1997 Chevrolet Silverado 3500Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 61 owner complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It has no vehicle safety recalls on record.

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 16, 2014. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 has problems

61 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic263
Tires70
Visibility60
Engine and engine cooling61
Power train60
Steering60
Fuel system, gasoline50
Electrical system31
Suspension20
4 other systems40

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

0 recalls

1997 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 recalls and how many were fixed

No vehicle safety recalls are on record for this model year.

Best & worst years

1997 vs. every other Silverado 3500 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Silverado 3500 median. How we score

'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and the recalls they led to.

  1. REAR AXLE SEPARATION FROM VEHICLEPE97001 · closed May 29, 1997
    No recall
In owners' words

What Silverado 3500 owners report

Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

I HAVE A 1997 CHEVY 3500 4X4 PICKUP TRUCK. EVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ANTILOCK BRAKES. THEY SEEM TO COME ON AT SLOW SPEEDS UNEXPECTEDLY. I HAD THEM REPLACED 1 TIME AT A COST OF $700, HOWEVER WITHIN 3 MONTHS THE PROBLEM RECUERRED. I CANNOT AFFORD TO KEEP REPAIRING THEM AS…
Complaint 10120040 · May 6, 2005
WHILE DRIVING AND UPON MAKING A STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. VEHICLE THEN SURGED FORWARD. IT FELT AS IF SOMETHING DISENGAGED, AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER FOUND THAT A CLIP BROKE WHICH LEFT THE BRAKE…
Complaint 10113672 · Mar 30, 2005 · 235,000 miles
I LOST MY POWER STEERING AND BRAKES ON MY 3500 CHEVY. 1997 PICK UP TRUCK, THERE IS ONLY 56.000 MILES ON THIS TRUCK. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED IN AND HAD THE POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED AT MY COST, I CALLED THE CHEY. FACTORY AND THE GIRL SAID THEY HAVEN'T HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE PUMPS. ALL I KNOW IS I'M…
Complaint 10068388 · May 6, 2004 · 56 miles

Own a 1997 Silverado 3500?

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