1997 Chevrolet Silverado 3500

THE SINGLE CONSUMER COMPLAINT RECEIVED BY NHTSA REPORTED AN INCIDENT IN WHICH APPLICATION OF THE SERVICE BRAKES OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE PRECIPITATED AN UNFOREWARNED LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AS THE LEFT REAR AXLE SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE.INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT DISCLOSED THAT THE LEFT REAR DUAL WHEELS HAD JAMMED INTO THE FENDER WELL AS THE AXLE SEPARATED FROM THE LEFT LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY.THE NUTS WERE REPORTED MISSING FROM THE TWO U-BOLTS WHICH CLAMP THE REAR AXLE TO THE LEAF SPRINGS.THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A VEHICLE WITH A REPORTED ODOMETER READING OF 397 MILES.NO ADDITIONAL CONSUMER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WERE RECEIVED BY THIS AGENCY SINCE THIS PE WAS INITIATED.INQUIRY TO THE MANUFACTURER DISCLOSED NO OTHER CONSUMER COMPLAINTS OR FIELD REPORTS OF SIMILAR NATURE, AND THREE WARRANTY CLAIMS WERE IDENTIFIED AS POTENTIALLY RELEVANT.THESE DATA APPLY TO THE 11,499 C/D 30-SERIES VEHICLES SOLD THROUGH MID-FEBRUARY, 1997, FROM THE TOTAL OF 27,385 BUILT AT GM'S FLINT ASSEMBLY PLANT.THE INQUIRY WAS LIMITED TO VEHICLES PRODUCED AT FLINT BECAUSE THE LOW MILEAGE OF THE COMPLAINANT VEHICLE SUGGESTED THAT ASSEMBLY/PRODUCTIION PROCEDURES MIGHT BE A SOURCE OF THE ISSUE.ODI ALSO CONTACTED THE GENERAL SERVICE ADMINISTRATION'S FLEET MANAGEMENT OFFICE AND DISCUSSED THE ISSUE.THEY SENT REQUESTS TO ALL OF THEIR REGIONAL FLEET MANAGERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, FOR ANY INFORMATION OR REPORTS OF FAILURES WITHIN THE GSA'S TOTAL FLEET OF SEVERAL HUNDRED TRUCKS. NO INCIDENT REPORTS WERE RECEIVED IN RESPONSE TO THESE INQUIRIES.THE APPLICATION OF PROPER TORQUES ON THE U-BOLT NUTS DURING VEHICLE ASSEMBLY IS ACCOMPLISHED BY AUTOMATED PNEUMATIC TOOLS THAT REQUIRE THE STATION OPERATOR TO ABSERVE AND MARK THE TORQUED ASSEMBLIES ACCORDING TO A COLOR CODE, AND TO NOTE ANY HIGH- OR LOW-TORQUE CONDITIONS ON AN INSPECTION TICKET.STATISTICAL REPORTS FOR THE ASSEMBLY FASTENING SYSTEM ARE PULLED TWICE PER SHIFT AND REVIEWED BY POWER TOOL PERSONNEL TO ENSURE THAT THE TOOL IS BEING USED AND THAT IT IS PERFORMING PROPERLY TO APPLY TORQUES WITHIN SPECIFIED ENGINEERING TOLERANCES.THE SINGLE CONSUMER COMPLAINT REPORTED FAILURE TO HAVE OCCURRED IN DECEMBER 1996. THE THREE WARRANTY CLAIMS WERE FILED IN NOVEMBER 1996, JANUARY 1997 AND FEBRUARY 1997.THIS TYPE OF FAILURE WOULD LIKELY BE DETECTED AND REPORTED VERY EARLY IN THE SERVICE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE, SO IT IS ALSO LIKELY THAT THE AFFECTED VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL WEEKS AS OPPOSED TO A SINGLE PRODUCTION SHIFT, THE LATTER OF WHICH MIGHT INDICATE AN ASSEMBLY TOOL CALIBRATION OF OPERATOR PROBLEM DURING A SPECIFIC PERIOD OF TIME.THE SPREAD OF THE WARRANTY CLAIMS OVER SEVERAL WEEKS, TOGETHER WITH THE SINGLE INCIDENT REPORT, SUGGESTS THAT THESE INCIDENTS WERE OF A RANDOM NATURE, AS OPPOSED TO BEING INDICATORS OF A SYSTEMATIC ERROR IN THE PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT, THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS, OR THE QUALITY CONTROL MEASURES TAKEN.A SAFETY DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED, AND THIS PE HAS BEEN CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

TRUCK HAS A DIESEL ENGINE WITH A DEFECTIVE INJECTOR PUMP. ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF WITH OUT NOTICE, NO INDICATION, JUST INSTANTLY SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE A TOTAL OF 5 OR 6 INJECTOR PUMPS SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE NEW. THE LAST OCCURRENCE WAS MARCH 2014. *TR

NHTSA ID

10592036

Incident

Jan 22, 1997

Mileage

58,034 mi

1997 CHEVROLET 3500. WRANGLER HT TIRES (LT245/75R16) WERE DRY ROTTED. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE TIRES DID NOT HAVE ANY TREAD LEFT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10241552

Incident

Jan 1, 1901

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET C3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT ALL ON LOW SPEEDS. AS OF DECEMBER 11, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V159000 (VISIBILITY: WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER). THE CONTACT FELT THAT HIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 205,000. UPDATED 03-04-08 *BF

NHTSA ID

10211457

Incident

Jun 1, 2006

Mileage

150,000 mi

FAILURE OF ABS SYSTEM IN 1997 CHEVROLET PICKUP CK3500.*JB

NHTSA ID

10136987

Incident

Sep 10, 2005

Mileage

65,000 mi

COMPLAINT IS FOR A TIRE PLY FAILURE ON A FIRESTONE FIREHAWK RMT TIRE SIZE LT235/85-R16

NHTSA ID

10128994

Incident

Jul 15, 2005

DT: CONTACT STATES THAT THERE WAS A PREVIOUS RECALL ON HIS VEHICLE, AND THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HIM THAT THE RECALL DID NOT INCLUDE HIS VEHICLE. THEN HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, THEY TOLD HIM HIS VEHICLE DID QUALIFY BUT HIS VEHICLE HAD MORE THAN 70000 MILES, AND THEY WOULDN'T REPLACE IT. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V159000. THE CONTACT IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HIS VEHICLE AS THIS RECALL STATES: ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WITH CERTAIN MODEL-ENGINE COMBINATIONS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY FAIL DUE TO CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT ALL. THE CONTACT HAD THE PART REPLACED TODAY. *AK THIS FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. SOMETIMES THE WIPERS WOULD ONLY WORK ON HIGH SPEED. *SC

NHTSA ID

10120477

Incident

Apr 1, 2002

I HAVE A 1997 CHEVY 3500 4X4 PICKUP TRUCK. EVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ANTILOCK BRAKES. THEY SEEM TO COME ON AT SLOW SPEEDS UNEXPECTEDLY. I HAD THEM REPLACED 1 TIME AT A COST OF $700, HOWEVER WITHIN 3 MONTHS THE PROBLEM RECUERRED. I CANNOT AFFORD TO KEEP REPAIRING THEM AS UPON TALKING TO OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME TYPE OF VEHICLES BY GM THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THE SOLUTION TO WHICH IS TO REMOVE THE ABS FUSE RENDERING THE SYSTEM INOPERATIVE. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR YEARS 1999-2001. WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW IS THAT IS ALSO COMMON TO VEHICLES MADE BEFORE 1999. THERE MAY NOT BE MAY COMPLAINTS BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE PULL THE FUSE AND DISABLE THE ABS SYSTEM.

NHTSA ID

10120040

Incident

Mar 1, 1998

WHILE DRIVING AND UPON MAKING A STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. VEHICLE THEN SURGED FORWARD. IT FELT AS IF SOMETHING DISENGAGED, AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER FOUND THAT A CLIP BROKE WHICH LEFT THE BRAKE PEDAL SWINGING. *AK THE CLIP WHICH HOLDS THE MASTER CYLINDER ROD TO THE BRAKE PEDAL BROKE ALLOWING THE ROD TO SLIP OFF. *NM

NHTSA ID

10113672

Incident

Mar 3, 2005

Mileage

235,000 mi

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

Vehicle Recalls

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

INFORMATION REGARDING FUEL TRANSFER PUMP INOPERATIVE. *YH

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING FUEL TRANSFER PUMP INOPERATIVE. *TT

MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) IS ON; THE TRANSMISSION IS STUCK IN THIRD GEAR; AND / OR THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS INOPERATIVE. *TT