RoadVitals

1997 GMC C/K Series

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 Apr 15, 2015
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.
1
Latest Apr 28, 2003
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 GMC C/K Series, most frequently naming the visibility and steering categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 16 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

  • Visibility266.7%
  • Steering133.3%

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

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
03V159000

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

Apr 28, 2003
1,755,876 units potentially affected
The defect: 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 risk: IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR DURING BAD WEATHER, DRIVER VISIBILITY WOULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 19, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.Manufacturer number 03023View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Steering
Filed Apr 15, 2015

AFTER DRIVING AT A CONSTANT MODERATE SPEED IN A STRAIGHT LINE, STEERING JERKS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A SLIGHT STEERING ADJUSTMENT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10705952
Incident
Jan 29, 1998
Mileage
5,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Jun 3, 2005

DT: CONSUMER HAD A PROBLEM W ITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. HAD IT FIXED AT A FILLING STATION. HE IS COMPLAINING THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND WOULD LIKE A REFUND. *AK

NHTSA ID
10124123
Incident
May 5, 2005
Mileage
95,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Mar 6, 2003

WINDSHIELD WIPERS QUIT WHILE GOING DOWN INTERSTATE 40 AT 70 MPH RESULTING IN FIVE SECONDS OF SHEER TERROR WHILE I COULD NOT SEE BEYOND MY WINDSHIELD. THEY THEN STARTED AGAIN AND NOW WORK PURELY AT THEIR OWN DISCRETION.*JB

NHTSA ID
10008505
Incident
Feb 6, 2003

Manufacturer communications

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

SB-06-02-32-013B

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP

SAAB/HUMMER/GM: DIAGNOSTIC TIPS/RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACEMENT IS NECESSARY. ANALYSIS OF RETURNED POWER STEERING (PS) PUMPS THAT HAD BEEN REPLACED FOR NOISE, NO POWER ASSIST, NO OR LOW PRESSURE AND LEAKING CONDITIONS HAS INDICATED A HIGH NUMBER OF NO TROUBLE FOUND RESULTS. ALL 1997-2010 VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS; 2010 AND PRIOR HUMMERS H2/H3 AND SAAB 9-7X VEHICLES. *PE

010730002D

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ON, TRANSMISSION STUCK IN THIRD GEAR, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER INOPERATIVE. *TT UPDATED *EH 2006 AND PRIOR GM PASSENGER CARS AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS. *SC

000730022B

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

A NO REVERSE, NO SECOND GEAR, OR NO FOURTH GEAR CONDITION. *TT UPDATED *EH

00149D

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON WITH A P0300 SET AND A MISFIRE. VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING 1996 - 1999 P32 MODELS. SIT BULLETIN 1416475. *TT

01349A

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

6.5L L49 L56 L57 L65 DIESEL ENGINE REQUIRING FUEL INJECTION PUMP REPLACEMENT. MODELS P32/P42 1994-1999 INCLUDED. *TT

000604003B

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ROUGH IDLE AFTER START, AND/OR A SERVICE ENGINE SOON (SES) LIGHT. VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING THE 1995 CHEVROLET AND GMC S/T MODELS. *TT

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

GMC C/K Series by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2003402—
2002102—
2001102—
2000102—
1999413—
1998201—
1997Viewing310—
1996411—
1995211—
1994010—

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.