1997 Chevrolet Tahoe Steering Problems
Owners have filed 105 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe, 26% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 78,045 miles. The words owners use most often: “steering sensor” (9% of reports).
- 105steering complaints
- 78,045median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 43%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Steering sensor: mentioned in 9 of 105 complaints (9%)
- Making turn: mentioned in 8 of 105 complaints (8%)
- Loss control: mentioned in 7 of 105 complaints (7%)
- Erratic power: mentioned in 6 of 105 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 16 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 105 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Chevrolet Tahoe steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Tahoe | 2 | 4% | — |
| 2024 Tahoe | 4 | 6% | 1,000 |
| 2023 Tahoe | 5 | 2% | — |
| 2022 Tahoe | 3 | 2% | — |
| 2021 Tahoe | 14 | 3% | 96,725 |
| 2020 Tahoe | 6 | 11% | 25,500 |
| 2019 Tahoe | 8 | 7% | 12,100 |
| 2018 Tahoe | 11 | 10% | 59,000 |
| 2017 Tahoe | 5 | 3% | 1 |
| 2016 Tahoe | 20 | 8% | 32,000 |
| 2015 Tahoe | 70 | 11% | 68,000 |
| 2014 Tahoe | 4 | 4% | 5,313 |
| 2013 Tahoe | 5 | 2% | 46,159 |
| 2012 Tahoe | 4 | 2% | 63,000 |
| 2011 Tahoe | 3 | 1% | 78,000 |
| 2010 Tahoe | 2 | 1% | 106,500 |
| 2009 Tahoe | 8 | 3% | 89,500 |
| 2008 Tahoe | 6 | 1% | 89,400 |
| 2007 Tahoe | 10 | 1% | 112,320 |
| 2006 Tahoe | 5 | 4% | 43,000 |
| 2005 Tahoe | 19 | 6% | 60,000 |
| 2004 Tahoe | 29 | 6% | 52,000 |
| 2003 Tahoe | 52 | 10% | 34,500 |
| 2002 Tahoe | 40 | 9% | 50,000 |
| 2001 Tahoe | 18 | 4% | 53,500 |
| 2000 Tahoe | 10 | 4% | 47,790 |
| 1999 Tahoe | 46 | 8% | 75,000 |
| 1998 Tahoe | 31 | 12% | 90,000 |
| 1997 Tahoe | 105 | 26% | 78,045 |
| 1996 Tahoe | 11 | 4% | — |
| 1995 Tahoe | 5 | 2% | 120,072 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists steering for the 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
When turning onto an on-ramp (usually right) the vehicle will momentarily lose power steering and the steering wheel will jerk right. This jerking motion also happens intermittently while driving at highway speeds with no turning involved. Even though there is more jerking motion on a turn both are…
Power steering input/effort had became erratic causing increased effort or worse, oversteering midway through turns. First noticed this problem last fall at winter tire changeover. I initially blamed it on icy roads but then noticed it on obviously non icy roads as well. Occurred just occasionally…
Steering on my 97 tahoe has for many years 'twitched' when driving at a slow right turn such as on ramp to freeway or slow curve in the road. It never does it on left turns, only right. The steering wheel suddenly pops to the right and only for a second. It then repeats that if the turn on the road…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Chevrolet Tahoes have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 105 owner complaints about steering for the 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe (26% of the 410 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe steering?
No recall currently lists steering for this vehicle.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 78,045 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe?
The most frequent phrase is “steering sensor”, in 9 of 105 complaints, followed by “making turn” (8).
Other 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe problems
See all 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe problems or steering problems across all Tahoe years.