1997 GMC Sierra problems & reliability
238 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 GMC Sierra. 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 (4 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1997 GMC Sierra vehicles were involved in 46 fatal crashes with 25 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 63 | 26% |
| Steering → | 63 | 26% |
| Power Train → | 28 | 12% |
| Visibility → | 24 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 15 | 6% |
| Electrical System → | 12 | 5% |
| Suspension → | 11 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 4% |
| Tires | 9 | 4% |
| Seats | 6 | 3% |
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 78,000 miles (middle 50% between 56,000 and 111,400 miles), based on 49 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“1997 gmc sierra. Consumer writes in regards to issues with the engine. The consumer stated, according to the owner's manual, the vehicle should be able to pull 6,000lb load. But, the vehicle misfired, lost speed, and stalled while pulling less than 4,000lbs. The failure occured at speeds of 55-65mph.”
Engine · filed Dec 6, 2021
“Electrical system shuts down at low and high speeds. Replaced battery, battery connections, cables and alternator but the problem persists over the years. It is a dangerous hazardous situation. *tr”
Electrical System · filed Sep 20, 2014
“My brake line failed above the fuel tank, lost pressure to the braking system which resulted in no brakes. Why would car manufactures use steel brake lines that can rot out very quickly when exposed to normal driving elements. *tr”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Dec 6, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
19 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 GMC Sierra. The 10 most recent:
Reduced steering effort (diagnose/replace steering wheel position sensor). *kb
070232001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2007
Antilock brake (abs) activation at low speeds. *tt
020525006 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Diagnosis of cracked or broken transmission case. *tt 2006 and prior cars and light duty trucks. *tt
020730024A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2005
Replacement of connector when replacing fuel tank module/fuel pump module. *tt
040604088 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2005
Revised diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p1345 crankshaft position (ckp) - camshaft position (cmp) correlation diagnostic procedure. *tt
040604068 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2004
Rattle noise in engine. *tt
030601024A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2004
Engine coolant leak at intake gasket. * mj
01225 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
Malfunction indicator lamp on with a p0300 set and a misfire. Various models including 1996 - 1999 p32 models. Sit bulletin 1416475. *tt
00149D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
Spring slap noise from the rear of the gmt 400 series truck. *mn
01570 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
Malfunction indicator lamp on with a p0300 set and a misfire. Various models including the 1996-1999 p32 and the 1996-2002 gmc c/k truck. *tt
00149C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 18, 2003
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 GMC Sierra 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 GMC Sierra?
- · 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 78,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.