1997 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems & reliability
64 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. 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.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured, 3 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 21 | 33% |
| Visibility → | 10 | 16% |
| Steering | 8 | 13% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 11% |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 4 | 6% |
| Seats | 3 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 3% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 3% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 88,500 miles (middle 50% between 52,550 and 126,750 miles), based on 20 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Wipers quit when in use. Work intermittently. They are unpredictable. They have been that way for years. My 1999 tahoe does the same thing. My 1996 silverado did the same thing as well and I received a recall notice and the dealer repaired problem. These two vehicles are virtually identical to the 1996 silverado, and…”
Visibility/wiper · filed Jun 14, 2018
“I locked the truck using electric door locks that evening.got up next morning door pannal had cought fire.but must had gone out from lack oxgen incab.”
Electrical System · filed Aug 14, 2015
“Stopping at a stop light the brakes went to the floor and pulled right. I went into the intersection around 5 feet. Required a master cylinder and left front hub assembly to fix problem. Cost: 808.57 this follows rear brake problems at 27,097 miles that required pads, rotors, and calipers at a cost of 668.27. *tr”
Service Brakes · filed Mar 24, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
7 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 2500.
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 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
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
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 2500 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 2500?
- · 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 88,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.