to get the wipers to work i called a friend and he said to tap the wiper motor and it did get the wipers to work until i got home and the next day i called and got a new…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet silverado 1500. While driving 25 mph, the air bags deployed without warning or impact. There were no injuries. The contact stated that the passenger side air bags were deactivated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The…
When driving and entering a curve the power steering jerks to the direction of steer. This is said to be a problem with the steering position sensor causing the variable assist steering to over-compensate and causing the vehicle to veer dangerously. The forums are full of people with this problem…
Other Chevrolet Silverado 1500 years
← 1996 Silverado 1500 · 1998 Silverado 1500 →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Silverado 1500 | 117 | 3 |
| 2025 Silverado 1500 | 106 | 0 |
| 2024 Silverado 1500 | 314 | 2 |
| 2023 Silverado 1500 | 387 | 3 |
| 2022 Silverado 1500 | 647 | 6 |
| 2021 Silverado 1500 | 844 | 8 |
| 2020 Silverado 1500 | 742 | 12 |
| 2019 Silverado 1500 | 1,093 | 10 |
| 2018 Silverado 1500 | 521 | 7 |
| 2017 Silverado 1500 | 714 | 7 |
| 2016 Silverado 1500 | 797 | 12 |
| 2015 Silverado 1500 | 1,110 | 11 |
| 2014 Silverado 1500 | 1,436 | 6 |
| 2013 Silverado 1500 | 301 | 2 |
| 2012 Silverado 1500 | 216 | 2 |
| 2011 Silverado 1500 | 563 | 4 |
| 2010 Silverado 1500 | 363 | 3 |
| 2009 Silverado 1500 | 444 | 3 |
| 2008 Silverado 1500 | 914 | 3 |
| 2007 Silverado 1500 | 849 | 2 |
| 2006 Silverado 1500 | 359 | 0 |
| 2005 Silverado 1500 | 525 | 0 |
| 2004 Silverado 1500 | 797 | 0 |
| 2003 Silverado 1500 | 805 | 0 |
| 2002 Silverado 1500 | 509 | 0 |
| 2001 Silverado 1500 | 468 | 0 |
| 2000 Silverado 1500 | 614 | 0 |
| 1999 Silverado 1500 | 587 | 0 |
| 1998 Silverado 1500 | 361 | 0 |
| 1997 | 555 | 0 |
| 1996 Silverado 1500 | 7 | 0 |
| 1995 Silverado 1500 | 3 | 0 |
See all Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
Owners most often report steering, service brakes, hydraulic, visibility problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 140 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Silverado 1500 model years, the 1997 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.