RoadVitals

1997 GMC Sierra 3500 Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
10
Latest Mar 15, 2003
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.
4
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Jan 3, 1997

What this page shows

Our database holds 10 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 GMC Sierra 3500. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

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

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–10 of 10

Brakes
Filed Mar 15, 2003
Crash reported

MY BRAKES FAILED WHEN I GOT INTO A WRECK, THE PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR ITS LIKE MY BRAKES WERE NOT THERE. I HAVE A 97 GMC K3500 4 DOOR LONG BED 4 WHEEL DRIVE, I FELT THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP,I ALSO HAVE TO REPLACE MY FRONT BRAKES EVERY YEAR NO MATTER WHAT KIND I BUY. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10010513
Incident
Mar 10, 2003
Mileage
95,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Aug 31, 2002

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
766511
Body & structureBrakesEngine+3 more
Filed Oct 2, 2000

BRAKE BOOSTER MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING NO BRAKING ABILITY WHICH MAY HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. ALSO, DRIVER AND PASSENGER REAR SEATBELTS , WERE LOCKED UP, COULD NOT USE THE SEATBELT AND WON'T PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN EVENT A CRASH. DEALER REPLACED BOTH SEATBELTS. THE REAR OF CAB WAS NOT WELDED PROPERLY. DEALER HAD TO WELD THE REAR CAB TO FRONT. REAR AXLE SEAL WILL GO OUT, CAUSING OIL TO GO INTO THE BRAKE SHOES, RESULTING IN NO REAR BRAKES. THE ENGINE STALLED. HAD TO GET A REBUILT ENGINE, AND THE MANUFACTURER PUT OUT A TSB BUT HAS NO SOLUTION. *AK THE ENGINE FELL APART JUST AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE STEERING SUDDENLY LOCKED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING A TURN. *YH

NHTSA ID
871983
Incident
Jan 1, 1997
Steering
Filed Aug 10, 2000

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY AT 65 MPH, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES, WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. *AK

NHTSA ID
867390
Brakes
Filed Jul 23, 1999

THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, WHICH ALMOST CAUSE A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
843114
Incident
Oct 29, 1997
Brakes
Filed May 11, 1999

UNDER NORMAL BRAKING AND ON REGULAR ROAD CONDITIONS WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES TRUCK PULLS TO THE LEFT AND THE PEDAL IS SOFT. THE FRONT BRAKES WERE REPLACED AT 21,000 MILES AND REAR BRAKES WERE REPLACED AT 22,000 MILES. OWNER STILL EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
837723
Incident
Nov 11, 1998
Steering
Filed Apr 23, 1998
Crash reported2 injuries reported

INSURED PERSON WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 55MPH WHEN LEFT SIDE INNER TIE ROD BROKE, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. HIT THREE OTHER VEHICLES AND CAUSING TWO INJURIES. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID
822750
Incident
Jan 1, 1998
Steering
Filed Apr 23, 1998
Crash reported2 injuries reported

INSURED PERSON WAS DRIIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 55MPH WHEN FRONT RIGHT INNER TIE ROD END BROKE, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. HIT THREE OTHER VEHICLES, CAUSING INJURIES TO TWO. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID
822747
Incident
Jan 1, 1998
Interior & seats
Filed Mar 20, 1997

WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT FRAME BROKE, CAUSING THE SEAT TO FALL BACKWARDS. *AK

NHTSA ID
810238
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jan 3, 1997
Crash reported

VEHICLE'S REAR AXLE BECAME DETCHED FROM VEHICLE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. BOLTS FROM THE MFR PLANT WERE MISSING. THIS OCCURRED WITH ONLY 300 MILES ON THE CAR. *AK

NHTSA ID
807041
Incident
Dec 31, 1996

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .