RoadVitals

1997 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Hd

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
3
Latest Nov 2, 2009
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Hd, most frequently naming the body & structure, electrical and steering categories. 4 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Body & structure120.0%
  • Electrical120.0%
  • Steering120.0%
  • Transmission120.0%
  • Visibility120.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Visibility
Filed Nov 2, 2009

I HAVE A 1997 CHEVROLET 3500 PICKUP TRUCK AND A 1997 GMC 2500 PICKUP TRUCK, AND I AM HAVING WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR PROBLEMS WITH BOTH TRUCKS. BOTH TRUCKS HAVE JUST OVER 70,000 MILES ON EACH. THE WIPERS WILL WORK IN LIGHT RAIN MOST OF THE TIME BUT IN A HEAVY RAIN THEY WILL QUIT AND SOMETIMES START AGAIN IF I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. WHEN I TRY THEM ON A DRY DAY THEY MOST OFTEN WILL WORK. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ONTHEM BUT THE DEALER SAY BECAUSE THEY ARE EXTENDED CAB TRUCKS THEY ARE NOT COVERED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10290706
Incident
Oct 4, 2009
Mileage
72,000 mi
Body & structureElectricalTransmission
Filed Aug 5, 2007

ISSUE NUMBER 1: THE PAINT ON MY 1997 K3500 DUALLY HAS BEEN PEELING AWAY CONSISTENTLY FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. I HAVE HAD AREAS REPAIRED BEFORE, HOWEVER, THE AREAS NOT REPAIRED ARE PEELING AS WELL, AS THOUGH THE PRIMER COAT IS DEFECTIVE. ISSUE NUMBER 2: IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER IS 10 MILES AN HOUR FASTER THAN IT SHOULD BE AT 60 MPH, WHICH HAS RACKED UP NUMEROUS MILES ON MY VEHICLE UNNECESSARILY, AND PUTTING ME OUT OF REACH OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY BACK IN FEBRUARY 2005 WHEN MY TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACED. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A CHEVROLET MAN, BUT I AM RE-THINKING THIS LOGIC AT THE PRESENT TIME. *JB

NHTSA ID
10198564
Incident
Aug 4, 2007
Mileage
1 mi
Steering
Filed Jul 20, 1999

THE SHAFT IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP SEPARATED CAUSING THE SERPINTINE BELT TO COME OFF RESULTING IN NO POWER BRAKES OR POWER STEERING. CONSUMER FEELS DESIGN OF 1 BELT OPERATING BOTH POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES ARE FAULTY. NLM

NHTSA ID
547396
Incident
Jun 14, 1999

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

17-NA-073

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.

16NA260

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

THIS TECHNICAL BULLETIN PROVIDES A PROCEDURE TO REPROGRAM THE MEDIA DISC PLAYER WITH THE LATEST CALIBRATIONS TO CORRECT A CONDITION OF THE REAR ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM NOT OPERATING AS INTENDED IN COLDER AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AREAS DUE TO CALIBRATION CONCERNS.

Recalls

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Vehicle Recalls

130089009

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)

Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Hd by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2024000—
2001003—
2000002—
1998400—
1997Viewing300—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.