1997 Chevrolet Silverado: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 365 complaints
365
Total Complaints
72,000mi
Median Mileage
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
Top Issue
25
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

54,000 25th Percentile
72,000 Median Mileage
104,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
37
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
29
STEERING
21
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
19
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
17
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
11
SUSPENSION:FRONT
9
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
9
SUSPENSION
9
TIRES
8

Severity Assessment

25
Crashes
15
Fires
26
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHEN APPLYING BRAKES (ABS) HAVE TO USE BOTH HANDS TO CONTROL STEERING WHEEL; STEERING LOCKS UP WHEN FOOT ON BRAKES; W/FOOT OFF BRAKES, ABLE TO STEER OR TURN. TOOK TO DEALER & INFORMED IT'S THE NEW STEERING SYSTEM IN PLACE. TOLD MANUFACTURER NOTHING WAS WRONG. *AK"
"WHEN APPLYING BRAKES (ABS) HAVE TO USE BOTH HANDS TO CONTROL STEERING WHEEL; STEERING LOCKS UP WHEN FOOT ON BRAKES; W/FOOT OFF BRAKES, ABLE TO STEER OR TURN. TOOK TO DEALER & INFORMED IT'S THE NEW STEERING SYSTEM IN PLACE. TOLD MANUFACTURER NOTHING WAS WRONG. *AK"
"IN LEFT TURNS THE VEHICLE'S POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK UP AND LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL CAN OCCUR. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28