1997 Chevrolet Pickup problems & reliability
75 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Chevrolet Pickup. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 25 | 33% |
| Steering → | 21 | 28% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 8% |
| Visibility | 6 | 8% |
| Power Train | 5 | 7% |
| Suspension | 5 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 5% |
| Tires | 4 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 4% |
| Structure | 3 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl*the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet pickup. While turning left at 15 mph, the steering wheel locked. The contact shut off the engine and placed the gear into park. He then restarted the vehicle and the steering wheel unlocked. He had to do this twice before taking the vehicle to the dealer. The contact stated that…”
Steering · filed Jan 23, 2008
“The steering wheel gets loose at low speeds, making it difficult to control the vehicle. Thus, increasing the chance of a crash. Manufacturer will be contacted by consumer.*ak when the consumer turns at low speeds the vehicle oversteers. *tc”
Steering · filed Feb 4, 2005
“Consumer complained about a windshield wiper problem. Windshield wipers worked intermittenly. Consumer found that there was a recall on some of these vehicles, but this vehicle was not one of them. *ak *sc”
Visibility · filed Sep 9, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1 manufacturer communication (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Chevrolet Pickup.
Subject regarding lubrication of propeller shaft double cardan cv type u-joint centering ball and seat.*nlm
020090002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2002
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1997 Chevrolet Pickup in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1997 Chevrolet Pickup?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.