1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems & reliability
555 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. 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.
14 complaints report injuries (26 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 140 | 25% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 123 | 22% |
| Visibility | 75 | 14% |
| Power Train | 57 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 45 | 8% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 35 | 6% |
| Suspension | 34 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 28 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 16 | 3% |
| Seats | 13 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 89,000 miles (middle 50% between 60,000 and 124,102 miles), based on 146 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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 replaced. The vehicle was…”
Structure · filed Jan 9, 2024
“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 failure mileage…”
Service Brakes · filed Sep 12, 2019
“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 wiper motor and…”
Visibility/wiper · filed Oct 23, 2016
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
10 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17-NA-073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 21, 2023
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2022
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to reprogram the media disc player with the latest calibrations to correct a condition of the rear entertainment system not operating as intended in colder ambient…
16NA260 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 26, 2016
Vehicle Recalls
Recalls · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 30, 2014
Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
130089009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2013
Chevrolet:gmc: engineering information-fuel tank pressure sensor, dtcs p0446, p0451 or p0454 set. Gmc engineering is attempting to determine the root cause of the above concern. *pe
PIE-0043 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2010
Some customers may comment on front door hinge pin bushing wear, front door sag, or door chucking movement in extreme operating conditions. *tt
020864016 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2002
This technical service bulletin states that technicians may experience difficulty in removing the connectors from the park / neutral position switch, usually when trying to remove the switch during transmission service…
010730021 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2001
Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) is on; the transmission is stuck in third gear; and / or the instrument cluster is inoperative. *tt
010730002B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2001
Clutch pedal separation from pivot bracket - vehicle listing by vin. *ak
97006 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1997
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 Silverado 1500 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 Silverado 1500?
- · 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 89,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.