1997 Chevrolet Silverado 2500: common problems

Owners of the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 filed 64 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and visibility. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 64
involving a crash: 4

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 38% of all complaints
2 Visibility 17% of all complaints
3 Steering 13% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
5 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
6 Seats 5% of all complaints
7 Air bags 3% of all complaints
8 Electrical system 3% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Service brakes: 24 complaints (38% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Visibility: 11 complaints (17% of all).
Steering: 8 complaints (13% of all).
Engine and cooling: 7 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Fuel system: 6 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 64 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

brake failure4 · 6%
steering or power steering problems4 · 6%
stalls while driving3 · 5%
fuel system, fuel smell2 · 3%
won't start2 · 3%
vibration2 · 3%
door locks, latches, handles1 · 2%
knocking, grinding or other noise1 · 2%
loss of power / limp mode1 · 2%
rollaway, parking brake1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	24	3
Visibility	11	0
Steering	8	0
Engine and cooling	7	1
Fuel system	6	1
Seats	3	0
Air bags	2	0
Electrical system	2	0
Suspension	2	0
Tires	2	0
Engine	1	0
Latches, locks, linkages	1	0
Powertrain	1	0
Vehicle speed control	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.

1997 k 2500 truck problem with engine stalling and surging will stall at high speeds and with hydro boost there are only 10 % braking power this has happened many times with each time a failure of a pmd box on engine that the dealer says is a major problem since 1994 I have had replaced 4 times with the result the…
Engine and cooling · crash · 2005-11-24 · NHTSA complaint #10143593
Consumer's mother and father were leaving a parking lot when their brakes failed. Their truck drifted out into traffic that was going approx. 55-60mph, and they were broadsided by a full sized van loaded with lead pipes. The truck is now in bay city michigan towed by tims towing.
Service brakes · crash · 1998-02-24 · NHTSA complaint #820669
Wipers quit when in use. Work intermittently. They are unpredictable. They have been that way for years. My 1999 tahoe does the same thing. My 1996 silverado did the same thing as well and I received a recall notice and the dealer repaired problem.
Visibility · 2018-06-14 · NHTSA complaint #11101786
I locked the truck using electric door locks that evening.got up next morning door pannal had cought fire.but must had gone out from lack oxgen incab.
Electrical system · 2015-08-14 · NHTSA complaint #10748616
Stopping at a stop light the brakes went to the floor and pulled right. I went into the intersection around 5 feet. Required a master cylinder and left front hub assembly to fix problem. Cost: 808.57 this follows rear brake problems at 27,097 miles that required pads, rotors, and calipers at a cost of 668.27.
Service brakes · 2015-03-24 · NHTSA complaint #10701321
Chevy admits a problem, I think mine has such it stalls for no reason after a complete $700 tune up..shop says has symptoms, why not recall? This is dangerous. $243 low to repair to $450.. Nice...
Engine and cooling · 2012-04-02 · NHTSA complaint #10453783
I own a 1997 silverado 6.5 diesel engine, w/279k miles, truck was running ok but the last few months engine stalling and stop without reason, took it to a repair center, diagnose with fuel injection pump failure, diesel dealer explained this is a well known defect, fuel injection pump has an electronic component (pmd)…
Fuel system · 2010-10-29 · NHTSA complaint #10362951
Tl contact owns a 1997 chevrolet k2500. The contact stated that he experienced problems with the windshield wipers because they would function properly on an intermittent basis. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired.
Visibility · 2010-10-12 · NHTSA complaint #10360104

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19973
199813
19996
20008
20014
20024
20036
20044
20053
20063
20071
20081
20103
20122
20152
20181

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 4,654 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 13% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Silverado 2500 has 121 complaints (34 years in the data). This year has 64, below average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, visibility, steering. Total complaints: 64. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (6%), steering or power steering problems (6%), stalls while driving (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?

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 Silverado 2500 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.