AI Damage1997 Chevrolet Motor Home: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Chevrolet Motor Home filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about parking brake and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 7
What fails most often
- 1 Parking brake 43% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 29% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 29% of all complaints
- Parking brake: 3 complaints (43% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (29% of all).
- Suspension: 2 complaints (29% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 7 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parking brake | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 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.
Auto park brake fails to hold vehicle on incline. With transmission in park the brake is supposed to engage. It does engage, but fails to hold on hills. This has happened every time we try to park on a slope. I use a set of wheel chocks to help keep the motorhome from rolling.
Consumer came to a stop, took his foot off the brake and put gear into park when he noticed the motor home started to move forward, dealer found that there is no parking gear, the park gear only activates the parking brake.
Brake master cylinder has a plastic top that leaked fluid, and eventually had no brakes.
The fluid level in the master brake cylinder failed, causing brake pedal to stick, resulting in odor.
The front end misalignment caused front left tire to blow out and front right tire to wear out. Yh
While traveling at 60 mph, the automatic parking brake engaged. This caused the vehicle to decelerate rapidly nearly causing a rear end collision. The interior filled with smoke and heat from the over heated brake pads within the unit.
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 12,539 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 34% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Motor Home has 4 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 7, above average.
What to check before buying
- Parking brake. Electric parking brake, codes, calipers.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Chevrolet Motor Home?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: parking brake, service brakes, suspension. Total complaints: 7. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (29%), rollaway, parking brake (29%), smoke, burning smell, fire (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Chevrolet Motor Home?
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 Motor Home 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 2026-11-06.