1997 GMC Suburban Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Suburban years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 10 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 200 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 GMC Suburban. That ranks 3rd out of 10 Suburban model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (57 complaints, 28%), typically at around 60,000 miles. Complaints mention 15 crashes, 4 fires, 16 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 5 defect investigations involving it.
- 200owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 5NHTSA investigations
- 15complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 GMC Suburban 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 57 | 28% | 60,000 | “abs brakes” (12%) | — |
| Steering | 39 | 20% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 24 | 12% | 96,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 22 | 11% | 150,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 21 | 11% | 77,800 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 20 | 10% | 53,401 | — | — |
| Tires | 16 | 8% | 120,671 | — | — |
| Visibility | 12 | 6% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 3% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 3% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Trailer Hitches | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 1% | 142,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 1% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 GMC Suburban recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer
Problem: On certain minivans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles with certain model-engine combinations, the windshield wiper motor may fail due to cracked solder joints on the controller circuit board. The windshield wipers could work intermittently or not at all.
Risk: If this were to occur during bad weather, driver visibility would be reduced, which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the wiper motor circuit board and cover. Owner notification began on june 19, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, gmc at 1-800-462-8782, or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
Visibility:rearview mirrors/devices:exterior
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles, mini vans, and pickup trucks may develop a short circuit in the electric outside rearview mirror switch.
Risk: If this were to happen, it could result in an inoperative switch, heat damage to the driver's door, and/or ignition of components in the driver's door and a subsequent vehicle fire without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will install a fused jumper harness to the electric outside rearview mirror switch. Owner notification began on april 24, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Oem hitch receiver platform cracking (DP00001) — opened Jan 31, 2000, still open.
- Windshield wiper failure (EA02006) — opened May 31, 2002, closed Jul 23, 2003, led to recall 03V159000.
- Battery leaks acid (PE99073) — opened Dec 3, 1999, closed May 2, 2000.
- Erratic steering boost while driving (PE98060) — opened Nov 13, 1998, closed May 12, 1999.
- Poor brake performance (EA95026) — opened Sep 20, 1995, closed Sep 20, 2001, led to recall 01I006000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Car lurches when turning right and left, intermittently feeling like you are loosing control of vehicle.
Pulled out of my driveway got up to speed of roadway that is 50 mph felt a vibration in the front end, slowed down it went away, so i started to speed up again to see if it came back, then boom my front passenger tire literally blew up, the tread separated and the tire almost blew completely off…
The ignition switch started to fail while driving. First the heater fan would quit and the abs light would instantly turn on, and the cruise control would fail to operate. When the abs light would be on the abs would fail to operate. Then suddenly all operations would go back to normal. It would be…
Steering speed sensor fails causing the steering to suddenly jerk while turning under speed. It feels like the front wheels hit "slippery ice". I have replaced this item 3 times on my own and the sensor keeps failing. The one in my car currently is experiencing the problem again and will need…
Spring of 2008 we replaced the fuel pump. Then in november 2008 the fuel pump failed again. The mechanic said they were both brand new fuel pumps but he was unsure of why they both failed to work properly when we took it back in march 2009. 3 new fuel pumps all within one year sounds like a problem…
Other GMC Suburban years
← 1996 Suburban · 1998 Suburban →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 Suburban | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 Suburban | 5 | 1 |
| 2002 Suburban | 7 | 1 |
| 2001 Suburban | 5 | 2 |
| 2000 Suburban | 15 | 2 |
| 1999 Suburban | 285 | 1 |
| 1998 Suburban | 100 | 2 |
| 1997 | 200 | 2 |
| 1996 Suburban | 172 | 3 |
| 1995 Suburban | 227 | 6 |
See all GMC Suburban problems by year, every GMC model, or the GMC VIN decoder.
Similar GMC models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 GMC Suburban?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, steering, power train problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 57 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 GMC Suburban?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 GMC Suburban a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Suburban model years, the 1997 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.