AI Damage1997 Chevrolet K20: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Chevrolet K20 filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 50% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 25% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 25% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (50% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 4 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Ea94038, abs braking system failure; when applying brakes on any type of road surface, during normal braking, there is a vibration in the pedal, the truck shakes and more braking distance is required. This condition has caused two rear end crashes. Also, rotors have been replaced within a 8- month period.
Car stalled numerous times at any speed. Dealer has inspected and replace parts and could not duplicate or correct the problem. Please provide further information.. Ts
While driving and without warning vehicle came to a complete stop. Dealer was notified, and mechanic stated wire harness in fuel tank began to melt, resulting burnt connector and melted a melted wire..
When coming to an intersection and pressing on the brake pedal the truck just keeps going, no matter how hard driver pushes down on the brake pedal.
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 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the K20 has 2 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 4, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- 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.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Chevrolet K20?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine and cooling, fuel system. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (25%), vibration (25%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Chevrolet K20?
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 K20 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.