AI Damage1997 Chevrolet Chevy VAN: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Chevrolet Chevy VAN filed 12 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 12
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 33% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 17% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 17% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 8% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 8% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (33% of all).
- Fuel system: 2 complaints (17% of all).
- Visibility: 2 complaints (17% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (8% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 12 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
While backing out of a parking space lower ball joint broke, resulting in an accident. Front driver side wheel came off. Wheel hub broke and rolled under the vehicle. When the vehicle was taken to the dealer, they replaced all ball joints.
We drove it home on back highways to our town of tullahoma,tn, very carefully, but it stalled out again 50 miles from home. The chevy dealer where we purchased the vehicle refused to stand behind it, even though it was not quite 3 years old, and insisted there was nothing wrong and that it was safe to drive.
My van started making a strange crunching sound. I was told by a local repair shop that the catalytic converter is cracked inside. It needs to be replaced.
I had to replace the motor in my chevy venture 97 I would like to know if I can recover my cost. I heard that there was a class action law suit filed a year ago regarding this.
Dt*: the contact stated the abs and check engine warning lights illuminated while driving various speeds. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer for inspection. The service mechanic determined the computer in the electrical system was located near the rear wheels and was producing false failures causing the…
The dealership had to replace the passenger side power window motor following my purchase. The driver side power window has been exhibiting failure for over a year. It now is almost totally useless and needs to be replaced.
My 1997 chevrolet astro van developed a shifting problem with the automatic transmission at about 60,000 miles. This problem causes extremely rough shifting from 1st to 2nd gear, and only produces the ragged shifts after the van has thoroughly warmed up, as when on a 2 hour trip.
Fuel gauge doesn't work, very costly to repair, about 800.00 dollars this has happened twice now, I can't afford to get it fixed again!!
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 10,160 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 28% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Chevy VAN has 6 complaints (17 years in the data). This year has 12, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Chevrolet Chevy VAN?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, fuel system, visibility. Total complaints: 12. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (17%), windows, sunroof (17%), stalls while driving (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Chevrolet Chevy VAN?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1997 Chevrolet Chevy VAN from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1997 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.