AI Damage1997 Chevrolet P30 Chassis: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Chevrolet P30 Chassis filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about parking brake and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Parking brake 60% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 20% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 20% of all complaints
- Parking brake: 3 complaints (60% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 5 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 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 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.
Auto park-emergency brake engaged while driving on interstate. The brake shoe burned out and cable housing melted. Since out of town I was charged unfairly and had only the emergency brake fixed. The auto park works off the same brake shoe but the motor is burned up.
While parked, the emergency parking brake released without warning. On three occasions the emergency brake was applied without warning and while driving. This resulted in total burn out of the brake.
Automatic park brake system on my motorhome, chevrolet p-30. Numerious failures, both deactiving the brake and activating the brake at highway speeds. Numerious repairs and several thousand dollars has not solved the problem.
When the consumer placed the transmission in the reverse gear the vehicle stalled. The dealer replaced the pressure switch and has no further problems with the systems pressure.
The wires to activate the abs for the front are mounted to the brake backing plate, consumer noticed that on both sides the outer covering harness had burned through, consumer feels gm should correct this problem and did inform them of the problem.
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 14,282 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).
On average one model year of the P30 Chassis has 6 complaints (2 years in the data). This year has 5, about average.
What to check before buying
- Parking brake. Electric parking brake, codes, calipers.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Chevrolet P30 Chassis?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: parking brake, powertrain, service brakes. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rollaway, parking brake (20%), stalls while driving (20%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Chevrolet P30 Chassis?
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 P30 Chassis 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.